I
t’s like an idyllic story right out of a children’s book. A 10-year-old boy
was “told” to play the tuba because he was the tallest in his class in
Methilhill, Scotland. The school’s janitor wanted to form a band and
the boy, along with nine other students, became the band’s musicians.
This experience eventually propelled him into winning awards, and later
he would become an internationally renowned conductor and tuba
soloist.
But this is the real-life story of Dr. James Gourlay, who has been the
artistic and general director of Pittsburgh’s River City Brass (RCB)
since 2010.
“I have just passed the seven-year itch mark at RCB,” laughs Gourlay,
in his charming Scottish brogue. “I haven’t had any reason to scratch
any itches.”
Gourlay holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University
of Salford, an MMus from the University of Leeds and is a Fellow of the
Royal Northern College of Music and the London College of Music. He
has also been honored by the Worshipful Company of Musicians, which
conferred upon him the John Henry Iles Medal for services to the brass
band movement.
RCB wrote to Gourlay in 2009 offering him the job as music director.
“I quickly wrote back, ‘No,’” laughs Gourlay. “At that time, I was very
much a freelance conductor, but I said I would be interested in doing
some concerts with RCB if they needed a guest conductor. And so they
did, and I came to Pittsburgh and worked for three weeks with the band.
They persuaded me that it was a good idea to stay with them as their
musical director, so I did—and it was a good idea.”
The city of Pittsburgh also sold Gourlay and his wife, Lea, on his
new position.
“We had no idea that Pittsburgh was s