Alison studied violin, piano, singing and musical education at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) She then went to Edinburgh University where she graduated with a B.Mus. While there Alison was awarded a Clutterbuck scholarship to take part in a chamber music course at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. There she discovered the orchestra of the Summer Academy which existed to play for the conducting course at the Mozarteum, headed by Herbert von Karajan. She gained a place in this orchestra the following summer, a dream job for someone beginning to take a serious interest in conducting.For nearly 30 years Alison was musical director of Opera Camerata in Edinburgh conducting a wide range of operas including La Clemenza di Tito, The Magic Flute, The Pearl Fishers, Carmen, The Tales of Hoffmann, Der Freischutz and Gianni Schicchi as well as the operettas The Merry Widow, Die Fledermaus and La Belle Helene.
During this time Alison conducted several choral concerts with the opera chorus in the Edinburgh Fringe. These included Faure’s Requiem, Bach’s Magnificat and Schubert’s Ab Mass
Alison has also been musical director for a number of Edinburgh based companies: Southern Light Operatic Society, Allegro, SMYCMS, Twilighters and Penicuik Music Society. Favourite musicals include Me & My Girl, Guys & Dolls, 42nd Street, South Pacific, Mack & Mabel, Stepping Out and The Drowsy Chaperone which the Twilighters performed at the Fringe
For six years Alison conducted the St Andrew Orchestra in Edinburgh and for many years ran and conducted the Waddell Orchestra, a children’s string orchestra in the city.
As a day job Alison taught violin and music theory for 30 years at George Watson’s college.
She lives in Edinburgh with husband Andrew and enjoys travel, visiting grandchildren in Carrbridge and playing chamber music.
