Heather MacLeod is a violinist with The Hallé Orchestra.

Originally from Strathaven, Heather first discovered the violin at a local “Come and Try an Instrument” day. She began lessons at the age of six and, by eleven, had joined the Junior Academy at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD). In 2011, she began her undergraduate degree in Performance at RCS before going on to complete a master’s degree in performance at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM).

Since graduating, Heather has built a varied freelance career, performing with artists including Gary Numan, Alex Warren, Diana Ross, Echo & the Bunnymen and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead. She has also performed with leading orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic, Opera North, Scottish Ballet and Manchester Camerata.

Heather enjoys performing across a wide range of musical styles and has appeared in numerous musical theatre productions, including Standing at the Sky’s Edge, Little Women, The Book Thief, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and The Wizard of Oz. Her work has taken her across Europe, Scandinavia and Asia, and she has appeared on broadcasts including BBC Children in Need, the BRIT Awards, the BBC Proms, BBC Radio 3, Classic FM and the Na Trad awards on BBC ALBA.

Alongside her orchestral career, Heather has a particular passion for traditional music and enjoys arranging and performing folk-inspired repertoire. She also teaches violin and co-runs the award-winning event string quartet, Dahlia Music. Outside of music, she loves spending time outdoors and exploring nature, which continues to be an important source of balance and inspiration.

Reflecting on her time at RCS, Heather said: “One of the highlights of my time at RCS was the opportunity to study and collaborate with so many talented people from across the performing arts. No two days felt the same – I could be playing alongside musicians from the Scottish Music course, having lunch with friends from Film and TV, and then spending the evening watching a Musical Theatre production after a chamber music rehearsal! Being surrounded by that level of creativity every day was incredibly inspiring, and it’s something I’ll always value from my time at RCS.”