James Gourlay

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James Gourlay is a British conductor and internationally renowned tuba soloist.^[1]

He was born in Scotland and began to play in his local brass band at an early age. He took part in numerous solo competitions at that time and soon became Scottish Champion at junior and open levels. After studying at the Royal College of Music Gourlay became principal tuba of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra where he remained for four years. There followed posts in the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Orchester der Oper in Zürich where he worked with most of the World’s top conductors.

As a soloist and chamber musician, James Gourlay has won international acclaim. He is a former member of the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble and has toured the World performing concertos with major orchestras and giving countless recitals. He has also broadcast Harrison Birtwistle’s The Cry of Anubis with the BBC Philharmonic and has recorded three CD recordings, which cover all of the major works for tuba. Gourlay is a featured artist for both the Doyen and Polyphonic labels for whom he has recorded as a soloist and as a conductor of wind and brass bands. He has also recorded the Gregson and Vaughan-Williams concertos for the ASV label.

Gourlay has a commitment to new music and has given premières of works by Bingham, Gorb, Gilbert, Lachenmann, Gregson, Horovitz, Sparke, Penderecki and Newton to name but a few.

Gourlay has appeared as a guest conductor with both wind and brass ensembles in Europe and Brazil. He is the principal guest conductor of the National Youth Wind Orchestra Great Britain, having toured with them to Paris, Prague and Ireland, and has conducted all the UK’s top Brass Bands. He has made a number of recordings with the RNCM Wind Orchestra and is the Musical Director of the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band.

Gourlay has guest-teaching engagements in Lyon, Weimar, the Eastman School of Music, the Juilliard School and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He was Head of Wind and Percussion at the Royal Northern College of Music, where he was awarded an honorary Fellowship, before returning to his Scottish roots and taking the appointment of Head of Music at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. He has since left this position.

In 2007, Gourlay was one of the finals judges for the European instrumental soloist competition.^[2]