Donald Grant
Donald Grant is a violinist, fiddle player, collaborator and composer based in Glasgow, Scotland. At an early age he was immersed in the folk tradition of the Highlands of Scotland, learning Gaelic songs from his father who was a singer and teacher. He has since followed a path that defies one musical genre, travelling the globe collaborating with many artists and organisations.
Donald Grant is a violinist, fiddle player, collaborator and composer based in Glasgow, Scotland. At an early age he was immersed in the folk tradition of the Highlands of Scotland, learning Gaelic songs from his father who was a singer and teacher. He has since followed a path that defies one musical genre, travelling the globe collaborating with many artists and organisations.
He founded the Elias String Quartet in 1998. As one of the Europe’s leading Chamber ensembles they have toured extensively, regularly playing in the great concert halls of the World including Carnegie Hall (New York), Recital Centre (Melbourne), Suntory Hall (Tokyo), Musikverein (Vienna), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Konserthaus (Berlin), Konserthuset (Stockholm), Wigmore Hall (London), Southbank Centre (London) and in over 30 of the United States of America. They were BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists, Boletti-Buitoni Trust Award Winners and BBC Music Magazine’s Newcomer of the Year. They also have an extensive and acclaimed recording catalogue including the Complete Quartets of Beethoven for the Wigmore Hall’s “Live” label, Schumann Quartets, Britten Quartets and Mendelssohn Quartets. They have performed numerous cycles of the Beethoven Quartets and will bring them once again to the Wigmore Hall for their 2025/26 Season.
A passionate advocate for the music of his native home, Donald is focused on developing his voice within the tradition. In the 2024/2025 season he was commissioned to write “The Night Overtook Us” – new music written for himself, his band and orchestra. He has directed and performed it with The Aurora Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Scottish Ensemble and Ensemble 360. Additionally, he was commissioned to compose new music for Manchester Collective and the Fergus McCreadie Trio.
Recent solo performances include Celtic Connections Festival, Wigmore Hall, Queen’s Hall, King’s Place, Ryedale Festival, Southwell Festival and the Weesp Festival. He can also be heard on his solo album “The Way Home”. He was Artistic Director and leader for Scottish Ensemble’s show “In Sync” for multiple tours between 2022 – 2025 culminating in two sold out performances in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre.
Donald regularly plays with Manchester Collective and Scottish Ensemble and has led The Grit Orchestra since 2015.
Donald is Artistic Director of Chamber Studio and Visiting Professor of Chamber Music at the RNCM. He also teaches Chamber Music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the Royal Irish Academy of Music.