Hugh Alexander McDowell (born 31 July 1953^[1], Hampstead, London) is an English cellist.

Career

Hugh Alexander McDowell started playing the cello at the age of four and a half and by the age of 10 he won a scholarship to the Yehudi Menhuin School of Music. Only one year later he made his first professional appearance in Benjamin Britten's "Turn Of The Screw", in which he sang. Later on he went to Kingsway College of Further Education, the Royal College of Music and Guildhall School of Music. He then played with the London Youth Symphony Orchestra, the London Schools Symphony Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra and London Youth Chamber Orchestra, until he was persuaded by Wilf Gibson to join The Electric Light Orchestra on cello.

McDowell performed with the first live line-up of ELO in 1972 while only 18 years old, but left with Roy Wood to perform with the group Wizzard. He returned to ELO in 1973, replacing Colin Walker and adding much showmanship to the live act. He remained with the group until Jeff Lynne removed the string playing part of the line-up. He briefly returned to play live with Electric Light Orchestra Part II in 1991.

In 1980 he played on the album "Gift Wrapped" by his old ELO cellist mate Melvyn Gale, who had founded the group Wilson Gale & Co.. In the autumn of 1980, he started to teach part-time at a London music school. He conducted a children's orchestra and other orchestras at several London Schools.

He joined the 20th Century Chamber Groups George W. Welch, Harmonie Band and Quorum with whom he toured worldwide. Every now and then the quartet Quorum perform gigs of classical music.

For a short time he was a member of Radio Stars circa 1982, recording the single, "My Mother Said" with the band.

More recently he has worked on the 2005 Saint Etienne album Tales from Turnpike House.

He is involved with computer programming and has published a computer program for music composing in 1992, which is called "Fractal Music Composer". He developed a suite for 4 programmes; Mandelbrot Set Composer, Julia Set Composer, Mandelbrot Zoom and Play Midi.

Hugh McDowell is also a composer, arranger, conductor and teacher. Throughout his career, from member of the super group ELO, through his performances and broadcasts as soloist for 20th C. Ensembles to principal cellist with the European Festival Chamber Orchestra, his interest and mastery in a broad range of musical styles has also driven a love of teaching. Hugh has also arranged and recorded for numerous pop, rock and jazz-fusion albums as well as collaborating in dance, film, and theatre projects.

Personal life

McDowell now lives with his daughter in a converted Chapel in the County of Monmouthshire, WALES.

References