About this Artist

Born: 1959, Kilwinning, Scotland

Sir James MacMillan is the pre-eminent Scottish composer of his generation. His music combines rhythmic excitement, raw emotional power, and spiritual meditation. He first came to international attention with acclaimed BBC Proms premiere of The Confession of Isobel Gowdie for large orchestra, and his percussion concerto Veni, Veni, Emmanuel, for Evelyn Glennie, has received close to 500 performances. Other advocates of his work include cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich, pianist Peter Donohoe, and conductors Sir Colin Davis, Sir Andrew Davis, Osmo Vänskä, and Kent Nagano. MacMillan’s recent works include his Percussion Concerto No. 2, for Colin Currie, and his Symphony No. 4, premiered by the BBC Scottish Symphony under Donald Runnicles.

Further listening:Veni, Veni, Emmanuel (1992)Colin Currie, Ulster Orchestra,Takuo Yuasa (Naxos)

Oboe Concerto (2010)Nicholas Daniel, Britten Sinfonia,James MacMillan (harmonia mundi)