BLAIR MACKAY

Since 1978, Blair has performed and recorded on percussion and drumset in a variety of contemporary, instrumental contexts - from contemporary chamber music with the ARRAYMUSIC ensemble, ECM and S.M.C.Q., through free jazz with Barry Romberg’s Random Access, pop jazz with Kim Richardson to featured concerts with Aretha Franklin and the Moody Blues - and has been a featured soloist at festivals in London, Paris, New York, Kyoto, Jakarta, Mexico City, Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, and on CBC national radio. 

From 1994 to 1998, Blair toured Europe, United States and Canada with the Dangerous Kitchen Ensemble, performing the music of Frank Zappa. Between 2000 to 2002, Blair performed with the Autumn Leaf Production of Kopernicus, by Claude Vivier, performing at the Musica Festival in Strasbourg, France, the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival in Huddersfield, England, and presentations in Banff, Montreal and Toronto. From 1988 to 2009, Blair was the principal percussionist with the Esprit Orchestra, and since 1999, has been a full time member of the Arraymusic ensemble.

Since 1992 Blair has been artistic director of the Evergreen Club Contemporary Gamelan (ECCG), who specialize in the development, performance, and recording of contemporary music for gamelan. Under Blair’s direction, ECCG has : produced 10 critically acclaimed CDs, that feature music written specifically for the ensemble by composers John Cage, Lou Harrison, Gilles Tremblay, James Tenney John Wyre, Walter Boudreau, Linda C. Smith, Andrew P. MacDonald, Ana Sokolovic, Michael Oesterle as well as many others; toured Japan, Europe, Canada, the United States, and Indonesia. At present, while Blair continues to direct ECCG and perform in various ensembles and productions, he is pursuing a Doctoral degree in performance, from the University of Montreal, with a focus on contemporary music for gamelan.
Blair Mackay recently received a Hall of Fame Juno award and in 2009, was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.