Magnus Mehta is a percussionist, composer, producer and musical director

 

London born to an Indian father and Scottish mother, Magnus was excited by rhythmic sounds from an early age, initially requesting a drum kit aged 10, and consequently studying timpani and percussion at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

 

After playing in all of the major Scottish orchestras Magnus took a radical change of direction and relocated to Cuba to further his musical studies. Time spent living in Morocco, Kerala, Tanzania and Turkey then followed, and ever since Magnus has built a reputation as one of the most creative session musicians, moving fluidly between a multitude of genres.

 

Magnus is known for his ability to skilfully collaborate with artists from a wide range of musical and cultural backgrounds, blending styles to create infectious, globally inspired music. His output with his critically acclaimed band Penya, and his productions for the Tanzanian multi-instrumentalist Msafiri Zawose have led to multiple invitations to compose, produce and musically direct varied projects.

 

Magnus is an associate artist at Shakespeare’s Globe, and was co-composer and musical director for the Globe’s productions of “Hansel and Gretel” (2025) and “Shakespeare at the Abbey,” (2023), at Westminster Abbey. Magnus was the Musical Director and Co-Composer for “Paradise Under the Stars,” (2025) , an immersive theatre production that recreated the Tropicana Nightclub in Havana, Cuba, 1958. He has also workshopped pieces as composer and musically directed multiple shows at the National Theatre and has co-produced records with Ibibio Sound Machine and Photay

 

Magnus has an array of credits as a percussionist, drummer and timpanist. These include working for such artists and ensembles as, Jacob Collier, Brian Eno, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Damon Albarn, Bastille, Moses Boyd, LSO, Sarathy Korwar, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Peter Zummo, Greg Foat, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Royal Opera House, El Búho, Cassie Kinochi, the Lion King, Abba Voyage, Melt Yourself Down, English National Opera, RSNO, BBC Scottish Symphony and Emanative. His soundtrack credits include ‘Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One’, ‘The Hobbit, an unexpected journey’, the Channel 4 series ‘Indian Summers’, the BBC’s “Wolf Hall: `The Mirror and the Light” and the Iranian film ‘Hussein Who Said No’.