Dame Evelyn Glennie

Dame Evelyn Glennie is the world's first full-time solo percussionist and an acclaimed composer who has redefined what it means to listen and create music. Profoundly deaf since childhood, she has commissioned over 200 new works for solo percussion, won two Grammy Awards, earned a BAFTA nomination, and received the Companion of Honour alongside more than 100 international accolades. As the first female President of Help Musicians and founder of The Evelyn Glennie Foundation, she champions music education and accessibility whilst delivering masterclasses and performances with leading orchestras worldwide. Her sessions inspire audiences to sharpen their listening skills, embrace resilience, and unlock potential through a deeper connection to sound and communication.

At just sixteen years old, Evelyn Glennie secured a place at The Royal Academy of Music in London, where she became the first student to perform a percussion concerto in the institution's history. Profoundly deaf since childhood, she chose percussion because she could feel the sound, transforming what many might perceive as limitation into a profound strength that has redefined how audiences worldwide understand listening and communication. Her groundbreaking career has taken her from that pioneering concerto to centre stage at the Royal Albert Hall's BBC Proms, the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, and concert halls across six continents, establishing her as the first person in history to sustain a full-time career as a solo percussionist.

Evelyn's influence extends far beyond performance. She has commissioned over 200 new works for solo percussion from eminent composers around the world, vastly expanding the repertoire and ensuring the genre continues to evolve. A double Grammy Award winner and BAFTA nominee, she composes music for film, television, and theatre whilst maintaining an active schedule of masterclasses that inspire emerging musicians to push creative boundaries. Her accolades include the Polar Music Prize, the Companion of Honour, and more than 100 international awards, alongside over 20 honorary doctorates. Recently appointed as the first female President of Help Musicians, she follows in the footsteps of Sir Edward Elgar and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, championing accessibility and music education through The Evelyn Glennie Foundation and her patronage of organisations including Great Ormond Street Hospital and Create. Her film Touch the Sound and her widely viewed TED talk continue to challenge perceptions about how we experience sound.

Evelyn's sessions offer audiences practical tools to sharpen their listening skills, recognising that better listening underpins success in business, collaboration, and personal relationships. Whether delivering a keynote on resilience and overcoming adversity, performing live to demonstrate the visceral power of percussion, or leading workshops on communication and focus, she creates memorable experiences that shift perspectives. Her work with the Music of Life charity and ongoing advocacy for arts education in schools ensures that every engagement connects to a broader purpose: helping people unlock potential through deeper attention, empathy, and connection. Audiences leave with renewed energy, actionable insights, and a transformed understanding of how listening shapes every aspect of life.