Sarah Claman (22) was accepted to study at the Birmingham Conservatoire, Royal Northern College of Music, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
"I chose the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, because it had the best courses for me.
"It has a big focus on orchestral playing and a good mentor scheme and contemporary music module," she said recently.
"I'd love to become an orchestral musician eventually. I'm also keen to form a contemporary ensemble, to perform the work of my peers," she said.
The University of Otago graduate started learning the violin at the age of 7.
"I was attracted to it by the bow. I got obsessed watching the bows moving in unison watching the Southern Sinfonia," she said.
"I love the variety of colours you can get out of the violin and how you can improvise to use it in different ways.
"It can make so many different sounds, but it takes a long time to master."
In 2010, she studied at the Dartington College of Arts, in Devon, where she developed an interest in contemporaryexperimental music and free improvisation.
"That was a really valuable experience, because I got to play contemporary works that are being written now.
"If you do Bach or Mozart, you can't really talk with the composer about their ideas."
Miss Claman is a former leader of the Dunedin Youth Orchestra and graduated from the University of Otago in December with a bachelor of music degree with first class honours after winning the Ida G. White Memorial prize in music.
A member of the Southern Sinfonia and New Zealand National Youth Orchestra, Miss Claman will move to Glasgow in September to start the two-year course.
She will perform an improvised piece at the Glue Gallery on February 17 and 18 with sound musicians Motoko Kikkawa and Sally-Ann McIntyre.
