Perth musician collecting special award at international music festival

Tayside musician and composer Helen MacKinnon has been selected by Academy Award winner Ennio Morricone for a special mention at an international composing competition in Italy.

Helen, 35, from Perth, will join other composers in Florence to collect a diploma in the award ceremony of the Florence International Choir Festival for her a capella setting of Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Helen, who is the outgoing president of the Rotary Club of Perth St Johns and the chief executive of local charity PKAVS, used the competition as an opportunity to step back to her musical roots as a graduate in music.

She said: “I grew up in a very musical family, learning piano from my gran who taught music in Angus.”

“I’ve written music since I was about 12 and premiered my first piece aged 17 while still at school.”