Francis Magee

Francis studied tuba at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (where he won the Governors’ Recital Prize for Brass) and at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. His teachers were Anthony Swainson and Stuart Roebuck, and he participated in masterclasses with other legendary brass players, John Fletcher, Ifor James, John Wallace and Howard Snell. During his student days, he played with several of the top brass bands in Scotland and was Principal Tuba of the European Community Youth Orchestra with whom he performed all over Europe.
After college Francis enjoyed a busy freelance career, working mostly with the Scottish Opera and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra he also performed with many of Britain’s symphony orchestras, such as the Royal Philharmonic and BBC Symphony in London, the BBC Philharmonic in Manchester, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the BBC Scottish and Royal Scottish National Orchestras. He moved to Dublin in 1997 when he was appointed Principal Tuba of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. With that orchestra, he has toured Britain, Germany and the US and has visited Innsbruck, Beijing, and Bucharest. He has recently performed as a guest principal with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Ulster Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, and RTE Concert Orchestra.
A keen chamber musician Francis was for many years a member of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra Brass Quintet giving regular recitals and educational workshops throughout Scotland and recording for CD and radio. He has appeared on television and radio with the BBC Scottish Brass and is currently a member of Dublin Brass.
Francis has taught tuba and euphonium at the Royal Irish Academy of Music since 2001 and at the Irish Defence Forces School of Music. He has also held teaching posts at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the Cork School of Music. Many of his students have gone on to have fulfilling careers in music.