Gemma McGregor

Gemma McGregor is a composer from Orkney and has just completed a doctorate at the University of Aberdeen. Gemma studied composition as an undergraduate at Dartington College of Arts and attended Summer Schools with Maxwell Davies. Both his work and the words of poet, George Mackay Brown, have influenced much of the music that Gemma has written. Gemma has received many commissions to date, including pieces performed at the St. Magnus Festival, the St. Asaph Festival and the Aberdeen Sound Festival. Watercolour Studios released an album of Gemma’s chamber music performed by the Eris Ensemble in August 2011. Gemma has written music in many genres including vocal, instrumental and choral. Her piece for chamber orchestra, “Greylighting”, commissioned by Orkney Camerata, was premiered in June 2015. Her chamber opera, “The Locked Door” premiered at the Aberdeen Sound Festival in 2015. Her choral piece, “Hear My Cry” was performed by the Quodlibet Chorale at Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh in 2015. Gemma’s work for male voices, “Regina Caeli” was performed by the Devanha Chorus at Saint Magnus Cathedral in April 2016. Her piece “Egilsay Kirk” was selected for performance at a workshop held by Judith Weir and the BBC Singers in September 2015. Gemma is currently working on a commission for the 2017 St. Magnus Festival. This will be a work for soloists, chorus, ensemble and organ that will tell the life story of Magnus Erlendsson, patron saint of Orkney. 2017 will be the nine hundredth anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Magnus. Gemma is a member of the Scottish Music Centre.