Hugh Alexander McDowell (31 July 1953[1] – 6 November 2018)[2] was an English cellist and member of the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) and related acts.

[3] He remained with the group until Jeff Lynne removed the string players from the line-up;[2] both McDowell and his fellow cellist and close friend Melvyn Gale were therefore dismissed in 1980.

In 1991, former ELO drummer Bev Bevan hired OrKestra as the opening act for the newly-formed Electric Light Orchestra Part II's debut tour,[6] although McDowell, Groucutt and Kaminski also played alongside Part II as a single eight-piece band during the tour.

In 1980, McDowell played on the album Gift Wrapped by former ELO cellist Melvyn Gale, who had founded the group Wilson Gale & Co.[7] That autumn, he began teaching part-time at the musical instrument technology department of a London higher educational college, the London College of Furniture, now part of the Guildhall University.

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