Scottish composer and conductor James MacMillan (born 1959) went to Edinburgh University where his gifts as a composer were soon recognized. At the Durham University in northern England he studied with John Cascin. He was appointed to the staff of the Royal Northern College in Manchester in the 1980:s, but has since concentrated on a career as composer, having received a number of high profile commissions. He made his break-through at the 1990 London Proms.
MacMillan is influenced by Russian composers such as Alfred Schnittke, Sofia Gubaidulina and Galina Ustvolskaya.