The Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame has introduced two new categories aimed at acknowledging people whose behind the scenes contributions to the music in teaching, event organisation and broadcasting are often unrecognised outside of their immediate surroundings.

Perthshire singer, promoter and event organiser Doris Rougvie, Frank McArdle of St Roch's School in Glasgow, Jessie Newton of Edinburgh Feis, Gaelic singing teacher and feis organiser Kirsteen Graham, and Sheila Sapkota of Riddell Fiddles in the Borders have been inducted into the Services to Community category and Stewart Cruickshank, award-winning radio producer and until recently the man at the helm of BBC Radio Scotland's popular Iain Anderson Show, receives the first Services to Broadcasting award. Further inductees will be announced at the Scots Trad Music Awards, which take place in Dundee in December.

projects.handsupfortrad.scot/hall-of-fame

Fiddle and cello duo Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas (pictured) return to Scotland next month for a series of concerts beginning at Eastgate Theatre, Peebles on Wednesday, June 3. Fraser, who was born in Clackmannanshire but has been based in California for many years, and Californian Haas have both revived and redefined the partnership between fiddle and cello in Scottish music and released their fourth album, Abundance, in 2014. Following their Peebles concert they play in Stirling (June 4), St Andrews (June 5), Banchory (June 6), Cromarty (June 7), and Pitlochry (June 8). They will also be in residence at Sabhal Mor Ostaig on Skye for Fraser's 29th annual fiddle camp at the Gaelic college from July 25 to 31.

alasdairfraser.com

National music competition Open Mic UK 2015 has announced that it will hold its Scottish audition in Glasgow on Saturday, September 5 at TouchBase in Kinning Park. The competition is organised by Future Music, the company who discovered recent chart acts Luke Friend and Karen Hardy as well as Birdy, Jacob Banks and Lucy Spraggan, and is searching for the UK's best singers, singer songwriters, rappers and vocal groups. Prizes include studio time and music development classes and the overall winner will receive a package including £5,000 in cash.

openmicuk.co.uk

Guitarist Graeme Stephen has rearranged the Aberdeen concert on the tour that debuts the music on his new album with Dutch string quartet Zapp4, Distances. The tour now begins at Aberdeen University's King's College Chapel on Wednesday, May 20 before moving on to the Outhouse, Edinburgh on Thursday, May 21 and An Lanntair, Stornoway on Friday, May 22.

graemestephen.com