Music for a While - Scotland - Isle of Skye   

March 6, 2026

Alison McGillivray
Based in Glasgow, Alison McGillivray first studied modern cello at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now RCS) with William Conway. During further studies in London she was drawn into the world of Early Music under the guidance of Jennifer Ward Clark, discovering the viola da gamba while accompanying the Early English Song Class at the Royal Academy of Music.

After many years in London as principal cellist and soloist with ensembles such as the Academy of Ancient Music and the English Consort, she has continued to perform both as soloist and director throughout the UK and Europe.

Her recordings include C. P. E. Bach’s Cello Concerto with the Academy of Ancient Music and Geminiani’s Cello Sonatas with David McGuinness (Linn Records). Upcoming and recent releases feature collaborations on Tobias Hume’s Songs and Viol Music with Concerto Caledonia, Vivaldi’s L’Estro Armonico with Rachel Podger and Brecon Baroque, and Nine Daies Wonder with The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments – a tribute to Will Kemp’s famous 1600 dance from London to Norwich.