James Gourlay
Encyclopedia
James Gourlay is a British
conductor and internationally renowned tuba
soloist.
He was born in Scotland
and began to play in his local brass band
at an early age. He took part in numerous solo competitions at that time and soon became Scottish Champion at junior and open levels. After studying at the Royal College of Music
Gourlay became principal tuba of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
where he remained for four years. There followed posts in the BBC Symphony Orchestra
and the Orchester der Oper in Zürich
where he worked with most of the World’s top conductors.
As a soloist and chamber musician, James Gourlay has won international acclaim. He is a former member of the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
and has toured the World performing concertos with major orchestras and giving countless recitals. He has also broadcast Harrison Birtwistle
’s The Cry of Anubis with the BBC Philharmonic
and has recorded a number of solo CD recordings, which cover all of the major works for tuba. Gourlay is a featured artist for both the Doyen and Polyphonic labels for whom he has recorded as a soloist and as a conductor of wind and brass bands. He has also recorded the Gregson
and Vaughan Williams
concertos for the Naxos label.
Gourlay has a commitment to new music and has given premières of works by Bingham
, Gorb, Gilbert
, Lachenmann
, Gregson, Horovitz
, Sparke
, Penderecki and Newton to name but a few.
Gourlay has appeared as a guest conductor with both wind and brass ensembles in Europe and Brazil. He is the principal guest conductor of the National Youth Wind Orchestra Great Britain, having toured with them to Paris, Prague and Ireland, and has conducted all the UK’s top Brass Bands. He has made a number of recordings with the RNCM
Wind Orchestra and is the Musical Director of the Grimethorpe Colliery Band.
Gourlay has guest-teaching engagements in Lyon
, Weimar
, the Eastman School of Music
, the Juilliard School
and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
. He was Head of Wind and Percussion at the Royal Northern College of Music, where he was awarded an honorary Fellowship, before returning to his Scottish roots and taking the appointment of Director of the School of Music at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
. Now pursuing his a career as a soloist, conductor and pedagogue, James Gourlay is in wide demand internationally. He holds a Master's degree, with distinction, from the University of Leeds
and Doctor of Music Arts Degree from the University of Salford
.
On 9 and 10 April, Gourlay performed Bruce Fraser's "Tuba Concerto" at Birmingham Town Hall and the Cadogan Hall respectively, with the National Youth Wind Orchestra of Great Britain.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
conductor and internationally renowned tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
soloist.
He was born in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and began to play in his local brass band
Brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
at an early age. He took part in numerous solo competitions at that time and soon became Scottish Champion at junior and open levels. After studying at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
Gourlay became principal tuba of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is a British orchestra based in Birmingham, England. The Orchestra's current chief executive, appointed in 1999, is Stephen Maddock...
where he remained for four years. There followed posts in the BBC Symphony Orchestra
BBC Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:...
and the Orchester der Oper in Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
where he worked with most of the World’s top conductors.
As a soloist and chamber musician, James Gourlay has won international acclaim. He is a former member of the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, founded in 1951 by trumpeter Philip Jones, was one of the first modern classical brass ensembles to be formed. The group played either as a quintet or as a ten-piece, for larger halls...
and has toured the World performing concertos with major orchestras and giving countless recitals. He has also broadcast Harrison Birtwistle
Harrison Birtwistle
Sir Harrison Paul Birtwistle CH is a British contemporary composer.-Life:Birtwistle was born in Accrington, a mill town in Lancashire some 20 miles north of Manchester. His interest in music was encouraged by his mother, who bought him a clarinet when he was seven, and arranged for him to have...
’s The Cry of Anubis with the BBC Philharmonic
BBC Philharmonic
The BBC Philharmonic is a British broadcasting symphony orchestra based at Media City UK, Salford, England. It is one of five radio orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation. The orchestra's primary concert venue is the Bridgewater Hall....
and has recorded a number of solo CD recordings, which cover all of the major works for tuba. Gourlay is a featured artist for both the Doyen and Polyphonic labels for whom he has recorded as a soloist and as a conductor of wind and brass bands. He has also recorded the Gregson
Edward Gregson
Edward Gregson is an English composer of international standing, whose music has been performed, broadcast, and recorded worldwide. He was born in Sunderland, England, in 1945. He studied composition and piano at the Royal Academy of Music from 1963-7, winning five prizes for composition...
and Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
concertos for the Naxos label.
Gourlay has a commitment to new music and has given premières of works by Bingham
Judith Bingham
Judith Bingham is a British composer and mezzo-soprano singer.Born in Nottingham in 1952 and educated at High Storrs Grammar School for Girls in Sheffield, she attended the Royal Academy of Music , where her teachers were Malcolm MacDonald, Eric Fenby, Alan Bush and John Hall , and Jean...
, Gorb, Gilbert
Anthony Gilbert (composer)
Anthony Gilbert is a British composer.-Biography:Gilbert, who was born in London, trained initially as a translator, then studied composition with Mátyás Seiber privately, and with Alexander Goehr and Anthony Milner at Morley College . He also studied with Gunther Schuller...
, Lachenmann
Helmut Lachenmann
Helmut Lachenmann is a German composer associated with musique concrète instrumentale.-Life and works:...
, Gregson, Horovitz
Joseph Horovitz
Joseph Horovitz is a British composer and conductor. Horovitz's family emigrated to England in 1938. He studied music and modern languages at New College, Oxford, and later attended the Royal College of Music in London, studying composition with Gordon Jacob. He then undertook a year of further...
, Sparke
Philip Sparke
Philip Sparke is a British composer and musician. He is noted for his concert band and brass band music.- Music for Winds :* 1973/1976 Gaudium* 1975 The Prizewinners for Brass-Band* 1978/1995 Fantasy for Euphonium...
, Penderecki and Newton to name but a few.
Gourlay has appeared as a guest conductor with both wind and brass ensembles in Europe and Brazil. He is the principal guest conductor of the National Youth Wind Orchestra Great Britain, having toured with them to Paris, Prague and Ireland, and has conducted all the UK’s top Brass Bands. He has made a number of recordings with the RNCM
Royal Northern College of Music
The Royal Northern College of Music is a music school in Manchester, England. It is located on Oxford Road in Chorlton on Medlock, at the western edge of the campus of the University of Manchester and is one of four conservatories associated with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music...
Wind Orchestra and is the Musical Director of the Grimethorpe Colliery Band.
Gourlay has guest-teaching engagements in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, Weimar
Weimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
, the Eastman School of Music
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
, the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts , located near the north coast of Wan Chai on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong, is both an academic institution and a venue for performances....
. He was Head of Wind and Percussion at the Royal Northern College of Music, where he was awarded an honorary Fellowship, before returning to his Scottish roots and taking the appointment of Director of the School of Music at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is a conservatoire of music, drama, and dance in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Educational Association, it is the busiest performing arts venue in Scotland...
. Now pursuing his a career as a soloist, conductor and pedagogue, James Gourlay is in wide demand internationally. He holds a Master's degree, with distinction, from the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
and Doctor of Music Arts Degree from the University of Salford
University of Salford
The University of Salford is a campus university based in Salford, Greater Manchester, England with approximately 20,000 registered students. The main campus is about west of Manchester city centre, on the A6, opposite the former home of the physicist, James Prescott Joule and the Working Class...
.
On 9 and 10 April, Gourlay performed Bruce Fraser's "Tuba Concerto" at Birmingham Town Hall and the Cadogan Hall respectively, with the National Youth Wind Orchestra of Great Britain.
External links
- http://web.mac.com/jamesgourlay1956 Official page.
- James Gourlay – Discography