Scottish cellist Alasdair Tait studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Emma Ferrand and Ralph Kirshbaum and in Basel with Thomas Demenga. As cellist of the Belcea Quartet until 2006 he performed internationally and recorded for EMI.
Alongside his role as Chief Executive of Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT), he was Head of Chamber Music at Guildhall and RNCM, professor at Reina Sofia in Madrid and continues to give masterclasses around the world. He is frequently invited to be a jury member on international competitions such as Banff, Osaka, Melbourne, Wigmore and Vienna/Haydn Competitions. He is currently a council member for Snape Maltings (Aldeburgh) and in 2013 was made a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy for his contribution to excellence in Teaching and Learning. He was awarded the ABO (Association of British Orchestras) 2016 Artist Manager of the Year.