Directory
Hugh Mackay
“the young Scot has a brilliant technique, which he showed in the rousingly-played, but carefully-formed final movement.”
“bursting with vitality...electric intensity…a startling interplay of power and delicacy”
Solo - String
Instrumentation
- Hugh Mackay - Cello
- Junyan Chen - Piano
Repertoire
www.hughmackaycellist.com/repertoire
Solo recital example:
Bach - Suite for Solo Cello No. 4 in E-flat major, BWV 1010
Dutilleux - 3 Strophes sur le nom de Sacher
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Demenga - EFEU
Britten - Suite for Solo Cello No. 1
Cello & piano recital example:
Poulenc - Sonata for Cello and Piano
Mark Simpson - Night Music
N. Boulanger - Three Pieces
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Prokofiev - Sonata for Cello and Piano in C
Biography
The 2022 Suggia Gift recipient, semifinalist in the 2024 International Bach Competition Leipzig, a Dewar Arts Award winner and former Mozart Gesellschaft Dortmund scholarship holder, Scottish cellist Hugh Mackay is establishing himself as an independently-minded young artist drawing inspiration from across musical eras and a broad range of artistic collaborations. His vibrant musical life denotes an eclectic range of performing styles and repertoire, from the inception of the cello to the present day, leading him to top venues such as the Wigmore Hall, the Dortmund Konzerthaus and the Palace of Versailles.
Last season saw Hugh return to Scotland for his debut recital tour with close collaborator pianist Junyan Chen, showcasing more traditional works with contemporary sonatas by Sally Beamish and Turkish pianist and composer Fazil Say, with whom the duo conferred on a recent recording of his sonata ‘Four Cities’. Hugh curated a concert inspired by Rilke’s poem ‘Liebeslied’ at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in May 2024, featuring music for cello, piano and string trio by Harrison Birtwistle, Henry Purcell, Thomas Demenga and Arnold Schoenberg. Met with much acclaim, Hugh made his recital debut at the Bridgewater Hall with Junyan Chen earlier that season.
An avid chamber musician, Hugh performed at the 2023 Schiermonnikoog Festival, where he won an Audience Prize and returned for the Autumn edition to give further concerts. He is a scholar at the Landesstiftung Villa Musica where he performs with leading artists in Germany. He has appeared at the Perth Festival of the Arts as Cross Trust Artist of the Year and other festivals such as the West Wycombe Chamber Music Festival with artistic director Lawrence Power, the NUME Festival with festival director Vlad Stanculeasa, and ‘Mendelssohn on Mull’ alongside the Doric String Quartet and fellow emerging artists.
In 2021, Hugh made his concerto debut with the Bremer Philharmoniker under the direction of their chief conductor, Marko Letonja, performing Schumann’s Cello Concerto at the Dortmund Konzerthaus and Die Glocke Bremen. Recent concerto appearances include Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations with the Aylesbury Symphony Orchestra and Dvorak’s Cello Concerto with the Vanburgh Ensemble.
Born in 2000 in the Scottish Borders, Hugh received his formative education at St. Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh under Ruth Beauchamp, later studying at the RAM with Hannah Roberts and John Myerscough.
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