Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Conductor Laureate: Sir Charles Mackerras
Principal Guest Conductor: Olari Elts
Conductor Emeritus: Joseph Swensen
Composer Laureate: Sir Peter Maxwell Davies
Between October and May the SCO presents a Concert Season in Edinburgh (Queen’s Hall), Glasgow (City Halls), Aberdeen (Music Hall) and St Andrews (Younger Hall), as well as performances in Perth, Inverness, Dumfries and Ayr.
During the summer months, the Orchestra tours extensively across Scotland, with regular visits to the South of Scotland, Highland and Islands and Central Scotland.
The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is internationally recognised for its innovative approach to music-making and programme planning. Formed in 1974 with a commitment to serve the Scottish community, it is also one of Scotland’s foremost cultural ambassadors. The Orchestra performs throughout Scotland, including annual tours of the Scottish Highlands and Islands and South of Scotland, and appears regularly at the Edinburgh, St Magnus and Aldeburgh Festivals and the BBC Proms. Its busy international touring schedule has recently included Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and the USA.
Following several successful concerts with the Orchestra over recent years, Estonian conductor Olari Elts took up the position of Principal Guest Conductor in 2007. He conducts four concert weeks in the 07/08 Season including one of the SCO’s new drive-time concerts – CL@SIX – at St Cuthbert’s Church in Edinburgh; the premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s A Prayer out of Stillness; a musical portrait of Schubert and the season finale – Nelson and Napoleon.
The SCO’s long-standing relationship with Conductor Laureate Sir Charles Mackerras has resulted in many exceptional performances and recordings over the years, particularly at the Edinburgh International Festival where they have established an enviable reputation for concert performances of opera. Their recordings together include seven Mozart operas, a Grammy-nominated set of Brahms’ Symphonies, the full cycle of Beethoven Symphonies (with the Philharmonia Orchestra), four CDs of Mozart Piano Concertos with Alfred Brendel, Mozart’s Requiem and a disc of Kodály and Bartók for Linn Records.
Following nine successful years as Principal Conductor, Joseph Swensen became the Orchestra’s Conductor Emeritus in 2005. Swensen has developed a unique relationship with the SCO as soloist as well as conductor and he and the SCO have released five CDs together through the Orchestra’s partnership with Linn Records.
Other conductors who appear regularly with the SCO include Nicholas McGegan, Andrew Litton, Frans Brüggen, John Storgårds and Thierry Fischer.
The Orchestra enjoys close relationships with many leading composers and has commissioned more than a hundred new works, including pieces by Composer Laureate Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Edward Harper, James MacMillan, Haflidi Hallgrímsson, Einojuhani Rautavaara and Stuart MacRae.
The Orchestra plays a prominent role in the Edinburgh Festival. In 2005, it was awarded a Bank of Scotland Archangel by The Herald in recognition of its sustained quality contribution to the Festival.
The SCO has led the way in music education with a unique programme of projects. SCO Education provides workshops for children and adults across Scotland and has attracted interest and invitations from overseas.
Contact
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
4 Royal Terrace
Edinburgh
City of Edinburgh
EH7 5AB
Great Britain
Tel: +44 (131) 557 6800
Fax: +44(131) 557 6933
E-Mail: info@sco.org.uk
WWW: http://www.sco.org.uk
