Hamish John McKeich (born 13 May 1967) is a New Zealand bassoon player and conductor. He is principal conductor in residence of the

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Wellington, New Zealand. The national orchestra of New Zealand, the NZSO is an autonomous Crown entity owned by the Government of New Zealand, per the New Zealand Sympho ...

Early life and education

McKeich was born in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

on 13 May 1967, the son of Aroya and Ross McKeich, and grew up there, attending

Burnside High School Burnside High School ( mi, Te Kura o Waimairi-iri) is a state co-educational secondary school located in the suburb of Burnside in Christchurch, New Zealand. With a roll of students, it is the largest school in New Zealand outside Auckland, and ...

. He came from a musical family; he learnt the

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...

and then the

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

once his fingers were big enough. His father was his first bassoon teacher and he continued his bassoon studies at

Wellington Polytechnic Massey University ( mi, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa) is a university based in Palmerston North, New Zealand, with significant campuses in Albany and Wellington. Massey University has approximately 30,883 students, 13,796 of whom are extramural o ...

with Colin Hemmingsen. He later moved to

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

to continue studying with bassoonist Gordon Skinner.

Career

Before going to Australia McKeich was a contract player with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) and then associate principal bassoon of the

Sydney Symphony Orchestra The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra that was initially formed in 1908. Since its opening in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has been its home concert hall. Simone Young is the orchestra's chief conductor and firs ...

. In Europe he played in the

Philharmonia The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Richard Strauss, W ...

and Netherlands Philharmonic. During his 10 years in Europe he studied conducting under Ilya Musin,

Valery Gergiev Valery Abisalovich Gergiev (russian: Вале́рий Абиса́лович Ге́ргиев, ; os, Гергиты Абисалы фырт Валери, Gergity Abisaly fyrt Valeri; born 2 May 1953) is a Russian conductor and opera company d ...

Sian Edwards Sian Edwards (born 27 August 1959) is an English conductor, best known as music director of English National Opera in the 1990s. Early life Sian Edwards was born in West Chiltington, West Sussex. She studied at the Royal Northern College of Mus ...

and

Peter Eötvös Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

. His desire to study conducting was stimulated by wanting to work with the whole orchestra and its repertoire. In 1999 McKeich returned to New Zealand and joined the NZSO as a bassoon player. In 2002 he was appointed an associate conductor with the NZSO becoming principal conductor in residence in 2020. He has also conducted other orchestras in New Zealand: the Southern Symphonia, the

Auckland Philharmonia The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (APO) is a symphony orchestra based in Auckland, New Zealand. Its principal concert venue is the Auckland Town Hall. The APO is the accompanying ensemble for performances by NZ Opera and the Royal New Zealan ...

and the Christchurch Symphony. He became the conductor of Stroma, a contemporary music ensemble in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

, which formed in 2000. McKeich has also developed a career internationally working with many orchestras. In 2007 McKeich took a group of musicians, including some from the NZSO, on a tour to China. The orchestra was called the New Zealand Philharmonic Orchestra but confusion with the name New Zealand Symphony Orchestra caused the prime minister Helen Clark to question the tour. McKeich has promoted contemporary music as part of the orchestral repertoire. He has also collaborated with musicians and performers from other genres including the band

The Phoenix Foundation The Phoenix Foundation is a New Zealand indie rock band formed in Wellington in 1997. History Early years and ''China Cove'' The band was founded by Conrad Wedde, Samuel Flynn Scott, and Luke Buda in 1994 while students at Wellington High ...

, jazz musician

Nathan Haines Nathan Haines (born 1972) is a New Zealand-born producer/vocalist/saxophonist based between London (since 1995) and his native Auckland. Life and career Haines was born in 1972 in Takapuna on Auckland's North Shore. His father, Kevin was one of ...

, the band

Shapeshifter In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shape-shifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, sorcery, spells or having inherited the ...

and singer Teeks, who performed with the NZSO in 2022. In 2021, after conducting a performance of

Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century clas ...

's ''The Soldiers Tale'', McKeich had a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

which left him paralysed on his right side. Following intensive rehabilitation he has been able to resume conducting with one hand.

Awards

In 2012 McKeich was awarded a citation by the Douglas Lilburn Trust for outstanding services to music in New Zealand.

References

External links

Hamish McKeich – website
{{DEFAULTSORT:McKeich, Hamish 1967 births Living people New Zealand bassoonists New Zealand conductors (music) New Zealand Symphony Orchestra people People from Christchurch 21st-century conductors (music) People educated at Burnside High School