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Allan Neave

Head of Guitar and Harp; Interim Deputy Director of Music

Allan Neave, Interim Deputy Director of Music, studied at the RSAMD (1984) and the RNCM (1988) and since then has been performing worldwide. He is a regular guest at many of the world’s leading musical events and has worked with many influential musicians including Nikita Koshkin, Edward McGuire, Hans Werner Henze, Gordon McPherson and Stephen Dodgson.

To date, Allan’s highlights have included: recording Gordon McPherson’s concerto ‘Born of Funk and Fear of Failing’ with new music group, Psappha; performing Scottish Guitar Music in Peru; a tour of Australia with virtuoso flautist Alison Mitchell; a tour of the far east with Tetra Guitar quartet; performances of Rodrigo’s ‘Concierto de Aranjuez’ with the RSNO in their prom season; and recording the soundtrack for a film documentary about the great Scottish painter, John Bellany.

Allan has been Artistic Director of the Dundee International Guitar Festival since its inception and in 2000 he received the Scotland on Sunday Glenfiddich ® Spirit of Scotland Award for Music. These awards were set up to recognise individuals who lead the way in Scottish culture.

Recordings/Film
The Island Tapes: Celtic Music to Scottish Archive Film (2008)

SMD618 (smiddymade records). It features the full soundtrack as an audio CD and all six ‘Island Tapes’ films with the soundtrack on the DVD.

“A very important recording.” – Living Tradition Magazine

“A magical musical tour.”

“Heart rendingly successful.”

“Fantastically played music.”

Guitarra Internacional (2006)

NSR CD 006 (naturalstudio records)

“Allan Neave performs all compositions with an outstanding and intriguing showcase of guitar
techniques on a soulful and moving musical journey.” – 
Bridge Guitar Reviews

Carmen Tetra Guitar Quartet (2004)

(Cadenza Music)

“Players of first rate technical control and sensitive musicianship. TETRA ranks amongst the
very best in the world.”

Detours Psappha (2003)

Works by Gordon McPherson including guitar concerto ‘Born of Funk and The Fear of Failing’

MSV CD92073 (Metier)

“Born of Funk and The Fear of Failing, a thoroughly engrossing guitar concerto (soloist Allan
Neave); I found it one of the most successful of contemporary guitar concertos I know.”

Friends in Strange Places by Gordon McPherson (1999)

(for multi-tracked guitars and percussion)

Commissioned recording for the opening of Dundee Contemporary Arts

The Baldragon Duo (1998)

Celtic/Jazz crossover album with jazz virtuoso Don Paterson

The Isle is Full of Noises (1997)

BGCD 104 New Scottish music for solo guitar by Edward McGuire, Alasdair Nicolson, Thomas
Wilson and Peter Maxwell Davies.

Classical Net Gramophone – Folker (Germany) – Akustik Gitarre (Germany) Stornoway Gazett.