Ian Stewart is a professional composer/musician/arranger who grew up in England, Scotland and Malta. A classically trained pianist and composer, he also played trombone in the Scottish Youth Brass Band and the San Gejtanu Band in Hamrun, Malta. He also plays electric keyboards and produces electronica.

A CD of four of his recent compositions was released on the Music Chamber label in November 2008, featuring music for string ensemble, classical saxophone and voice. These compositions reflect important influences - psychedelic, Baroque and Celtic music.

Listen to California - composed by Ian Stewart
From Synchromatic (released 2004) by Hugh Burns :

Hugh Burns - guitar
Malcolm Creese - Bass
Mike Smith - drums

available on Acoustic Masters

His compositions, embracing a variety of styles, have been performed in classical concerts, broadcast on radio, and used in television programmes and documentaries. Classical compositions have been performed by Kyle Horch, Carole Sutherland, John Harle with the Brodski Quartet and Smith Quartet, the Cre.Art Ensemble in Catalunya, and at one of the inaugural concerts at the Bob Cole Conservatory, California.

Arrangements of Chick Corea's Children's Songs have been broadcast by John Harle on BBC Wales Music Now and BBC Radio 3, and Ian was string arranger on the Love album released by Zomba Production Music.
His electronica and rock music is released by three library companies.

Ian has always had a passion for using more unusual instruments, or ensembles, resulting in works for 12 alto saxophones, 4 tubas, saxophone and scratch turntables, electric guitar, and several pieces for instrument and electronics. He not only uses conventional instruments, but includes turntables and laptop. These works have been performed in recitals, contemporary dance performances and in the New York club vOID.

Early days : a live prime time Friday evening broadcast on London's Capital Radio 1982.

Listen to Ian's arrangement in which he took the minimal harmony and rough open 5th chords, typical of New Wave guitar bands, and used those as a basis for this arrangement of a swing band standard.

Don't Get Around Much Anymore
played by Richard Green's Next Step Band (with Ian Stewart Arp Quadra)