Anna Whiteford

Anna Whiteford is an accordion player from Paisley whose music draws together the rich traditions of Nordic and Celtic folk music. A graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with a First-Class Honours degree in Traditional Music, Anna also spent a year studying Nordic Folk Music at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, immersing herself in the music, song and dance traditions of Finland.

Deeply inspired by both Finnish and Scottish traditional music, Anna explores the connections between these traditions through inventive arrangements and original compositions. Her playing is influenced by the old Runo traditions of Finnish folk culture, where tunes evolve through repetition, improvisation and melodic variation, while the rhythms, ornamentation and spirit of Scottish traditional music remain central to her sound.

Storytelling sits at the heart of Anna’s musical practice. Fascinated by folklore and oral traditions, she often creates music inspired by archival tales, personal stories and traditional narratives. Technically, she is particularly interested in expanding the possibilities of the accordion bass, drawing inspiration from free-bass accordion techniques and adapting these ideas within her own Stradella bass playing.

Anna has performed at festivals including Celtic Connections, Blas Festival, Kaustinen Folk Music Festival and Haapavesi Folk Festival. She regularly performs with ceilidh bands Chitterybite and Drum Skinny and has experience calling dances for ceilidhs of all ages and abilities, including children’s ceilidhs.

Alongside performing, Anna is passionate about widening access to live music and creating meaningful musical experiences for diverse audiences. Having grown up attending community music projects herself, she understands first-hand the importance of accessible music-making and the lasting impact it can have on confidence, connection and creative development. Anna joined Live Music Now Scotland in 2026.