James MacMillan, born in Ayrshire, Scotland in 1959, is one of today's most successful living composers, known for his music's directness, energy, and emotional power.
Performer Biography
The Scottish Chamber Orchestra, formed in 1974, is renowned for its performance quality and innovative approach, performing across Scotland and internationally.
Compositional Technique
MacMillan's Sinfonietta, dedicated to his wife Lynne, features a distinctive soprano saxophone and string patterns that adopt a familiar wavelike form.
Composition History
Cumnock Fair was commissioned by the Cumnock Music Club and premiered by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra to celebrate the club's 50th anniversary.
Composition History
MacMillan's Symphony No. 2 is built upon a Piano Sonata he wrote in 1985, which he revisited fourteen years later.
Composer's Artistic Vision
MacMillan's music is deeply influenced by Scottish folk music, as well as his strong religious and political beliefs and community concerns.
Composition History
MacMillan dedicated his Symphony No. 2 to novelist Andrew O'Hagan, who had supported MacMillan's controversial speech about bigotry in Scotland.
You might also enjoy...
Salvatore Sciarrino: Orchestral Works
Marlos Nobre • Orchestral, Vocal and Chamber Works
Dialogues & Meditations: The Orchestral Music of Steven Holochwost
Tüür: Flux
Elegie
Palomo: Sinfonía Córdoba & Fulgores
Celan Symphonie
Gravity's Rainbow
Music from 6 Continents (1994 Series)
Reza Vali: The Darkness of Fury
Kirchner: Bildnisse I / Der blaue Harlekin / Trio / Nachtstück
City Lights
Grainger Edition, Vol. 9: Works for Chorus and Orchestra
Grainger: Grainger Edition, Vol. 8: Works for Wind Orchestra, Vol. 2
