Malcolm Boyd McNab was born in Cleveland, Ohio on March 25th 1943. That summer, his family moved out to California where he was raised in the San Gabriel Valley. He began studying the trumpet at the age of nine, with his father Boyd McNab as his first teacher. Later, he studied with Pasadena trumpet teacher Walter Laursen, and performed with the Pasadena Symphony at the age of fourteen while still a student at Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra.

In 1958 at the age of 15, Malcolm began playing with the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra under conductors Dr. Miklos Rosza, Lawrence Foster, Gerhard Samuel and Henry Lewis. He soon became the Principal Trumpet and librarian for the Pasadena Symphony under Dr. Richard Lert.

It was at that time that Malcolm began his studies with James Stamp, leading him to a most valuable path which he has followed for the past 55 years.

After touring with the San Francisco Ballet and service in the U.S. Army, playing with the West Point Band, he studied privately with John Ware and William Vacchiano of the New York Philharmonic.

On returning to Southern California, McNab began working as a session musician as well as playing live solo performances with various regional orchestras. Since 1970, he has recorded classical music with such organizations as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and the New York City Opera. As a member of the California Chamber Symphony, Malcolm appeared as a soloist with Aaron Copland in his Quiet City. In a note to Malcolm, he wrote, "to Malcolm McNab, who plays trumpet like few - very few!"

His recording credits in popular music include albums with Dionne Warwick, Peggy Lee, Chicago, and the Carpenters. He has also toured with and recorded albums with Frank Zappa including Joe's Domage, Studio Tan, Grand Wazoo-Live in Boston and Imaginary Diseases. From 1975 until its demise in 1988, McNab played trumpet with the experimental session group, the Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra.

It is the soundtracks of popular films and television shows which have made Malcolm McNab's playing familiar to hundreds of millions of people who have never heard his name. He has been in the 1st trumpet chair for John Williams on 46 scores recorded in Hollywood.

In November 2006 Malcolm released his first solo album titled Exquisite-The Artistry of Malcolm McNab. His second solo album The Infinite Trumpet was released in 2010.

He has also given solo performances on the soundtracks of such television shows as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Dr Quinn Medicine Woman, and Highway to Heaven, and has been featured as a solo artist on many movie soundtracks.

His solo trumpet is featured on soundtracks such as: Dances with Wolves, Avalon, Crimson Tide, City Hall, In Country, Glory, Twister, Executive Decision, Independence Day, Con Air, Rudy, The Last Castle, Air Force One, The Postman, Cars, U.S. Marshals, Renaissance Man, Toys, Planes: Fire & Rescue, Maverick, Seabiscuit, Secretariat, L.A.Confidential, Hidalgo and Bridge of Spies 2015. McNab has performed on the soundtracks of over 2,000 films and television including:

E.T, Jaws, Indiana Jones (2-4), (9)Star Treks, Karate Kid (1-3), Field of Dreams, Pretty Woman, Hoffa, Home Alone(1-3), Hook, Beauty and the Beast, The Rocketeer, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, The Chronicles of Narnia, Jurassic Park(1-3), Wyatt Earp, First Knight, Far and Away, Spiderman(1-3), Toy Story(1-3), James and the Giant Peach, A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc, The Matrix, Planet of the Apes, War of the Worlds, Godzilla, Polar Express, The Sixth Sense, Pirates of the Caribbean (1-4), Tin Tin, Monsters University, Star Trek-Into Darkness, War Horse, Mission Impossible(3&4), Monsters University, Inside Out, Tomorrowland and Jurassic World.

In addition to movie and TV soundtracks, Malcolm can also be heard nightly on the NBC and CBS network news themes.

In 2006, Malcolm portrayed the trumpet sound of virtuoso trumpeter Rafael Mendez, appearing in the Los Angeles Opera production of Concierto Para Mendez, a one act opera which told the story of the life of the trumpet virtuoso. The performance featured the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, opera soloists, trumpet soloist and narrator.

In February 2015 Malcolm was presented the Young Musicians Foundation's Magic Baton award. The award was presented to Malcolm by Randy Newman at the YMF 60th Anniversary Gala.

Malcolm is presently Artist in Residence at Azusa-Pacific University. He has also found time to teach trumpet at UCLA, Pomona College, Claremont College and branches of the California State University. His 4th annual summer trumpet workshop, Camp McNab, took place at Azusa- Pacific University in July/August 2015. Malcolm has twice been the recipient of the Most Valuable Player Award of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.