Allan Ramsay

Allan Ramsay is regarded as one of Scotland’s most successful conductors in recent years. His formative musical tuition began at the age of seven, in The Salvation Army at Govan Citadel where he learned to play the cornet. Allan studied trumpet and piano at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in Glasgow and later went on to become the principal cornet of the then CWS (Glasgow) Band, whom in 1990 became the first, and to date only Scottish band to win the coveted National Championship title at the Royal Albert Hall. That year also saw Allan win his first Scottish Solo Championship. Following a period of eight years as Bandmaster of the Govan Citadel Band, Allan was appointed as Musical Director to the Kirkintilloch Band in 1995 and, for the next seven years, he led the band through the most successful period in its history in terms of contest successes, culminating in victory at the Grand Shield in 2001. Further contest successes followed in the UK and Allan has regularly conducted at the National Championships, the British Open and the European Championships, and has also been a guest conductor with top bands such as the YBS and Brighouse and Rastrick. Allan has regularly adjudicated at various contests within the UK, including the Scottish Championships, British Open Grand Shield and at the National Finals in Harrogate, and since his relocation to the USA in 2017, has judged at the NABBA Championships on several occasions.