Steve is Director of Music at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.
Life off campus sees Steve playing viola as a member of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra together with being a music educationalist, facilitator and composer. He has worked with some of the worlds most famous and inspirational musicians, playing in Scotland and throughout the world.
As a composer, Steve has had many of his works, published and unpublished, performed globally, also on television and radio.
Through his work at Heriot-Watt and many other music institutional settings in Scotland, Steve has become sought after as a choral and orchestral conductor, showing strong commitment to the community sector of music making, exploring both contemporary and mainstream repertoire. He recently conducted the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Chorus in recording sessions for Linn Records.
Through his interest in the development of Scottish music, Steve devised a lecture recital to animate this wonderful music and the world in which it developed, particularly through the ‘Enlightenment’ period.
Quotes from a recent recital:
‘If the sign of a good lecture is people leaving wanting to find out more, you did an excellent job!’
‘Your presentation last night was very clear and knowledgeable and the choice of music really added to the understanding of the enlightenment and its effect on the social interface at that time, and for the present. And I was enthralled with your playing - absolutely beautiful.’
As a music educationalist and facilitator, Steve has led numerous creative music projects throughout the UK, working in a multitude of environments. Through this work, together with the training of staff, teachers and trainers, Steve has raised the profile of music as a tool for teambuilding and group development skills. This emphasis on music and team building has attracted the attention of some high profile businesses, which have used Steve in their team building and leadership programmes with great success. This has projected creative music into the corporate community with new exciting territories.
In 2005 Steve was awarded an MBE for services to music. In 2006 he was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship by the International Rotary Foundation in recognition of his dedicated service to music in the community. In 2009 Steve was awarded an Honorary Doctorate [D.Litt] by Heriot-Watt University.
Photographer: Euan Robertson
Musician: Steve King