Hugh McLaren was born into a musical family: his parents were both cathedral choristers at Rochester, in the south-east of England. Unsurprisingly, his early years were spent immersed in the English choral tradition. At school, piano and clarinet were soon cast aside in favour of drums and orchestral percussion.
As is often the case, after university, music had to take second place to career progression, but Hugh was able to return to ensemble performance a few years later, performing with amateur and semi-professional groups throughout the East Midlands for the best part of fifteen years.
Seeking a new challenge, Hugh decided to pursue orchestral conducting, studying first at the renowned Sherborne Summer School, and subsequently attended the year-long course at the London Conducting Academy. He has also studied privately, and in masterclasses, with leading teachers and professional conductors in the UK and elsewhere.
Hugh has conducted a number of orchestras in the Midlands, including in Leicester, Oxford and Rugby, with a particular emphasis on presenting works by less-well known composers. He is delighted to be able to bring this to a new audience with the Cotswold Philharmonia.