13 Facts About Hugh McDowell

Hugh Alexander McDowell was an English cellist and member of the Electric Light Orchestra and related acts.

Hugh McDowell played with the London Youth Symphony Orchestra, the London Schools Symphony Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra and London Youth Chamber Orchestra, until he was persuaded by Wilf Gibson to join The Electric Light Orchestra.

Hugh McDowell's return was partly motivated by a desire to play more cello and less keyboards as he had done with Wizzard.

Hugh McDowell remained with the group until Jeff Lynne removed the string players from the line-up; both McDowell and his fellow cellist and close friend Melvyn Gale were therefore dismissed in 1980.

Hugh McDowell did appear in promotional videos for the Discovery album, despite not having played on the record.

Around a decade after his dismissal from ELO, Hugh McDowell joined the group OrKestra, formed by fellow ELO alumni Mik Kaminski and Kelly Groucutt, and appeared alongside the pair in several televised performances.

Hugh McDowell departed Part II after only a brief period and he appears on neither of the group's studio albums.

Hugh McDowell conducted a children's orchestra and other orchestras at several London schools.

Hugh McDowell joined the Cornelius Cardew Ensemble, a contemporary music group, in 1995.

Hugh McDowell played cello on Asia's 2008 album Phoenix, on "An Extraordinary Life" and "I Will Remember You".

Hugh McDowell arranged and recorded for pop, rock, and jazz-fusion albums, as well as collaborating in dance, film, and theatre projects.

Hugh McDowell was involved with computer programming and published a music composition program called Fractal Music Composer in 1992.

Hugh McDowell developed a suite of four programs: Mandelbrot Set Composer, Julia Set Composer, Mandelbrot Zoom and Play Midi.