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 seven 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, sopranos Lisa Milne and Katharine Fuge, and the cellist Alison McGillivray. He has recorded two albums of Acadian folk songs with Suzie LeBlanc’s ensemble in Montréal, and is a guest artist 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 was recently heard playing Debussy on a 1920s Steinway as the soundtrack to an episode of Channel 4's teen drama Skins.

David is a contributor to Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, a guest lecturer at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, 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. He currently holds a Wingate Scholarship as Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh.

updated 20-Apr-09

www.myspace.com/davidmcguinnessmusic   

selected discography

with Concerto Caledonia -
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 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