School of Music student Flora Cummings is known to her teachers and community for excelling in a variety of settings both on and off the concert stage. An undergraduate viola student of Melia Watras double majoring in Music and Wildlife Conservation, Cummings serves as co-principal violist of the UW Symphony, performs in the Seattle Collaborative Orchestra and the Leonore Chamber Orchestra, competes in Scottish highland dance competitions, and enjoys performing Scottish music with her family, all while simultaneously focused on her studies in biology and eventual plans to work in wildlife ecology and conservation.
Last year, she performed onstage at Meany Hall with Watras and with Watras’s teacher, Atar Arad, in a multi-generational performance designed by Watras. It was an honor rarely extended to a student and even less commonly to an undergraduate, yet Cummings appeared unintimidated, playing beautifully, demonstrating why current and former teachers describe her as “fearless.”
“Flora is an innate musician," says Watras. "She is an accomplished, inspiring, and generous artist who connects with audiences and her community.”
Long aware of Cummings’ abilities in multiple areas, Watras recently was surprised to learn of another talent as Cummings was preparing to take top honors in a national Gaelic singing competition in Scotland. Though she had been aware of her involvement through her family in Scottish and Gaelic music, she had not been aware, she says, that Flora could also sing.
Yet sing she did, winning the prestigious Silver Pendant Competition for Scottish Gaelic learners at the Royal National Mòd, held in Oban, Scotland, in October. Winners of the competition are recognized as among the best emerging Gaelic vocalists in the world. She received top marks in both music and Gaelic, earning her a chance to sing for broadcast on BBC television, as well as live on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal.
As one of 2,600 participants competing in more than 200 competitions over nine days at the Royal Mòd, Cummings took part in a rich tradition extending back to 1891 when hosting organization An Comunn Gàidhealach was founded as a vehicle for the preservation and development of the Gaelic language. The experience also carried heavy family significance for Cummings, who has been steeped in Scottish culture throughout her life, competing in Scottish Highland dance competitions since age 7 and performing traditional Scottish fiddle music and traditional Gaelic song with her family. "We are all members of Northwest Scottish fiddlers and go to music camps and jam sessions throughout the Seattle area," she says. Even so, winning the Silver Pendant was especially meaningful.
“This was a really special moment as my dad won this competition 21 years ago, also in Oban (I even got to sing on the same stage as he did),” Cummings shared on her Instagram page soon after the competition. “It was such a delight to be surrounded by so much music and Gaelic, and to travel with my wonderful mum, who has been helping me learn this beautiful language.”
Flora Cummings’ UW education has been supported, in part, by the Milton Katims Viola Scholarship. In addition to upcoming performances with the UW Symphony, Cummings is a featured performer on “Broken Bell,” the May 5, 2025 faculty recital by her professor, Melia Watras.