Composer, Artist, Musician
Declan is a Scottish BAFTA/Pigott Scholar and award-winning composer with extensive experience in the music industry across both the United States and Europe. His work spans film composition, musical theatre, video games, studio recording, session conducting, live performance, and more.
He is the founder of Saltire Music Limited, a bespoke music house based in Scotland that provides music and audio services across all media. Declan also works as a freelance composer for Hans Zimmer’s production company, Bleeding Fingers Music. His film scores have been featured at festivals across America and Europe.
Current Catalouge
MEDIA WORKS
FEATURING ORIGINALS SCORES FROM SHORT AND FEATURE FILMS
ALL ABOUT DECLAN JAMES MCLEISH
Starting as a singer-songwriter, then transitioning into a performer, and later moving into arts management, Declan has established himself as a media composer, gaining a wealth of experience across various areas of the industry. Over the past nine years, he has worked and travelled between Scotland and the United States as a performing artist and musical director for theatre companies and summer camps. He has also collaborated with local composers in a variety of roles, including studio engineer, producer, orchestrator, and conductor, and was heavily involved in multiple SONY PlayStation x SFCM collaborations.
In 2022, Declan secured his first short film and quickly became a go-to composer for emerging directors, scoring six short films, 2 features and a commercial since 2023.
Today, Declan continues to work with both local and international directors as a composer while also assisting fellow composers with MIDI programming, audio editing, orchestration, and more. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commercial Music Production from the University of the West of Scotland and a Master’s degree in Technology and Applied Composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Declan’s eight original sound logos can be heard across the KDFC Classical California airwaves, alongside new film projects touring festivals in both the U.S. and Europe. His solo works are also available on all major streaming platforms.
He is currently based in Scotland. Tha e stèidhichte ann an Alba an-dràsta.