Steve Gibb is an award-winning guitarist, composer, orchestrator and musical director whose career has taken him from the Scottish Highlands to the world’s most iconic stages — from London’s Royal Festival Hall to The White House.
Born in Inverness and self-taught from the age of six, Steve went on to study classical guitar with Hector Quine and Timothy Walker at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he won the prestigious John Mundy Prize for Excellence in the playing of a stringed instrument. He made his London debut at The Purcell Room at the South Bank Centre as part of the Park Lane Group Young Concert Artist Series. His alma mater later honored him with an ARAM (Associate of the Royal Academy of Music) for his services to music.
Since making the USA his home in 2000, Steve has built a remarkably varied career. As a performer he has shared the stage — and the spotlight — with artists including Il Divo, Eartha Kitt, Petula Clark, Britney Spears, Ritchie Blackmore, Meatloaf, John Turturro and Zoë Wanamaker, and has performed for royalty and presidents alike. On Broadway, he has played in Jersey Boys, Dear Evan Hansen, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, Shucked and School of Rock. Earlier in his career, he joined the West End cast of Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story, serving as Musical Director and understudying the lead role, and later appeared as John Lennon, Bobby Vee, and Don Everly in Bill Kenwright’s Only The Lonely – The Roy Orbison Story.
As a composer, Steve’s music has appeared on HBO, ABC, NBC, CBS, MTV, National Geographic, Discovery, Showtime, and many others. His Celtic piece Fallen Hero was featured extensively on the international telethon Hope for Haiti Now, and his documentary score The Power of One was selected for the NY Film Festival. Concert works include commissions for the Clan Curry Society — among them Balmoral Snow, written in celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and The John Muir Suite — as well as Rant for three guitars, premiered by the Metropolitan Guitar Trio.
Steve is perhaps best known in the fingerstyle guitar world for his richly expressive solo recordings. His album The Boatman (2021) was hailed as “a fingerstyle guitar masterpiece” by Jess Chizuk of The Ark of Music, while Acoustic Guitar Magazine called it “beautiful, deep, and soulful — a winner on every level.”
Island of Woods (2023) drew equally fervent praise. Legendary Irish fiddler and composer Liz Carroll — whose own music features on the album — said simply: “You’re a beautiful player and I couldn’t be more delighted hearing your rendition.” bandcamp Patrick Ragains of minor7th.com wrote that Steve is “remarkably open to the works of other composers and songwriters, which he’s sequenced seamlessly among his own works,” bandcamp adding that “guitarists and casual listeners will love this album.” bandcamp Jess Chizuk of The Ark of Music called it “flat-out, incontestable virtuoso guitar playing” bandcamp and declared it “an AMAZING album… I still can’t shake the feelings it soaked me with.” bandcamp
His latest album, Circles of Light (2024), has drawn some of the most enthusiastic praise of his career. Liz Carroll called it “absolutely beautiful,” bandcamp and James Filkins of minor7th.com described it as music where “a fine Celtic essence permeates every graceful note… sonic splendor abounds.” bandcamp Jess Chizuk called it “the perfect marriage of skill and emotional expression” bandcamp and “an emotional masterpiece — highly recommended.” bandcamp Circles of Light is available now on Bandcamp.
Steve is also a published author, having written a book on sight-reading for guitarists for the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California.