James macmillan biography

Scottish composer and conductor

For other people with similar names, see James McMillan (disambiguation).

Sir James Loy MacMillan, CBETOSD (born 16 July 1959) is a Scottishclassical composer and conductor.

James macmillan biography

Early life

MacMillan was born at Kilwinning, in North Ayrshire, but lived in the East Ayrshire town of Cumnock until 1977. His father is James MacMillan, a carpenter,^[1] and his mother is Ellen MacMillan (née Loy).^[2]

He studied composition at the University of Edinburgh with Rita McAllister and Kenneth Leighton, and at Durham University with John Casken, where he gained an undergraduate degree and then a PhD degree in 1987.

At Durham he was a member of the College of St Hild and St Bede as an undergraduate student^[4] and the Graduate Society while studying for his PhD.^[5] He was a lecturer in music at the Victoria University of Manchester from 1986 to 1988.

After his studies, MacMillan returned to Scotland, comp