Graeme McNaught grew up in Motherwell. He trained first at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) and then with Alfons Kontarsky, Hans Leygraf and Maria Curcio in Munich, Salzburg and London respectively. In 1986 he was the unanimous winner of the first Scottish Piano Competition and third prize winner in the Casgrande International Piano Competition in Italy. He has performed throughout Britain, Central Europe and in the Far East as a soloist and in ensemble with a wide range of artists including Ruggiero Ricci, Lynn Harrell, Sheila Armstrong, Christine Cairns, Jane Irwin and Willard White.
Since returning from Germany in 1990 to join the Piano Department of the RSAMD, he has enjoyed a particularly colourful and diverse career. A series of Chopin/Schumann recitals in Glasgow and concerto performances with all the Scottish orchestras soon established McNaught as one of the country’s leading musicians. His involvement with the highly acclaimed Chamber Group of Scotland, reflecting a commitment to the works of living composers, gave rise to numerous commissions, first performances, appearances in the festivals of Edinburgh, Huddersfield and Bergen, amongst others, and radio broadcasts of new music. He has worked regularly as a guest of the Paragon Ensemble, Mr McFall’s Chamber and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in its various forms, with whom he made a recording of James MacMillan’s Cumnock Fair for BIS. Other commercial recordings include a 75th Birthday concert (from London’s Wigmore Hall) and Homage to Sarasate with Ruggiero Ricci, Aaron Copland with Willard White, MacMillan, Edward McGuire and Edith Piaf with Mr McFall’s Chamber and Clarinet Trios by Mozart, Schumann and Brahms.
Recent ventures include recordings of the music of John Bevan-Baker, performances of all three Brahms Piano Quartets with the Hebrides Ensemble, a performance of Viktor Ullmann’s final piano sonata in Prague for the 60th anniversary Holocaust memorial concert, and a performance commemorating Martyn Bennett for Celtic Connections at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
Forthcoming engagements include appearances with McFall’s Chamber, recitals at West End Festival Glasgow, the 1st Dundee Festival and Sound Festival Aberdeen.