When being interviewed by the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester in 1982, McChrystal chose the saxophone for his second course.

He became the first student to receive the RNCM’s Professional Performance Diploma with three prizes, before going on to further studies with John Harle and Frederick Hemke at the Guildhall School in London and Northwestern University in Chicago.

He has won numerous competitions, including the Intercollegiate Ivan Sutton Recording Award, which brought an engagement at Wigmore Hall. Gerard McChrystal has played in more than 30 countries all over the world.

He has recorded albums with, among others, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Ulster Orchestra, the London Musici, the guitarist Craig Ogden, the Smith Quartet, and Yan Pascal Tortelier. With Tortelier as conductor, he has recorded Debussy’s Rapsodie.

He has also played on Billy Cowie’s Romances and Toccatas album and on Another Ireland with Sinead O’Connor, Brian Kennedy, and Anuna.

Gerard Mc Chrystal has premiered works by Sir Harrison Birtwhistle, Sir Malcolm Arnold, John Tavener, John Metcalf, Gary Carpenter, Michael McGlynn, Tommy Smith, and others. In 1999 he gave the premiere of Who’s Afraid of Red by the Belfast-born composer Ian Wilson.

He has developed a new, accessible repertoire, influenced by Celtic music.

He has collaborated with renowned orchestras such as the Philharmonia, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the Stuttgart Staatsorchester, the Orchestra of San Francisco Ballet, and orchestras in Cardiff, Dublin and Borneo.

He has appeared with celebrated musicians such as Philip Glass, the Smith Quartet, the guitarist Craig Ogden, the percussionists of the Ensemble Bash, the Soweto String Quartet, the tenor Tommy Smith, and the Irish choirs Anuna and Codetta.

His new programme, Stand Up, has been given two awards by the Arts Council.

Gerard McChrystal is Professor of Saxophone at Trinity College of Music in London.

Gerard McChrystal a choisi, en 1982, lors de son audition au Royal Northern College of Music de Manchester (RNCM), le saxophone comme second cycle d’études.

Il fut le premier étudiant à recevoir le Professionnal Performance Diploma du RNCM Manchester avec trois
prix. Il a approfondi ses études en suivant les cours de John Harle et de Frederick Hemke à la Guildhall School
de Londres et à la Northwestern University de Chicago.

Il a remporté de nombreuses compétitions. Il a gagné notamment l’Intercollegiate Ivan Sutton Recording Award qui lui permit de rejoindre le Wigmore Hall. Gerard McChrystal a joué dans plus de 30 pays à travers
le monde. Il a enregistré des albums avec, entre autres, BBC NOW, l’Ulster Orchestra, le London Musici, le guitariste Craig Ogden, The Smith Quartet, Yan Pascal Tortelier. C’est sous la baguette de ce dernier qu’il a enregistré Rapsodie de Debussy. Il a aussi participé à l’enregistrement de Romances and Toccatas de Billy
Cowie et de l’album Another Ireland avec Sinead O’Connor, Brian Kennedy et Anuna.

Gerard Mc Chrystal a créé des pièces de Sir Harrison Birtwhistle, Sir Malcolm Arnold, John Tavener, John Metcalf, Gary Carpenter, Michael McGlynn, Tommy Smith,... En 1999, il a créé Who’s Afraid of Red de Ian Wilson, un compositeur originaire de Belfast. Il a développé un répertoire nouveau et accessible,
révélant des influences celtiques.

Il a collaboré avec des orchestres reconnus: Philharmonia, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Stuttgart Staatsorchester, Orchestra of San Francisco Ballet et divers orchestres de Cardiff, Dublin ou Borneo.

Il a joué avec des musiciens renommés: Philip Glass, The Smith Quartet, le guitariste Craig Ogden, les percussionnistes de l’Ensemble Bash, The Soweto String Quartet, le ténor Tommy Smith et les choeurs irlandais Anuna and Codetta.

Son nouveau programme Stand Up a été récompensé par deux prix de l’Arts Council. Gerard McChrystal est Professeur de Saxophone au Trinity College of Music de Londres.