‘McLeod must be counted a major force in contemporary Scottish music’

THE SCOTSMAN

Born and educated in Aberdeen and resident in Edinburgh since 1970, McLeod studied composition at the Royal Academy of Music with Sir Lennox Berkeley, but later came under the influence of Polish composer Witold Lutosławski who became a mentor. He won many awards for his work including the Guinness Prize for British composers, a Fellowship from the Royal Academy of Music and the Gold Badge of the Ivors Academy. The award of the CBE in the Queen’s birthday honours in 2016 and an Honorary Doctorate in Music from the University of Aberdeen in 2019 added to his growing reputation as one of this country’s leading composers.

McLeod’s brilliantly coloured orchestral, instrumental and vocal music was commissioned, performed and recorded by leading orchestras including the Philharmonia, Hallé, BBC SSO, RSNO, SCO and the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, as well as by major orchestras in Poland, Germany and the USA and by many international ensembles and soloists. Most of his music was also heard on BBC Radio 3, Classic FM, BBC TV and Channel 4 and also includes several highly successful film scores including Michael Radford’s award winning ‘Another Time, Another Place’ from the novel by Jessie Kesson.

In later years, McLeod continued to enjoy a resurgence and interest in his works with a flurry of new commissions and important performances. He had an outstanding success with the London premiere of The Sun Dances at the BBC Proms in 2014 given by the BBC SSO under Donald Runnicles followed by Out of the Silence – an SCO commission conducted by Joseph Swensen. There have been new Delphian recordings including a high profile album of four orchestral works with the RSNO and Dame Evelyn Glennie, plus a recording on Métier of the complete piano music by Murray McLachlan and Rose McLachlan - released to outstanding reviews. His latest commission - ‘Nordic Fire’ (a Viola Concerto) for Jane Atkins, Joseph Swesen and the SCO received unanimous praise from audiences and critics alike after its premiere in October 2018.

Scotsman Obituary

“John McLeod is a very singular composer, his music unlike anyone else’s. Although it can also be extremely sensual, McLeod’s music often seems granite-like, boldly coloured, charged with a sometimes savage energy, and somehow thoroughly Nordic’

Stephen Pettitt - The Sunday Times