A north woman struck all the right notes in gaining her second degree from Aberdeen University yesterday.
Kathleen Cronie, from Dingwall, was awarded a master’s in vocal music and the 29-year-old received her prized qualification in the historic surroundings of the university’s Elphinstone Hall yesterday.
The former Dingwall Academy pupil was cheered on by her partner, Emily Nordmann, a psychology lecturer at the university, her parents and her sister.
Speaking after the ceremony, she said her time in Old Aberdeen had been “fantastic”, but added: “It was a bit of a relief to finish, because it had actually been really hard work.
She said: “I have been really busy but it has been fantastic.”
The conductor and singing teacher has worked with both the Scottish National Opera and the National Theatre and clearly revelled in these experiences.
In particular, she helped to produce the hit show Granite, an outdoor theatre event which celebrated Aberdeen’s history this year.
The production was staged at a number of locations throughout the city before culminating in a final performance inside the grounds of Marischal College.
Ms Cronie said: “It was really great, I spent a lot of my time standing out in the rain, but it was a fantastic experience as I got to sit in on production meetings as well as being out there with the performers.”
“It was a lot more creative, because I got to put a lot of Gaelic music into it and my first undergraduate was Gaelic and French at Aberdeen.
She has now started the next chapter in her academic career, a Phd.
As somebody who is already a teacher at the North East Scotland Music School (NESMS) on Huntly Street, Miss Cronie is determined to continue helping others hone their musical skills in the future.
She added: “I hope to conduct, organise and run choirs, and teaching will be a part of that too.”