David McGuinness

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David McGuinness is one of the UK’s most versatile keyboard players, working in early music, traditional music, rock and classical. He was the youngest ever graduate of the University of York, and was awarded a PhD at the University of Glasgow for his studies in 16th century English music. He is the director of eclectic early music group Concerto Caledonia, recording nine CDs of Scottish repertoire, and collaborating with artists as diverse as Mark Padmore, the Tiger Lillies, and Daniel Johnston.

David’s regular recital partners include the violinist/fiddler David Greenberg, soprano Katharine Fuge, and the cellist Alison McGillivray. He has recorded two albums of Acadian folk songs with Suzie LeBlanc’s ensemble in Montréal, and guested with the Chris Norman Ensemble in the US. He has appeared as a harpsichord soloist with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

His reconstruction of Allan Ramsay’s ballad opera The Gentle Shepherd was performed at the Edinburgh International Festival, and he provided the string arrangements for the album I Trawl the Megahertz by Paddy McAloon, voted by Mojo Magazine one of the 50 most 'out there' albums of all time. He was the featured piano soloist on the soundtrack of Mira Nair’s Vanity Fair, playing the fortepiano apparently played in the movie by Reese Witherspoon, and recently scored an episode of Channel 4's teen drama Skins with his own Debussy playing on a 1920s Steinway.

David is a contributor to Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, and has given masterclasses at many universities in the US and the UK. In 2007 he produced John Purser’s 50-part history of Scottish music for BBC Radio Scotland, and co-ordinated the station's observance of No Music Day with Bill Drummond. In 2009 he was a Visiting Research Fellow and Wingate Scholar at the University of Edinburgh, and since 2010 he has been Lecturer in Music at the University of Glasgow.

selected discography

with Concerto Caledonia -

  • Revenge of the Folksingers (Delphian 2011)
  • Late Night Sessions (Delphian 2010)
  • Lion (Boxwood 2007)
  • Fiddler Tam (Linn 2005)
  • The Red Red Rose (Delphian 2004)
  • Spring Any Day Now (Marquis 2003)
  • Mungrel Stuff (Linn 2001)
  • Colin's Kisses (Linn 1999)
  • The Lion of Scotland (Hyperion 1998)
  • Alasdair Roberts The Wyrd Meme (Drag City 2009) harmonium, harpsichord, arrangements
  • Iain MacInnes Sealbh (Macmeanmna 2009) harpsichord, harmonium, piano
  • Alasdair Roberts Spoils (Drag City 2009) harpsichord, harmonium, arrangements
  • The Tiger Lillies Love and War (Misery Guts 2007) harpsichord, organ
  • Suzie LeBlanc Tout Passe (ATMA 2007) harpsichord, melodica, harmonium, arrangements
  • Alison McGillivray Geminiani cello sonatas, Pièces de Clavecin (Linn 2005) harpsichord
  • Chris Norman Ensemble In the Fields in Frost and Snow (Boxwood 2004) harmonium, piano, melodica
  • Suzie LeBlanc La Mer Jolie (ATMA 2004) harpsichord, melodica
  • Mychael Danna (Original Soundtrack) Vanity Fair (Decca 2004) piano, fortepiano
  • Paddy McAloon I Trawl the Megahertz (EMI 2003) string arrangements
  • Chris Norman Ensemble The Caledonian Flute (Boxwood 2002) harmonium, melodica
  • Mr McFall's Chamber Upstart Jugglers (MMC 2001) piano, hammond, harmonica, producer