Biography
WINNER - 2009 East Coast Music Award for Roots / Traditional Group Recording of the Year
WINNER - 2008 East Coast Music Award for Instrumental Recording of the Year
WINNER - 2008 Music Nova Scotia Traditional / Roots Recording of the Year
Troy MacGillivray's musical prowess can be attributed to an especially rare combination of commitment and bloodline. By the age of six, Troy was already impressing audiences with his step dancing skills. By 13 he was teaching piano at the renowned Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts in St. Anne's, Cape Breton. He has completed grade seven of the Toronto Conservatory of Music for classical piano, has spent four years in a stringed orchestra and has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in music from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
All of Troy's recordings – ELEVEN (2005), Boomerang (2003), and Musical Ties (2001) - have received East Coast Music Award (ECMA) nominations as well as Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia nominations. However, his 4th release, Live At The Music Room, has been his biggest successful to date, winning the coveted 2008 ECMA (East Coast Music Award) for Instrumental Recording of the Year as well as the award for Traditional / Roots Recording of the Year from Music Nova Scotia. The CD is also nominated for a 2008 Canadian Folk Music Award.
'Musical Ties' is a blend of contemporary and original compositions with two hundred year old melodies played on the piano and fiddle while 'Boomerang' is a demonstration of the piano and fiddle played in the purist traditional stylings. It is a roots-centered approach with the power to capture any audience. MacGillivray's third solo album, 'ELEVEN', is a tribute to his Highland heritage, and is named in recognition of the nickname given to his grandfather, Canadian fiddling pioneer Hugh A. MacDonald - Hughie No. 11. Additionally, this album marks the 11th recording on which MacGillivray has appeared. On the CD, MacGillivray plays fiddle, piano, viola and bass with an international cast of musicians playing flute, cello, guitar and bodhran. Joining him are his two older sisters, two-time ECMA award-winning fiddler Kendra MacGillivray and acclaimed percussionist and dancer, Sabra MacGillivray, along with their guitar-wielding father Tony MacGillivray. Guitarists Brent Chaisson from Prince Edward Island, Anna Massie from Scotland, Jason Murdock from Pictou County and Halifax favourite Dave MacIsaac, also join in as does Tim Edey, an English guitarist who performs with the band Session A9. Juilliard School of Music graduate Natalie Haas, from New York, plays cello and Scotland's Nuala Kennedy, who plays flute with bands Fine Friday and Harem Scarem.
Troy's 4th CD, and ECMA Award Winner, "Live at The Music Room", was released in October 2007. The live recording took place January 2007 at The Music Room in Halifax, NS - one of the finest acoustic spaces in Canada. This unique facility, which houses a New York-built Steinway grand piano, superbly showcases the musical talents of MacGillivray in a live setting featuring the accompaniments of Dave MacIsaac, Allan Dewar, Brad Davidge and Sabra MacGillivray. The new CD contains a wide variety of strathespeys and reels, jigs and polkas, a hornpipe and a piano air .. and even some fantastic step-dancing!
Troy’s latest project, When Here Meets There, is a unique collaboration with Canadian & US National Fiddle Champion Shane Cook that showcases why both fiddlers are at the top of their game. The CD won the 2009 ECMA for Best Roots/Traditional Group Recording of the Year. “Individually, these two fiddlers are virtuosic musicians and dynamic performers; together, stimulating and feeding off of each other and their top-tier back-up musicians, they are inspirational.” (Dr. Sherry Johnson - York University, Toronto)
The last few years have been incredibly busy ones for Troy MacGillivray. In 2004, he was the recipient of the "Auleen Theriault Young Tradition Award" from the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival in Goderich, Ontario. This award is given to an artist that shows outstanding talent and love for traditional and roots based music. He embarked on an most impressive tour by an independent artist in support of Boomerang - the tour started in Toronto and took him to various locations throughout Ontario, western Canada, the Maritimes and even to Nunavut. He recorded a television program for the Bravo Television Network and provided music for a CBS made-for-TV movie starring Jane Seymour.
In 2005, Troy made his first appearance Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Scotland where he was chosen as the winner of the honourable “Danny Kyle Stage”. He also showcased at a number of prestigous events, including the East Coast Music Awards, Celtic Colours International Festival in Cape Breton, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, the Barbados Celtic Festival and the Edinburgh Fiddle Festival - not to mention a Dave Gunning tour of Western Canada, and numerous dances, concerts and ceilidhs throughout Canada and the United Kingdom.
From 2006 through to today, the fast pace that is Troy MacGillivray continued! From repeat appearances at Scotland's Celtic Connections Festival to a tour in British Columbia to appearing at the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championships to promotional tours in Toronto, Ottawa, Boston and Chicago with Nova Scotia Tourism, Troy continues to impress and amaze audiences around with world with his incredible array of talent. In between his busy touring scheduled, he also managed to complete the Applied Music Technology program at McKenzie College, studying recording engineering in 2006. Troy’s latest project, "When Here Meets There", is a unique collaboration with Canadian & US National Fiddle Champion Shane Cook that showcases why both fiddlers are at the top of their game. “Individually, these two fiddlers are virtuosic musicians and dynamic performers; together, stimulating and feeding off of each other and their top-tier back-up musicians, they are inspirational.” (Dr. Sherry Johnson - York University, Toronto)
Whether playing piano or fiddle, or showcasing his stepdancing capabilities, Troy MacGillivray displays a unique sense of pride and commitment to his Celtic heritage and his music continues to add to the history and development of the traditional music that is the epitome of the Maritimes, the place he calls home!
ARTISTIC HIGHLIGHTS
* 2008 ECMA Award - Instrumental Recording of the Year - Live At The Music Room
* 2008 Canadian Folk Music Awards nomination for Traditional Recording of the Year for Live At The Music Room
* 2008 - Judge at the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Champsions, Ottawa, ON
* 2008 Recipient, St. F X University Young Alumus of the Year
* 2008 Canadian Military Troops Entertainment Tour, Afghanistan
* 2007 North America Folk Alliance Showcase
* 2007 Chicago Celt Fest
* 2006 nominee, East Coast Music Association - Instrumental Album of the Year (ELEVEN)
* 2006 nominee, Music Nova Scotia - Musician of the Year, Folk/Roots Recording of the Year (ELEVEN), Instructor of the Year
* 2006 Independent Music Awards Finalist
* 2005 winner of the honourable “Danny Kyle Stage”, Celtic Connections International Festival in Glasgow, Scotland
* 2004 nominee, Music Association of Nova Scotia - Folk/Roots Artist Recording of the Year (Boomerang)
* Winner of the Young Musicians Award - 2004 at the Goderich Celtic Festival, Goderich, Ontario
* Television recording for Bravo TV on traditional music and step-dancing (aired fall 2004)
* Organized and performed independent Canadian tour in support of Boomerang (spring 2004)
* Provided music for CBS made-for-television movie, “Heart of a Stranger”, starring Jane Seymour
* Travelled and performed extensively across Canada, United States, Australia, Japan, United Kingdom and Scandinavia
Instrumentation
For generations, the MacGillivray family has entertained Nova Scotia and Canada with their extreme talent in Celtic music. Hugh A MacDonald, grandfather to Troy MacGillivray, was a well-known recording artist who was a recipient of the East Coast Music Association’s Stompin' Tom Award and was inducted into the Nova Scotia Country Hall of Fame. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Troy MacGillivray not only entertains, but makes his grandfather proud ~with his band of family and friends, it’s a gathering of music and dance guaranteed to have hands clapping and toes tapping!
Troy MacGillivray and his Trio provide a show with the feel of a small, cozy, intimate kitchen the likes of which you would find in Lanark, Antigonish County (home of the talented MacGillivray family) … no matter the size of the venue! Whether in a large conference centre or an intimate theatre setting, Troy and his Trio interact with the audience in a friendly manner that provides a varied mix of jigs, reels, strathspeys and laments on a variety of instruments – not to mention the occasional display of step dancing! In addition, Troy will switch instruments – from fiddle to guitar, piano to bass – anything is attempted and all are played well!
Troy MacGillivray and his Trio provide a performance that embraces tradition and roots in a uniquely Nova Scotia musical journey.
TROY MacGILLIVRAY 4 Piece:
Troy MacGillivray - fiddle, piano, stepdance
Allan Dewar - piano
Brent Chaisson - guitar, percussion
John Chiasson - bass
Discography
"When Here Meets There"
Released April 2008, Troy's 5th CD is a unique collaboration with Shane Cook and is an independantly distributed release under his own label, Trolleymac Music with a time of 76:28. Produced by Troy MacGillivray and Shane Cook. Recorded by Troy MacGillivray at the MacGillivray home in Lanark, NS with additional recording at CaVa Studios in Glasgow, Scotland and The Music Room Halifax, NS. Engineered and edited by Ray Legere. Mixed and Mastered by Chad Irschick, Inception Sound, Toronto, ON. Additional engineering by Troy MacGillivray, David Jones and Tyler Myalls.
1. New Tune Makers
2. Winston
3. Ward Allen’s Two-Step
4. The Glasgow Session
5. La Belle Époque
6. Being Jerry Holland
7. Bovaglie’s Plaid
8. Ti-Jean Carignan’s
9. For Nuala
10. The Talisker High Bass Set
11. Piano Jigs
12. Neuketyneuks
13. Foolin’ Around
14. Not For Radio Set
15. The Reprobate
Shane Cook: fiddle (all except 4, 10), viola, feet
Troy MacGillivray: fiddle (1, 2, 4, 9, 10, 12, 15), piano
Skip Holmes: guitar (1, 9, 10, 12, 14), bazooka (11)
Scott MacMillan: guitar (2, 3, 5, 13, 15)
Mike Bryan (guitar - 4), Ray Legere (mandolin),
Lew Mele (acoustic bass) & Bernie Senensky (accordion)
"Live at The Music Room"
Released on October 5th, 2007, Troy's 4th CD is an independantly distributed release under his own label, Trolleymac Music with a time of 68:25. Produced by Troy MacGillivray. Recorded live at The Music Room, Halifax, NY by Tyler Myles. Edited by Troy MacGillivray and Jamie Foulds at Soundpark Studios in Sydney, NS. Mixed and mastered by Chad Irschick, Inception Sound, Toronto, ON.
1. Welcome Blast
2. Jig Detour
3. Pressed for Time
4. Northside of the Grampians
5. Piano Reels
6. Neil Gow's Lament
7. Ridge's Polkas
8. Old Clothes
9. The Road to Errogie
10. Sabra's Stepdance
11. Ostinelli's
12. Closing M/S/R
All fiddle and piano solos: Troy MacGillivray
Piano accomaniment: Allan Dewar
Guitar: Dave MacIsaac (1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9,12)
Guitar: Brad Davidge (3, 11)
Bodhran and step dance: Sabra MacGillivray
"ELEVEN"
Released on October 11, 2005, ELEVEN is Troy's 3rd recording. It is an independantly distributed release under his own label, Trolleymac Music with a time of 56:12, 1 studio CD. Produced by Troy MacGillivray and recorded and compiled at Lakewind Sound Studios by Mike Shepard, Point Acconi, Nova Scotia. Additional Recording was done in Dartmouth, NS by Scott Ferguson at Ferguson Music Productions; Fionn O'Laughlinn in Brooklyn, New York; and Donald Shaw and Iain Graham at Secret Music in Glasgow, Scotland. ELEVEN was mixed and mastered by Jamie Foulds at Soundpark Studios in Sydney, NS.
1. Stirling Castle
2. The Piper
3. Old School
4. Teetotalers
5. Hey Johnny!
6. Smash The Windows
7. Knittin' & Drinkin'
8. Dream At Dawn
9. The Eternal Rig
10. Hughie No. 11
11. The Earl of Fife
12. Madam Neruda
13. Humours of Tulla
14. The Road to Errogie
15. Crodh Chailein (Colin's Cattle)
Troy MacGillivray - fiddle, piano, viola, bass
Kendra MacGillivray - fiddle
Sabra MacGillivray - bodhran
Tony MacGillivray - guitar
Anna Massie - guitar
Dave MacIsaac - guitar
Tim Edey - guitar
Jason Murdock - guitar
Brent Chaisson - guitar
Nuala Kennedy - flute
Natalie Haas - cello
“BOOMERANG”
Released on June 28th, 2003, Boomerang is Troy's 2nd recording. It is an independant release with a time of 47:47. The package includes 1 CD of a studio recording. Produced by Troy MacGillivray and recorded by Paul Mills at The Millstream Studios, Toronto, Ontario and by Dave Gunning at Riverfront Studios, New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.
1. The Wedding Lassie
2. Boogie
3. Boomerang
4. Gone Skidooing
5. Hornpipes
6. The Tweedside Lasses
7. George I. Taylor
8. But it was late Wednesday...
9. Messer Medley
10. Father Francis Cameron's
Guest Musicians include Dave MacIsaac on guitar, Cheryl Smith on snare, Curly Boy Stubbs aka Paul Mills on guitar, and Dave Gunning on guitar.
''MUSICAL TIES''
Released on July 13, 2001, Troy's first CD welcomes the many friends he has in the east coast music industry. Musicians include his two sisters, Kendra and Sabra MacGillivray as well as his parents, Janice and Tony, along side of Tracey Dares, Dave MacIsaac, John Allan Cameron, Gordie Sampson, Jamie Ghatti, Scott Ferguson, Mac Morin, Matt Foulds, Aaron Farr, Jordey Tuckey, and Liam Tucker.
1. Frank Gilruth
2. Trip to Windsor
3. Miss Anderson
4. Mist Over the Loch
5. Robert Cormack of Aberdeen
6. Mrs. Oswald
7. The Grand Piano
8. Colin Rankin's Strathspey
9. The Lone Highland Glen
10. 1939 Kalamazoo
11. Favorite Flirtation
12. Athole Brose
13. Musical Ties
14. Devil & the Dirk
Links
| http://www.troymacgillivray.com |