Hugh Macdonald - Musical Theatre Repertoire

Hugh’s career spans across 3 musical arenas: as a singer, musician for dance and as a teacher. His formal education includes a degree in Music and Fine Art (Arts & Architecture) and Education while studying with the respected Hungarian musicologist and teacher Otto Karolyi. This was supplemented by postgraduate vocal performance qualifications and Hugh is both an associate and licentiate of both London College of Music and the prestigious Trinity College London. Further study in Musical Theatre came in the form of work on an English National Opera initiative under Stefan Janski’s directorship.
As a singer Hugh’s operatic debut was in Macbeth (Verdi) and his Musical Theatre debut was as Gilbert in Anne of Green Gables. A committed Oratorio artist Hugh’s platform appearances have included singing in some of the most beautiful Cathedrals and Abbeys in performances including: The Creation (Haydn) and Elijah (Mendelsohn). Hugh has also essayed solos in Chichester Psalms (Bernstein), Orgelmesse (Haydn), Te Deum (Dvorak), Deutsche Requiem (Brahms) and other major works by Mozart Purcell and Handel. His work in this field is well represented on CD recordings. Over the past decade Hugh has performed his solo cabaret number at a number of corporate functions.
Hugh has always had a passion for classical ballet and enjoys the company of dancers and choreographers – enjoying a large volume of work as a musician for dance. He is been a Faculty Member of the Royal Academy of Dance and plays for graded examinations and vocational examinations as well as RAD teaching exams. He has participated in Intermediate and Advanced training workshops and has worked on Summer Schools with respected guest teachers. For Scottish Ballet Hugh has worked on tours of the Nutcracker, Cinderella, 4 Temperaments, Artifacts and Façade. He has contributed to the work of Scottish Ballet education unit and was also the musician for the Junior Associates program. Hugh composed/arranged music for ballet and dance and has performance experience working with a number of dancers on contemporary dance projects including an Isodora Duncan triple bill. Hugh’s work within dance continues to be a source of satisfaction to him professionally.
Hugh has taught singing for 25 years in a variety of education settings and has prepared students for Standard Grade and Higher/A Level practicals and has experience of teaching ABRSM and Trinity graded examinations. He has taught both Associate and Licentiate level teaching and performance diplomas. A number of his students have qualified now having performing/teaching/coaching careers of their own. Hugh has also taught in further/higher education on both HNC and HND and Postgraduate courses. He has a continuing interest in helping singers discover new and challenging repertoire in both Opera and Musical Theatre.
Hugh maintains live links to both National and Specialist College Examination Boards, having regular commitments to the exam process in the UK.

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