The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland community is deeply saddened by the passing of John Wallace, our much-loved former Principal.

John was a positive force in life as well as in music and we extend our heartfelt sympathies to his wife Liz, their children and all those who loved him and were inspired by him.

Professor John Wallace CBE FRSE and RCS Emeritus Professor in Brass, was a world-renowned trumpet soloist, composer and educator, who became Principal of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 2002, a position he held until retiral in 2014.

Under his leadership the academy’s learning and teaching portfolio expanded to forge a groundbreaking and multi-disciplinary curriculum and in 2011 RSAMD was renamed the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to reflect that broad programme of study, and the extending campus both in Renfrew Street and through the founding of Wallace Studios at Speirs Locks.

Professor Jeffrey Sharkey, who succeeded him as Principal in 2014, paid warm tribute to his predecessor saying:

“John Wallace was a legend in the music world – one of Scotland’s own who gave so much to the world as a performer, educator and leader. He was also incredibly warm and approachable.

“John was grounded in the brass music of his childhood – those Fife bands formed him and shaped his love for the ensemble.

“He kept those roots even when leading the brass sections of some of the world’s top orchestras and the whole of RCS, taking us into the 21st century. He will be much missed, and his legacy will be felt by so many.”

“I first got to know him when he was Head of Brass at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM) and I saw him over several AEC (Association of European Conservatoires) congresses, talking about this magical RCS and how the performing arts were multiplying and learning to share under his tenure. Those very conversations led me to apply to succeed him years later.”

John, who received an OBE in 1995 and a CBE in 2011, was presented with The Queen’s Medal for Music in 2021, awarded annually to an outstanding individual or group of musicians.

He was Patron of the Scottish Brass Band Association where, in 2025, his musical life was recognised with its Outstanding Achievement Award, and in the same year was presented with Honorary Membership of the Royal Philharmonic Society as he was performing with The Wallace Collection, the ensemble he founded in 1986.

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland will celebrate John Wallace’s unrivalled contribution to music in Scotland and the legacy he leaves in due course.

For now, our thoughts are with everyone who knew and loved him and are now coming to terms with his loss.