The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1935 by the British Broadcasting Corporation’s first Head of Music in Scotland, composer and conductor Ian Whyte. Based at City Halls in Glasgow, it is one of the five full-time orchestras maintained by the BBC and the oldest professional orchestra in Scotland.
From its creation to the end of the Second World War, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra has been mainly live broadcasting, performing very rarely but steadily expanding in numbers. In 1948, Ian Whyte led the orchestra to the newly established Edinburgh International Festival, where it still frequently appears.
After Norman Del Mar’s appointment as Principal Conductor in 1960, the orchestra’s schedule, still largely dominated by live studio broadcasting, started its metamorphose: the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra visited the Proms for the first time in 1962, performed the UK premiere of Stockhausen’s Gruppen in collaboration with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and appeared in many other public performances. Del Mar’s interest in contemporary music was defining in the orchestra’s long-standing interest in new works.
Since the 1990s, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra has evolved to a fully fledged public orchestra, touring abroad, performing concerts all over the world and releasing commercial recordings, which have received a number of prizes including four Gramophone Awards. The orchestra now tours all around the world; recently it has performed in Belgium, China, India, the Netherlands and South America.
In addition to performing in towns and cities in Scotland, the Orchestra appears every year in such festivals as the Cheltenham, the St Magnus Festival, the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and the BBC Proms.
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra regularly broadcasts for BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio 3, BBC Television and Online.
In close association with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra works over a variety of disciplines with composers, conductors, orchestral players and soloists, and plays a important role in the BBC’s Ten Pieces initiative. The orchestra has established a close relationship with local communities with its outreach programme and is Scotland’s leading champion of new music.
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is renowned for its commitment to new music. For many years it has been at the heart of Scotland’s cultural life and continues to inspire to its musical life by performing a wide and ambitious range of repertoire to large and fervent audiences.
Recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Best Orchestra in 2002, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra was conducted until 2009 by the youngest-ever Chief Conductor of any BBC orchestra, Ilan Volkov, who received the prize for Best Young Artist in 2004. He became the principal guest conductor for the 2009-2010 season, when Donald Runnicles was appointed to succeed him in his previous role.
In 2015, Thomas Dausgaard was announced as the orchestra’s eleventh Chief Conductor, taking over from Donald Runnicles, who is now Conductor Emeritus.
From its creation to the end of the Second World War, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra has been mainly live broadcasting, performing very rarely but steadily expanding in numbers. In 1948, Ian Whyte led the orchestra to the newly established Edinburgh International Festival, where it still frequently appears.
After Norman Del Mar’s appointment as Principal Conductor in 1960, the orchestra’s schedule, still largely dominated by live studio broadcasting, started its metamorphose: the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra visited the Proms for the first time in 1962, performed the UK premiere of Stockhausen’s Gruppen in collaboration with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and appeared in many other public performances. Del Mar’s interest in contemporary music was defining in the orchestra’s long-standing interest in new works.
Since the 1990s, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra has evolved to a fully fledged public orchestra, touring abroad, performing concerts all over the world and releasing commercial recordings, which have received a number of prizes including four Gramophone Awards. The orchestra now tours all around the world; recently it has performed in Belgium, China, India, the Netherlands and South America.
In addition to performing in towns and cities in Scotland, the Orchestra appears every year in such festivals as the Cheltenham, the St Magnus Festival, the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and the BBC Proms.
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra regularly broadcasts for BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio 3, BBC Television and Online.
In close association with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra works over a variety of disciplines with composers, conductors, orchestral players and soloists, and plays a important role in the BBC’s Ten Pieces initiative. The orchestra has established a close relationship with local communities with its outreach programme and is Scotland’s leading champion of new music.
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is renowned for its commitment to new music. For many years it has been at the heart of Scotland’s cultural life and continues to inspire to its musical life by performing a wide and ambitious range of repertoire to large and fervent audiences.
Recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Best Orchestra in 2002, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra was conducted until 2009 by the youngest-ever Chief Conductor of any BBC orchestra, Ilan Volkov, who received the prize for Best Young Artist in 2004. He became the principal guest conductor for the 2009-2010 season, when Donald Runnicles was appointed to succeed him in his previous role.
In 2015, Thomas Dausgaard was announced as the orchestra’s eleventh Chief Conductor, taking over from Donald Runnicles, who is now Conductor Emeritus.