“Everywhere I go in the world, as a teacher and performer, the greatest desire of many of those I meet is to hear and learn more about my own piano interpretations of the traditional music of Scotland and Ireland.”

Mary’s approach to piano performance and teaching is rooted in her background in Irish Traditional music and in her continued involvement with musicians in this field in Ireland and Scotland.

Mary studied with Dr Suzuki in Japan, having been awarded a scholarship by the British Suzuki Institute. She is piano tutor for the Scottish Music Degree Course at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, in addition to her Suzuki based piano teaching in Edinburgh.

Mary has given recitals in Sri Lanka, Norway, the Caribbean, the USA, and Brazil as well as in the UK and in Ireland. She performs regularly (piano and accordian) with the saxophonist Richard Ingham.

Biography Highlights:

Teaching and Teacher Training

• Principal Piano Tutor, BA in Scottish Music Royal Scottish Conservatoire, Glasgow, since its inception in 1996
• Lecturer on the B.Mus in Traditional Music Course, RSC
• Examiner on the B.Mus in Traditional Music Course, RSC
• Director of National Suzuki Piano Teacher Training Courses
  in four countries:
  • Ireland since 2004
  • Scotland since 2004
  • Latvia since 2014
  • Spain since 2015

   
• October, 2016 Invited to be part of the teaching faculty at the State of Washington Suzuki Festival
• Recognised Suzuki Piano Teacher Trainer and Examiner in Europe,(European Suzuki Association) and America (American Suzuki Association).
• 2008-2013 Invited as part of the teacher training faculty, in Lima, Peru, each January, for the Latin American Suzuki Festival
• Awarded a scholarship by the British Suzuki Institute to study with Dr.Suzuki in Matsumoto, Japan, 1990.
•  One of a community of Suzuki teachers in Scotland, who all work together to bring Suzuki’s vision to many.
• Was the first Suzuki piano teacher in Scotland in 1987 and continues to enjoy life as a Suzuki teacher, where many of the families who started in 1987, are now very good friends and still support the Suzuki community in Scotland and beyond.
• Winner of All-Ireland accordion championship as a teenager.

Performing

• March, 2016 Awarded a second Travel Scholarship to Serbia, to return, to further study and engage with musicians and composers, some of whom are professors in Novi Sad Academy, whom Mary has already met on a previous travel scholarship there,when she met many musicians and composers who gave her invaluable help with this research. She played Serbian and her own arrangements of Irish and Scottish music on Radio Novi Sad (October,1996). Her pupil,Lucy Dorman (aged 13) was also invited to perform Miroslav Statkic’s “Old Serbian Song.”
• Numerous concerts/recitals/tv and radio,Europe,(including Serbia,Latvia,Sweden,Spain,UK,Ireland), Sri Lanka, USA, Latin America, India – for more information see performances.
• Recitalist on the Fred Olsen cruise lines, traveling world-wide, 2001-2007.
• International and local performances and workshops (accordion and piano) with Richard Ingham, saxophonist.

CDs and Publications

• In Praise of Uist (Molaidh Uist), solo piano album of arrangements of traditional Scottish and Irish music,performed and arranged by Mary. This CD has formed the basis of a series of concerts to over ten countries, by invitation, between 2012 and 2015, including Edinburgh Festival Fringe performances, August 2012/13/14/15.
• Manuscripts of In Praise of Uist (Molaidh Uist)
• Scenes from a Mountain (Richard Ingham,saxophone,Mary McCarthy,piano and accordion) Music from many different genres,including Marcello, Miroslav Statkic Charlie Parker,Eddie McGuire. This music has been performed widely by Mary and Richard, locally, in Edinburgh and internationally, including India, USA, Ireland, Latvia, England, Scotland and Wales and also as part of the Edinburgh International Festival Fringe.
• Pennan to Penang Accordion and saxophone, suite of pieces written by Richard Ingham, performed at numerous international events, by invitation, including the World Saxophone Congress, Minneapolis, British Saxophone Congress, Birmingham.
• Bridges Solo contemporary piano music from Serbia and Scotland plus “reflections”, by Mary.  Influenced by music from her career to date.  CD was launched in August, 2015, at Edinburgh International Festival Fringe.The music has been performed by Mary in many countries over a number of years.
• Failte
• Piano Duets