![Dr Aaron McGregor Dr Aaron McGregor](/img/200x200/staffpages/uploads/s10am2/avatar/kRc1ePPI8a2J1RyuPXChfECIgPNVOC4dU6uxScfR.jpeg)
Lecturer
- About
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- School/Department
- School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture
Biography
I am a Lecturer in Music Performance at the University of Aberdeen and a freelance violinist. I grew up in Orkney and studied at the University of Edinburgh, before undertaking postgraduate degrees at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the University of Glasgow, where I completed a PhD in 2020 under Dr David McGuinness and Professor John Butt.
As a performer, my background ranges across a spectrum of styles, including modern & baroque violin, and Scottish traditional fiddle. I am particularly interested in 17th and 18th-century Scottish fiddle music, performing regularly with Scots Baroque and Concerto Caledonia, with whom I have made four recordings, given several live performances on BBC Radio 3 and Radio Scotland, and toured Ireland, Finland, and Australia. I've also performed with ensembles such as Scottish Ensemble, Scottish Ballet, RSNO, Dunedin Consort, Manchester Camerata, the Cinematic Orchestra, the GRIT orchestra, the Evergreen Ensemble (Australia), and Les Musiciens de Saint Julien (France). As a guest leader, I have appeared with the Barsanti Ensemble, the Glasgow Barons and Amicus Orchestra. I also led the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and the RCS Symphony and Opera orchestras.
My research interests include the history of traditional and classical music in Scotland, early dance music, and the Historically Informed Performance movement, thinking about its relevance and use across genres. My PhD research focussed on the violin in Scotland in 1550-1750, exploring a far earlier history of the instrument in Scotland than previously considered, through study of performers and repertoire. My work has uncovered a thriving tradition, with vernacular music interacting with a surprisingly cosmopolitan range of styles. This work redefines the beginnings of Scottish fiddle music, forcing a rethink on Scotland’s cultural insularity.
Qualifications
- BMus (Hons) Music2009 - The University of Edinburgh
- PGDip Violin Performance2010 - The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
- MMus Historically Informed Performance Practice2014 - The University of Glasgow
- PhD Music2020 - The University of Glasgow
Internal Memberships
Performance Coordinator
Concerts Committee
- Research
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Research Areas
Accepting PhDs
I am currently accepting PhDs in Music.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your research ideas further.
Music
Accepting PhDsResearch Specialisms
- Musicianship and Performance Studies
- Musicology
- Folk Music
- History of Music
Our research specialisms are based on the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) which is HESA open data, published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
- Teaching
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Programmes
- Undergraduate, 4 year, September start
- Postgraduate, 3 semester, September start
Teaching Responsibilities
I coordinate and lecture the six undergraduate performance courses, and I supervise MMus performers.
- Publications
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Lost Voices of Scottish Dance Music
Non-textual Forms: PerformancesThe Ballroom Sessions 1: Allan Ramsay's Edinburgh Tunes
Non-textual Forms: Performances- [ONLINE] Event page
- [ONLINE] Video recording "Bonny Christy/A South Sea Sang"
- [ONLINE] Video recording "My Jo Janet"
- [ONLINE] Video recording "Slighted Nansy"
Historical Music of Scotland (Manuscript Database)
Non-textual Forms: Data Sets and DatabasesPurcell Songes & Ayres
Lammermuir Festival (Online booklet).Other Contributions: Other ContributionsSongs of Home and Distant Isles
Non-textual Forms: Digital or Visual ProductsCurious Caledonians
Non-textual Forms: Digital or Visual ProductsRamsay's Musical Sources: Reconstructing a Poet's Musical Memory
Scottish Literary Review, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 49-71Contributions to Journals: ArticlesIsle of Arran
Non-textual Forms: Digital or Visual ProductsBurns and the fiddle
Non-textual Forms: Digital or Visual ProductsReviving the 18th-century dance night
Non-textual Forms: Web Publications and Websites