Glasgow born Edward (Eddie) McGuire studied with James Iliff (RAM 1966-70) and with Ingvar Lidholm in Stockholm. He received a British Composers Award (2003), Creative Scotland Award (2004) and has been featured composer at several international festivals. The BBCSSO Proms performance of Calgacus was selected for BBC Music Magazine’s CD ‘The Very Best of the BBC Orchestras’ (1997).
Commissions and broadcasts have included those from St Magnus Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, Lorient Festival, Glasgow Festival Strings, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra and BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Notable successes are his 3 act ballet Peter Pan (Scottish Ballet; Hong Kong Ballet), opera The Loving of Etain (with librettist Marianne Carey) and concertos for guitar, trombone, violin, viola and bass.
He writes for and plays with The Whistlebinkies and Chinese group Harmony Ensemble. Recent works include Let the Games Begin for Glasgow Chamber Choir, Cowal Colours for Hoot and Dialogue for Philip Sawyer and Andrea Kuypers.
In 2015 his Symphonies of Galaxies was premiered at University of St Andrews by its New Music Ensemble – a collaborative venture with its Department of Astronomy and Physics. 2016 sees the premiere of Botanic Gardens for Grimoire (4 players at 2 pianos). Both CD collections of his music (on Delphian Records) have achieved ‘Editor’s Choice’ in Gramophone Magazine – Eddie McGuire: Music for Flute, Guitar and Piano (2006) and Entangled Fortunes (2015, performed by Red Note ensemble).
