Robert Ghillies (b. 1950) - Full biography
http://www.scottishmusiccentre.com/robert_ghillies/
Born in 1950, he was the eldest of a family of seven. His father, a doctor and a fine amateur organist, and his mother, an amateur violinist and actress, ensured that music was always available.
His childhood was spent roaming the countryside of the Lothians in Scotland and experimenting in things electrical and mechanical. He built his first `radio set' aged ten, followed shortly by a `spark transmitter'. This was promptly closed down by the authorities - namely his father and the local police sergeant.
Various musical instruments were played with simply because they were there. They ranged from the harmonium to the harmonica, however, a few months short of his 17th birthday, he announced to his father that he wished to become a cellist. An ever dutiful father went in search of an instruent and teacher.
Arriving at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music some eighteen months later, panic set in as it became self-evident that he was rather inexperienced, however, after four years he completed his studies with Audrey Hughes and Joan Dickson and left the academy in 1972, basing himself in Glasgow as a freelance cellist. The following years were spent working, not only in the classical field, mainly as a chamber musician, soloist and teacher, but also gaining a working knowledge in traditional Scottish music and jazz. This led to experiments in style and technique as a cellist as well as becoming a fluid guitarist and electric bassist.
He has played with many well-known chamber ensembles, including, as a founder member, the Bernadel String Quartet, and later with the Friedrich Piano Trio; he was also invited by Leonard Friedman to play with the Scottish Baroque Ensemble on it's formation. As a soloist he has performed many works from the standard repertoire including the Beethoven Triple Concerto and the first performance of the Kabalevsky Cello Concerto in Scotland; he also gave the premier performance William Sweeney's Ceol Beg for cello and orchestra.
In 1991 he returned from a teaching post in England to his native Scotland, and, a year later, after years of spiritual uncertainty, found a tremendous change in his life after embracing the Baha'i Faith. Changes in his emotional life soon followed after his decision to create as a composer rather than to re-create as a player and a teacher.
In early 1996, a BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra club concert, held in Studio 1, Glasgow, devoted an entire programme to his music.
In the same year he had one of his string quartets premiered at the Mendelssohn on Mull festival which led to him accepting an invitation to take up the post of `composer in residence', a position that he enjoyed for five years. During this residency he had several commissions premiered.
A few weeks later came his first commission of several, for a film score. He was approached by Mateus Basso to write the score for the film `Careless'. As the score was growing and excerpts were recorded to allow the production team to comment, they were so impressed with the music that they decided to cut all the dialogue and produce a `silent' movie, to allow the music more prominence. The film was premiered in Edinburgh in April of 1997, and, went on to take `1st Choice' in the BBC 2000 talent competition. The film was shown on BBC 2 Television in October of 1997, and , the following year it was shown on Spanish Television.
His style is varied as he has composed for symphony orchestra, a variety of chamber ensembles, organ harp, voice, film, theatre and ballet with performances in Britain, Europe and America.
His first broadcast was in 1997