Colin O'Riordan who died tragically at home on Sunday 28th October, 2001 was one of Scotland's foremost musical educators. With his death, a light went out in the lives of thousands of musicians, not just the young of today throughout the schools of Edinburgh and beyond, but also those whose young lives he touched in years gone by. The joy of inspiring young people through music was Colin's life. Many have gone on to be acclaimed professional musicians, but the lives of many more, regardless of their backgrounds, were enriched by Colin's unstinting and generous teaching which was fired by his own love of music and young people.

Colin was the son of Denis and Joyce O'Riordan, both highly regarded as supporters of youth music in Scotland. He was educated at George Heriot's School, then Glasgow University, where he gained a first-class double honours degree in Music and Russian, and at Cambridge and Moscow Universities, where he completed a PhD in Russian folk music. Whilst studying at the Conservatory in Moscow on a British Council scholarship, he made many musical friends including the renowned pianist Radu Lupu.

On leaving school Colin, the youngest brother of Rory, Tim and Jon, all talented musicians, joined the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. His father Denis went on to help establish the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. Colin was the first leader of the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra when it was formed in 1963, and led the first concert under James Loughran in 1964. Over the intervening years he was involved in all the major activities of the EYO, both as an advisor and Board Director, and as the inspiration behind much of the progress of the orchestra. At the time of his death he was Vice-Chairman. He was involved in all of the orchestra's tours and was hugely looking forward to its 2003 tour to the Baltic and St. Petersburg.

As Principal Officer for Music in the Education Department of Edinburgh City Council, Colin worked tirelessly to achieve the highest standards among the young musicians of Edinburgh. Music was Colin's whole life, although an active interest in all kinds of sport was retained from his rugby playing days at school. Indeed he was always the first to want to know, even during rehearsals, the latest football and golf results.

As a violinist, Colin was involved across the breadth of the music scene in Edinburgh. He played in many amateur and semi-professional orchestras, of varying standards, but performed to his professional best in them all.

He was a leading light in the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra, with which he appeared in the Usher Hall the night before his death, and which he was so proud to conduct at the Royal Albert Hall, London. It was Colin's passion for Scots fiddle music that inspired him to play and record duets with his close friend Yla Steven.

Colin's invaluable contribution to a wealth of organisations, national and local, large and small, is enormously missed. The National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, whose concerts he never missed, the Scottish Schools Orchestra Trust, of which he was a trustee, the European String Teachers' Association, the Edinburgh Competition Festival and Sovscot Tours are but a few. He adjudicated at Music Festivals throughout Scotland and in Perth, Australia. His Edinburgh Secondary Schools Orchestra was a founding orchestra of the first Festival of British Youth Orchestras in 1980. Since then, he continued to take an active part and interest in this event and the work of the National Association of Youth Orchestras, particularly in recent years with Lothian Schools (formerly Region) Orchestra.

Colin's zest for life meant that everything he did was undertaken wholeheartedly. The commitment, dedication and exuberant selflessness shown by Colin are rare in any walk of life. Colin believed in music as a therapy and a source of confidence building for the most deprived of children. This is the vision of the Memorial Trust created in his name.

Marjory Dougal