About Stuart
- Deputy Head of Popular Music
- Tutor in Guitar for Years 3 & 4 and Masters Popular Music students
- Tutor in Composition and Production, Years 3 & 4
- Research into Immersive Audio performance and composition practice
From jazz beginnings to alt-folk and electronica, Dr Stuart McCallum is one of the most vital and creative musicians of his generation. An in-demand guitarist, composer, producer and educator, Stuart’s current projects include:
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The Breath – signed to Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records, the duo of Stuart and vocalist Rioghnach Connolly was nominated for Best Act at the BBC Folk Awards.
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Solitude – a series of solo acoustic guitar albums released on Edition Records.
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Music for Imaginary Film – a series of cinematic-inspired albums co-written with Mark Slater
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Richard Spaven – co-writing and performing with the well known UK drummer
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Research – Stuart’s research interests are practice-based approaches to contemporary music performance, composition and production in immersive audio studio and live environments. He completed his musical composition doctorate, ‘Making Music in the Real World’, in 2020.
Stuart rose to prominence writing for and playing with the Cinematic Orchestra, on their Ma Fleur and Live at the Royal Albert Hall albums, as well as on their award winning Disney soundtrack, The Crimson Wing.
Stuart’s varied career has involved collaborations with electronic artists such as Jordan Rakei, James Zoo, JP Cooper and Bjork percussionist Manu Delago; performances with UK jazz greats John Surman and Kenny Wheeler; recordings with American jazz stars Ari Hoenig, Ira Coleman and Dan Weisz; and performances with prominent folk artists, such as Danny Thompson and Michael McGoldrick.
Research
Current and Future Research
Stuart’s research focuses on immersive audio, including music-making in Dolby Atmos and live speaker arrays (DnB Soundscape) – incorporating immersive audio technologies and practices in contemporary music composition and production.
Research Areas
- Performance, composition and production for immersive audio environments
- Solo guitar compositions
External Research Roles
- Principal Lecturer, Leeds Conservatoire (2011 – 2020)
Funded Research Projects
UKRI
Arts Council England
British Council
Teaching
Undergraduate Teaching
- BMus Popular Music
Postgraduate Teaching
- MMus Popular Music
Research Supervision
Current supervision of PhDs:
- Hans-Martin Buff
- So Yeon Kim
Research Outputs
Practice Research/Compositions
Paraorchestra and The Breath – Barbican. London
McCallum, S. (Performer), 22 Apr 2026Richard Spaven – Brick Lane Jazz Festival
McCallum, S. (Performer), 24 Apr 2026Richard Spaven – Club Gretchen, Berlin, DE
McCallum, S. (Performer), 31 Jan 2026Richard Spaven – Franz Melhose, Erfurt, DE
McCallum, S. (Performer), 30 Jan 2026Richard Spaven – Lescar, Sheffield
McCallum, S. (Performer), 7 Jan 2026Richard Spaven – The Verdict, Brighton
McCallum, S. (Performer), 23 Jan 2026Slowly Rolling Camera – Kings Place, London
McCallum, S. (Performer), 18 Jan 2026The Breath – Bristol Folk Festival, Bristol Beacon
McCallum, S. (Performer), 2 May 2026The Breath – Hellens Manor, Much Marcle
McCallum, S. (Performer), 11 Mar 2026The Breath – Otley Courthouse, Otley
McCallum, S. (Performer), 6 Feb 2026Professional Activity
Public Presentations and Performance
Paraorchestra – Open Loop
McCallum, S. (Speaker / presenter)
Stuart McCallum – guitar masterclass
McCallum, S. (Invited speaker)
WOMEX 2024 – The Breath – Live concert in VR: presentation
McCallum, S. (Speaker / presenter)