multitude of voyces

Gemma McGregor (b. 1965)

Gemma McGregor is a freelance composer, performer and curator based in Orkney, whose work crosses the boundaries of musical genres and is often multi-disciplinary. Gemma studied as a postgraduate student at the University of Aberdeen with the support of an Ogston Postgraduate Scholarship and was awarded a doctorate in 2017. Several of her compositions received performances during her time at university including Dove Unfurled, by the Dunedin Consort, and The Last Bright Rinsings, by the BBC Singers. Her opera, The Locked Door, was performed at Aberdeen Sound Festival in 2015 and her opera, The Story of Magnus Erlendsson, was performed at St Magnus Festival in 2017. During 2018 and 2019, Gemma’s music received performances by Strathclyde University Chamber Choir, Nordic Viola, Illuminate and the Godolphin Vocal Ensemble. Gemma was awarded a residency at the Red House, Aldeburgh, during August 2019, in order to carry out research at the Britten archive and to sketch arias for a new chamber opera. She will attend another residency there in May 2020 to complete her third opera, Confined. 

(Gemma McGregor 2021)