Professor John Wallace CBE

John was born in Fife, Scotland, in 1949 into a brass band family. He attended Buckhaven High School and King’s College, Cambridge. During his trumpet-playing career he held positions with the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia, and London Sinfonietta, as well as forming the Wallace Collection brass ensemble.

He recorded all the major trumpet solo works on CD and premiered new concertos by Malcolm Arnold, Maxwell Davies, Macmillan, Muldowney, Souster, Schuller and Saxton amongst others.

From 2002-14 he was Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, after which he resumed his performing career. From 2015 -18 he was the Royal Society of Edinburgh vice-president for arts, humanities and social sciences. In 2011 he was awarded a CBE for services to Dance, Drama and Music. In 2021 he was awarded the Queen’s medal for music.

Presently, in addition to his board membership of the Scottish Funding Council, he is involved with St Andrews Music Participation (StAMP) which has started off over 500 beginners on brass instruments in Fife primary schools since 2020. He also convenes the Music Education Partnership Group, chairs the Glasgow Barons, a new orchestra based in Govan and is President of St Mary’s Music School.

A sometime composition student of Alan Bush and David Blake, John’s one-act Opera on the subject of dementia, Opsnizing Dad, was nominated for an Ivors Award in November 2022.

John’s reappointment runs from 4 November 2023 to 3 November 2026.

Register of interests

1. Remunerated directorships.

Music Education Partnership Group.

2. Remunerated employment, office, profession or other activity.

Freelance musician, composer.

3. Clients connected with the further and/or higher education sector or other aspects of the Council’s business.

University of St Andrew’s Music Participation (StAMP) Programme.

Royal Irish Academy of Music.

4. Significant gifts or hospitality arising from Board or Committee membership. (To be reported as soon as reasonably practical).

None.

5. Significant shareholdings in a public company where the value is more than 1% of the total issued share value of the company.

None.

6. Significant shareholdings in a private company which might give rise to a conflict of interest or trust.

None.

7. Public activity in support of a political party within the previous five years.

None.

8. Miscellaneous, for example, unremunerated posts, honorary positions and other connections which might give rise to a conflict of interest or trust.

Professor emeritus Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Honorary Professor of Brass, University of St Andrews.

9. Relevant and known interests of spouse, partner and close family.

None.