Hattie McGregor is studying at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag in the class of Lucia Swarts. As a recent graduate of the Yehudi Menuhin School, she went on to study cello with John Myerscough (Doric Quartet) and baroque cello with Jonathan Manson (OAE) while holding a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music (London) from 2021-2022. Since then, she has performed at the Cello Biënnale Amsterdam, and was selected by Cello Akademie Rutesheim as a soloist with Südwestdeutsches Kammerorchester Pforzheim during masterclasses with Sebastian Klinger. She was awarded third prize at the 2022 Musica Goritiensis international competition, and other recent events include the London Handel Festival directed by Laurence Cummings, the Camino Artes and JAM on the Marsh festivals, and masterclasses with Jakob Koranyi, Zlatomir Fung, Sung-Won Yang, Denis Severin, Harro Ruijsenaars, and Vaclav Petr. Additionally, she is the Cello Ambassador and a tutor for the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland, and has been supported by the Music and Dance Scheme and the Agar Trust. She plays on an anonymous cello generously on loan from the Royal Academy of Music museum.
Finlay Hay is studying in Berlin with Marco Tamayo at the University of the Arts and with Allan Neave at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He is a founding member of both the Taproot Ensemble and Quartet Malamatina, which was recently awarded a residency at the RCS after playing at the UN's 2021 Climate Conference in Glasgow. As a scholar of the Cantilena Ensemble, Finlay recently performed alongside members of the Scottish Opera in chamber and soloist capacities, as well as alongside his duo partner Hattie in venues such as Mansion House, Blair Castle, Fromista Cathedral, Scotland House and Stevenson Hall. Finlay plays on a 2016 Angelo Vailati guitar and on a Miodrag Zerdoner romantic guitar with the generous support of a local donor.
The duo formed six years ago at the Yehudi Menuhin School. They have since enjoyed touring their arrangements of songs for cello and guitar around Scotland, performing as co-directors of the Taproot Ensemble and taking part in the Camino Artes festival along the Camino de Santiago.