Catriona was brought up in Dundee, Scotland where she was involved in traditional music firstly through her father who was a member of Scottish folk bands “The Livingstones” and the “Taysiders”. She was introduced to classical and contemporary music by her mother, a ballet and dance teacher.

Catriona became harp champion at the O’Carolan International Harp
Festival (Keadue, Co. Roscommon) when leaving school. A desire to master
harp techniques to an advanced level took her on to study pedal harp, Celtic
harp and electro acoustic composition at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music
and Drama where she gained a first class honours BA and several solo and chamber music prizes.
She then was awarded a Caird Trust scholarship and an Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music scholarship to attend Royal Northern College of Music for postgraduate studies with Welsh harpist Eira Lynn Jones. She joined Yehudi Menuin’s Live Music Now! scheme in 1999, was a finalist for the BBC Radio 3 ‘Young Musician’ 1999 and was a NFMS (National Federation of Music Societies) Young Concert Artist for 2000/01.
It was at the RNCM where Catriona met fellow student and classical/jazz bassist Matt Baker, with whom she recorded an album along with percussionist Iain Copeland and fiddler Chris Stout on her own record label Glimster Records. Described by the Glasgow Herald as a “sparkling gem of an album”.

Catriona plays harp and piano in the Shetland-based band Fiddlers’ Bid
with whom she tours worldwide. They received nominations for “Best
Contemporary Live Music Presentation” Australian Entertainment Industry
Association’s Helpmann Awards (2002) and “Best Live Act” at the Scottish Folk Awards (2003). Their new cd “Naked and Bare” (Greentrax 2005) has acclaimed reviews such as "another first class collection… Superb music from superb musicians”, "a consolodation of their reach and territory…sumptuously layered, almost symphonic-sounding” and heralded as “A success on all counts”.
Catriona is a member of the Chris Stout Quintet who released their first album ‘The First O the Darkenin’ in April 2004. Their CD has been described as “An absolute masterpiece” (Irish Music Magazine) and “sheer musical poetry” (Box and Fiddle).
Their 2nd album ‘Devil’s Advocate’ was nominated ‘Album of the Year’ at the Scots Trad Music Awards 2007. ‘Kaleidoscopically exciting and technically audacious...panoply of dynamic musical adventures.’ The Scotsman 2007.

Courtesy of Artist's Site 2009