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Tom McKinney was
born in Stoke-on-Trent and began to study the guitar from the
age of seven with
John Lambert. At fifteen Tom studied privately with guitar
legend Nicola Hall before entering the Royal Northern College of
Music to study with Gordon Crosskey and
Craig Ogden,
graduating with honours in 2002. As a student he was the
recipient of the Lady Groves Travel Award and received
scholarships from both the Countess of Munster Trust and the
Musicians Benevolent Fund.
Tom is now greatly sought after as a
new music specialist, often performing with the UK’s leading
groups including Psappha, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group,
Ensemble 10:10, Auricle, Continuum and Errollyn Wallen's Ensemble X. He
has performed at Aldeburgh Festival, Huddersfield Contemporary
Music Festival, Buxton Festival, St.Magnus Festival, Warwick
Festival, Lancaster International Concert Series and City Music
Society, and in the last five years Tom has been astounding
audiences with his solo recitals of works for guitar and live electronics. He is a
founder member of the exciting new experimental group
the house of bedlam and a member of the sensational
Tango 5
quintet dedicated to the authentic performance of the music of
Astor Piazzolla.
Tom has played with the BBC
Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony, Halle, Opera
North, Northern Sinfonia, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Scottish Chamber Orchestras under many
famous conductors such as Martyn Brabbins, Andrew Davis, Mark Elder, Oliver Knussen,
Gianandrea Noseda and Ilan Volkov. He has also performed with
violinist David Juritz and the London Tango Quintet, Scottish
Ballet at the Edinburgh Festival, Birmingham Royal Ballet, HooHah Theatre Group and he has even taught a naked actress how
to play the guitar whilst sitting in a bath, a career highlight
which he may never surpass.
Tom worked for the
charity Live Music Now! for four years, and as part of the
scheme performed throughout Britain in venues ranging from
hospital waiting rooms and portakabins, to school assemblies
containing over 1,000 children and young offenders institutes.
Since leaving the scheme Tom has been a member of the regional
audition panels in both the Midlands and the North West of
England.
Tom lives in Derbyshire with his
wife Sarah. He plays a 1999 Paul Fischer and a Gibson SG. |
