Tag: classical music

National Opera Studio returns to Scottish Opera for February showcase

Scottish Opera is delighted to welcome 15 rising stars from the National Opera Studio for a week long residency, culminating in Lust & Laughter at Theatre Royal Glasgow on 21 February. 

Building on a 45 year-strong partnership, 11 singers and four repetiteurs work intensively for a week with Scottish Opera music staff to rehearse their repertoire, before taking to the stage with The Orchestra of Scottish Opera, conducted by Music Director, Stuart Stratford.  

The director of the showcase is Emma Jenkins, who has previously directed for Scottish Opera the National Opera Studio’s Anarchy at the Opera performance in 2022, Opera Highlights 2022/23, and the critically acclaimed Scottish premiere of Strauss’ Daphne in 2023.

This international cohort consists of artists from all over the world, including South Africa, Russia and the UK, as well as Scottish soprano Rachel McLean, who graduated in 2023 with a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Audience members can look forward to afun and energetic show with a programme that includesexcerpts from Hansel & Gretel by Humperdinck, The Merry Wives of Windsor by Nicolai, Cendrillon by Massenet and Così fan tutte by Mozart.

Director Emma Jenkins said: ‘This showcase performance is a rollercoaster ride through fairy tale romances, vengeful encounters, love triangles and mistaken identity, all taking place on one crazy night. 

“We invite you to jump down the rabbit-hole of human emotion, and celebrate with us as conflict becomes harmony and love finally conquers all.’

Eric Melear, Artistic Director of National Opera Studio said: ‘The National Opera Studio’s partnership with Scottish Opera is one of our most valued relationships. Working with their team provides our Young Artists with an immersive, professional experience that’s essential to their development.

“The unique mentorship and practical skills they gain here are invaluable to their careers. We share a commitment to nurturing emerging talent, and our artists consistently find Scottish audiences to be wonderfully welcoming and supportive.’

The National Opera Studio offers intensive and bespoke professional training for the next generation of opera stars. Alumni include Gerald Finley, Alfie Boe, Lesley Garrett, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Nicky Spence, who was the Patron of Scottish Opera Young Company.

Scottish Opera audiences will be familiar with NOS alumni including current Emerging Artist soprano Kira Kaplan, and tenor Robert Forrest. They are both cast members in the Opera Highlights tour this year. Kira has already appeared in the Company’s production of Albert Herring, and will perform in Trial by Jury and A Matter of Misconduct! in May. 

Tickets are on sale now at www.scottishopera.org.uk/shows/national-opera-studio-showcase/

Scottish Opera celebrates healing through music with Breath Cycle live performances

Scottish Opera brings its pioneering health and arts initiative, Breath Cycle, to the stage with two special evenings of live performance at The Beacon, Greenock (31 January), and Glasgow’s Tron Theatre (1 February).

These intimate performances showcase the transformative powers of daily practice in breath control and vocal training for individuals suffering from a range of lung conditions, as well as supporting them to share their lived experience of coping with often life limiting lung conditions, through a series of song writing workshops.

The intention is to support people in their journey to reclaim their physical and mental resilience.

Award-winning composer Gareth Williams and writer Martin O’Connor lead an exceptional ensemble featuring Admiral Fallow’s Louis Abbott, operatic tenor David Douglas (pictured above), and actor-songwriter Frances Thorburn, accompanied by violin, cello, and piano who will perform their renditions of a selection of the songs that have been created during the workshops over the past three years.

Breath Cycle was originally developed in 2013 by Scottish Opera and Glasgow’s Gartnavel General Hospital West of Scotland Adult Cystic Fibrosis Unit, to explore whether building lung capacity and developing breath control as part of a daily vocal routine could prove beneficial to the physical and mental health and wellbeing of patients.

Scottish Opera repurposed the project during lockdown to offer support to people struggling with the debilitating effects of Long COVID.  Since Autumn 2021, nearly 500 people from Scotland and across the world have taken part in the Breath Cycle sessions mentored by Scottish Opera artists, and over 3000 individuals have accessed the online resources freely available from the Company’s website to use at home at their own convenience.

Last year, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) and Scottish Opera joined forces to develop online singing classes for people living with aphasia. These built on the Breath Cycle project, to unlock the therapeutic benefits of singing and song writing to people living with aphasia, which is caused by damage to the part of the brain that controls language, and in some cases leaves some unable to speak at all.

Jane Davidson MBE, Director of Outreach and Education at Scottish Opera said: ‘As we expand the Breath Cycle II programme in 2025, we’re excited to bring these remarkable stories to the stage for the first time.

‘Our ensemble will bring to life the experiences of Breath Cycle participants through songs crafted by Gareth Williams and Martin O’Connor. These performances not only showcase personal journeys, but also raise awareness about respiratory health challenges facing many Scots. Audiences will even have the opportunity to experience some of our proven breathing exercises and vocal techniques firsthand.’

Breath Cycle: A Story of Healing is supported by The Scottish Government, Cruach Trust, The Murdoch Forrest Charitable Trust and Scottish Opera’s Education Angels.

Tickets, priced £5 to £10 (pay what you can) are available now from www.scottishopera.org.uk/shows/a-story-of-healing-breath-cycle-on-stage/

www.scottishopera.org.uk

You can follow Scottish Opera on Facebook, Instagram and Tik-Tok @ScottishOpera

Free Concert: Bach’s Magnificat at St Mary’s Episcopal Catherdral

SUNDAY 15th DECEMBER at 3.30pm

🎵 Don’t miss our upcoming performance of J.S. Bach’s famous Magnificat!

✨ Free-entry! No need to book to hear this beautiful choral music!

❄️ This liturgical performance will be interspersed with short readings for Advent.

https://tinyurl.com/5359me5s

Scottish Ensemble weave a beautiful sonic tapestry in  Concerts by Candlelight this December 

Scottish Ensemble bring moments of stillness and a captivating musical adventure as they perform their annual Concerts by Candlelight series across Scotland 

From the 5th to the 12th December the pioneering string ensemble will visit some  of the country’s most atmospheric settings. Concerts by Candlelight will take place in  Perth, Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and for the first  time in Dunblane.

A staple of the Scottish festive calendar these concerts feature  vibrant compositions illuminated by the warm glow of candlelight. 

Jonathan Morton, Artistic Director of Scottish Ensemble, said: “Concerts  by Candlelight have become a very popular moment in our musical calendar, both  for audiences and musicians, and it’s heartwarming to see people return each  year.

“We all look forward to meeting again in these spectacular buildings, and to  experience together the magical combination of beautiful sounds within ancient  spaces.” 

Audiences can expect a rich selection of music that weaves between past and present,  to create a beautiful sonic tapestry. Alongside compositions with seasonal  resonances by JS Bach, Arvo Pärt and Pēteris Vasks, there will also be pieces  that will take listeners to unexpected places including movements from Kaija  Saariaho’s Sept Papillons and The Evergreen by Caroline Shaw. 

The programme also includes a brand-new work, And At Pains to Temper the Light,  by Hannah Kendall, commissioned by Scottish Ensemble, Staatsoper Stuttgart  and Staatstheater Stuttgart.

Known for her attentive arrangements and immersive  world-building, British composer Hannah Kendall’s music looks beyond the  boundaries of composition. Just like Scottish Ensemble, her work bridges gaps  between different musical cultures, both honouring and questioning the  contemporary tradition while telling new stories through it. 

Hannah Kendall said about her new work: “My grandfather and his family were  from the Berbice region of Guyana, which has deeply rooted and routed, yet largely unforgotten or unknown, historical connections to Scotland.

“In And At Pains to  Temper the Light, I seek to reimagine and refresh these ties, creating renewed  spaces of connection that have the potential to inspire transformation through sound.

“I am indebted to Scottish Ensemble, a group of musicians I so deeply  admire, for giving me the opportunity to explore this part of my heritage in a way  that hopefully also speaks to shared experiences that transcend borders and time.” 

Tickets range from £11 – £22 and are free for under 16s. Tickets are available from: 

https://scottishensemble.co.uk/programme/2024-25/concerts-by-candlelight-5/

Scottish Opera presents The Puccini Collection

Scottish Opera – Puccini, Caird Hall, Dundee.

November 2024 marks 100 years since the death of Giacomo Puccini, one of opera’s most popular composers. Scottish Opera is offering audiences at Usher Hall in Edinburgh and Glasgow Royal Concert Hall a magnificent journey through beloved arias and ensembles from Puccini’s operas. 

The Company’s Music Director Stuart Stratford presents this carefully curated selection of highlights, which includes some of Puccini’s most famous works, such as La bohème, Manon Lescaut and Tosca.

Audiences can also enjoy a taster of his earlier compositions including Le villi and Edgar, as well as glorious excerpts from underappreciated masterpieces such as La fanciulla del West, and his final, unfinished opera Turandot.

This gala performance promises to be an unforgettable evening celebrating a century of passion, drama, and exquisite music that has captivated audiences worldwide, including here in Scotland. 

This concert is an ideal opportunity for anyone not familiar with Puccini — whose music is frequently incorporated into popular culture, including films and musicals — as well as seasoned operagoers.

Stuart Stratford conducts an exceptional cast of international talent including soprano Sinéad Campbell Wallace  (known for her stunning portrayal of diva Floria Tosca in Tosca 2019), tenor Mykhailo Malafii (performing the role of Cavaradossi in Lviv National Opera’s Tosca this October) making his Company debut and baritone Roland Wood, who in 2023 brought depth and nuance to the complex characters of Michele and Gianni Schicchi in the Company’s award- winning production of Il trittico. They are accompanied on stage by The Orchestra of Scottish Opera. 

Soprano Kira Kaplan, one of Scottish Opera’s Emerging Artists for the 2024/25 Season, who was in the Company’s recent production of Albert Herring, also joins the cast, along with tenor Fraser Simpson (La traviata 2024).  

‘This concert is big, passionate sections from one of opera’s greatest composers, sung by a first-rate cast, including Sinéad Campbell Wallace and Roland Wood,” said Stuart Stratford who curated The Puccini Collection with Scottish Opera’s Head of Music, Fiona MacSherry.

“Puccini’s music has stood the test of time, and this concert is a tremendous opportunity to see these brilliant singers onstage with a full orchestra, and mark the centenary of this iconic composer’s death, which is on 29 November this year,   

‘You’ll hear huge excerpts from Tosca and La bohème, and sections from Manon Lescaut and La fanciulla del West, among other arias and interludes. Whether you are looking to relive your Italia 90 moment, or discover even more about the great Italian master, it promises to be an evening of unforgettable treasures.’  

A Rich History of Puccini in Scotland 

The work of Puccini has a special place in the history of Scottish Opera: the Company’s very first production was Madama Butterfly in 1962. More recently, the Company’s staging of Il trittico received an International Opera Award Nomination, and won Outstanding Achievement in Opera at the Critics’ Circle Awards 2023.  

Other notable Scottish Opera productions of Puccini’s work include a contemporary La bohème outdoors in the car park of its Edington Street Production Studios in Glasgow during the pandemic, a new Madama Butterfly by Sir David McVicar in 2000, director Anthony Besch’s legendary staging of Tosca (first performed in 1980 and revived nine times since then), and it was in the Company’s 2010 concert staging of La fanciulla del West that acclaimed soprano Susan Bullock first performed the role of Minnie.  

Puccini’s music also helped Scottish Opera mark its 60th Anniversary. In 2022, the Company commissioned a custom made gin from Biggar Gin, called Suonare, featuring a red label with die-cut holes which when removed and placed in a music box played ‘Un bel di’ from Madama Butterfly, a favourite of Scottish Opera’s founder, Sir Alexander Gibson.

This rich history with Puccini’s works demonstrates Scottish Opera has developed a deep understanding and appreciation for the composer’s music.

The Puccini Collection was originally performed in Dundee in December 2021, under pandemic conditions. The Dundee Courier praised the concert as ‘a perfect tribute to a man whose melodies are to die for.’

To book your tickets, visit www.scottishopera.org.uk/shows/the-puccini-collection/  

The Puccini Collection is supported by Friends of Scottish Opera and The Scottish Opera Endowment Trust. 

Following the success of Daphne in 2023, the Opera in Concert series is rounded off for the 2024/25 Season, with The Strauss Collection in March, which features some of the finest pieces Richard Strauss ever wrote, with music from Ariadne auf Naxos, Arabella, and Der Rosenkavalier. 

The first half moves between a clash of artistically opposed theatre troupes in Ariadne to a nostalgic Viennese romance complete with disguises and mistaken identities in Arabella. The second half captures the highlights of Der Rosenkavalier’s three acts, following two colliding love stories with all the complications and grandeur of human relationships.    

Stuart Stratford conducts The Orchestra of Scottish Opera through these lush sound worlds. The all-star cast includes sopranos Helena Dix and Rhian Lois (La bohème 2020), mezzo-soprano Hanna Hipp (Kátya Kabanová 2019), and baritone Roland Wood (Oedipus Rex 2024), all making the most of Strauss’ astounding understanding of the human voice.    

The Puccini Collection cast and creative team  

Conductor Stuart Stratford   

Soprano Sinéad Campbell Wallace 

Tenor Mykhailo Malafii 

Baritone Roland Wood  

Soprano Kira Kaplan  

Tenor Fraser Simpson  

The Puccini Collection performance diary  

Usher Hall, Edinburgh 22 November 2024, 7.30pm  

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall 23 November 2024, 7.30pm  

Royal Northern Sinfonia to close Lammermuir Festival in style

One of Lammermuir Festival’s most enduringly popular artists, Royal Northern Sinfonia, will celebrate the fifteenth festival coming to a triumphant close tonight (Monday).

They play the two most influential of early Romantic composers, Mendelssohn and Schumann, making for a great pairing for the final concert. Schumann’s Violin Concerto – composed at the end of his life and still very much a rarity in concert – is a gloriously lyrical, heroic work perfectly suited to Maria Wloszczowska’s sweet-toned virtuosity.

This is the last chance to catch Maria Wloszczowska who has had astonishing success in her concerts throughout the 2024 festival.

 The sparkling beauty of Mendelssohn’s enthralling Shakespearian score brings the 2024 Lammermuir Festival to a magical conclusion.

Monday 16 September, 8pm

Royal Northern Sinfonia

St Mary’s Parish Church, Haddington

Tickets on sale at: https://www.lammermuirfestival.co.uk/event/closing-concert-royal-northern-sinfonia/

Scottish Opera’s revival of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale opens this October

OPENS AT THEATRE ROYAL GLASGOW BEFORE TOURING TO INVERNESS, EDINBURGH AND ABERDEEN

This autumn, Scottish Opera presents a revival of the much-loved 2014 production of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, which opens at Theatre Royal Glasgow on 12 October and tours to Inverness, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

It is performed alongside the Company’s specially created staging of Britten’s Albert Herring, which is at Lammermuir Festival, Theatre Royal Glasgow and Festival Theatre Edinburgh, bringing even more opera to Scottish audiences.

Conducted by Scottish Opera Music Director Stuart Stratford, Director-Designer duo Renaud Doucet and André Barbe (La bohème 2017) and Lighting Designer Guy Simard bring this quick-witted comedy to life with typically colourful and quirky style. Set in Rome at the cusp of the Swinging Sixties, the eccentric characters are given life in a world that is the perfect setting for a titanic clash of generations.

This highly successful production of Don Pasquale, which began life at Scottish Opera, was recently seen in Miami, Genoa, Vancouver, and Toronto.

David Stout, who delighted audiences in The Barber of Seville in Autumn 2023, returns to Scottish Opera as Don Pasquale, with three up-and-coming singers making their Scottish Opera debuts in the main roles.

Opera Australia principal soprano Stacey Alleaume is Norina, Filipe Manu (Jette Parker Young Artist 2019/20) is Pasquale’s son Ernesto, and Josef Jeongmeen Ahn (a member of the Jette Parker Artists Company of 2023/24) is Doctor Malatesta.

Don Pasquale runs a crumbling boarding house in Rome, and determined to keep his fortune to himself, he decides to marry, spiting his nephew Ernesto. But, when he finds a bride, he discovers that married life is not as simple as he expected …​

Renaud Doucet and André Barbe said: ‘We are delighted to be returning to Scottish Opera with Don Pasquale. After studying the score, we thought that the creative vitality and energy of Rome in the mid 1960’s was an ideal setting for Donizetti’s generation clash opera.

‘We imagined that Don Pasquale owns a small, run-down pensione. Old and something of a hermit, he leaves the running of the hotel to his nephew Ernesto and to his staff – a rum bunch including a chain-smoking chambermaid, a greasy cook and a past-it porter, so old that he has shrunk inside his uniform. A chorus of tourists come and go.

‘The dramaturgy of the opera is illustrated during the overture by the video projection of a typically Italian 1960s ‘fotoromanzo’ — sequential storytelling using photographs, text and speech bubbles — starring the principal characters, enabling the audience to immediately jump into the action of this ‘dramma giocoso’ (drama with jokes).’

Stuart Stratford said: ‘Donizetti was at the absolute height of his powers in terms of melodic gifts and spectacular writing for voices in Don Pasquale.

‘This production by Renaud Doucet and André Barbe is amazing, and it sits alongside Britten’s quintessential British comedy, Albert Herring.

‘Both are very different ways of approaching laughs in the theatre, and they were written just about 100 years apart.’​

Those who wish to discover more about how Don Pasquale was created can attend Pre-show Talks which delve into the detail of the opera. Tickets are free but should be booked in advance.​

Audience members with a visual impairment can enjoy the full opera experience at Audio-described performances, which have a live commentary describing the action on stage without compromising the music. There are also free Touch Tours of the set, and a live audio introduction before the start of the performance.

Specially created Access performances of Don Pasquale run alongside the mainstage productions in Glasgow and Edinburgh. With Dementia Friendly values at their core, afternoon Access performances are for those who enjoy a more relaxed opera experience.

With a shorter running time (under two hours including an interval) and tickets at just £12.50, these performances are open to all, including those who may be living with dementia or Long COVID, more comfortable at a shorter show, struggling to get to evening performances, or would simply benefit from the more relaxed atmosphere.

Don Pasquale is supported by The Scottish Opera Syndicate.

Tickets for Don Pasquale are on sale now at www.scottishopera.org.uk/shows/don-pasquale/

Don Pasquale creative team​

Conductor                               Stuart Stratford & Susannah Wapshott (21 November)

Director & Choreographer      Renaud Doucet

Designer                                  André Barbe

Lighting Designer                    Guy Simard

​

Don Pasquale cast​

Don Pasquale                         David Stout

Norina                                     Stacey Alleaume

Ernesto                                   Filipe Manu

Doctor Malatesta                  Josef Jeongmeen Ahn

A Notary                                Jonathan Forbes Kennedy

​

Performance Diary​

Theatre Royal Glasgow  

12 • 17 • 26 October 2024, 7.15pm  

20 October, 3pm (Audio-described performance with Touch Tour at 1.45pm)

Pre-show talk, 17 October, 6pm

Relaxed Access performance, 25 October, 3pm (Audio-described performance)

Eden Court Inverness  

31 October, 7.15pm

2 November, 7.15pm (Audio-described performance with Pre-show talk and Touch Tour at 6pm)

Festival Theatre Edinburgh  

8 • 16 November, 7.15pm 

Pre-show talk, 16 November, 6pm

10 November, 3pm (Audio-described performance with Touch Tour at 1.45pm)

Relaxed Access performance,15 November, 3pm (Audio-described performance)

His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen  

21 November, 7.15pm (Audio-described performance with Pre-show talk and Touch Tour at 6pm).

Lammermuir Festival celebrates with a comeback masterpiece

PATH of MIRACLES: Tenebrae at the National Museum of Flight’s Concorde Hangar

In Lammermuir Festival’s history, the 2024 programme marks the first time it will offer a rare returning event. And with the comeback of Path of Miracles and Tenebrae proving hugely popular with audiences, organisers have added a second performance on the night giving festivalgoers a second chance to grab a ticket this year. 

Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles, performed in the Concorde Hangar at the National Museum of Flight, is at the heart of the 2024 programme. Sung by one of the finest choral groups in the world, Tenebrae, for which it was written 20 years ago, the work is both ravishingly beautiful and hugely dramatic.  

Last performed at Lammermuir back in 2017, the sold-out audience stood cheering when it finished. The tour de force is inspired by the famous pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela and performed alongside one of the technological marvels of modern travel in the Concorde Hangar. 

Sunday 8 September, 8pm / 10pm

Tenebrae – Path of Miracles at Concorde

Concorde Hangar, National Museum of Flight

8pm tickets on sale at https://www.lammermuirfestival.co.uk/event/tenebrae-path-of-miracles/

10pm tickets on sale at https://www.lammermuirfestival.co.uk/event/tenebrae-path-of-miracles-extra/

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Edinburgh International Festival announces free Immersive Philharmonia Orchestra VR experience at Space @ Broomhouse

The Edinburgh International Festival announces the opening of the Philharmonia VR Experience at Space @ Broomhouse Hub, which will be available for four days of music and discovery from 20th – 24th August.

This 360° experience, which is free to attend and unticketed, brings the classical music experience to Broomhouse with the opportunity to see the UK premiere of the Philharmonia VR Experience’s performance of Vaughan Williams’s iconic piece, The Lark Ascending, performed by Festival Director Nicola Benedetti with the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Attendees will wear a VR headset which will allow them to sit right in the heart of the orchestra and experience this profoundly moving performance in astonishing detail. This VR experience will be staffed by graduates and members of Space Station, an entry level skills development course designed to support local people into the hospitality sector.

The Philharmonia VR Experience marks the first Edinburgh International Festival event held at Space @ The Broomhouse Hub which was named as the Edinburgh International Festival’s inaugural Community Connections Hub earlier this year. Which is an 18-month partnership exploring opportunities for creative collaboration and connection between the Festival and the local community.

Neil Hay, CEO, Space @ The Broomhouse Hub said: “This is a wonderful thing to be able to bring to Broomhouse. Despite being in Edinburgh, it can often feel as though big cultural activities are set very far apart from communities like those in Southwest Edinburgh.

“This partnership will allow people to experience things they never have before or take part in things that they simply would never have considered. This is the first event as part of our link with Edinburgh International Festival and we are excited to see what the next 18 months might bring.”

This event is free and unticketed. Each slot is 20 minutes long. Listed below are the times the VR Experience is open.

Wed 21 Aug 11.30-13.45, 15.00-16.00, 17.00-18.40

Fri 23 Aug 11.30-13.45, 15.00-16.40

Sat 24 Aug 10.30-11.45, 13.15-14.00, 15.00-16.40

More information on the Edinburgh International Festival’s Discovery and Participation programme, which runs year-round, can be found here: https://www.eif.co.uk/social-impact.

Scottish Ensemble announce 2024-25 season

Scottish Ensemble, a pioneering collective of musicians who champion music for strings, announces its 2024-25 season of events.

Exploring the power and breadth of musical experience, Scottish Ensemble’s 2024-25 season will take audiences on a bold adventure with new ideas and collaborations and the return of the ever-popular Concerts by Candlelight and Concerts for a Summer’s Night tours. 

Collaborating with creative minds to blur the boundaries between genres and artforms is a hallmark of Scottish Ensemble. In The Law of Gravity (February 2025 – Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow) Scottish Ensemble collaborate with master puppeteer Mark Down and his team at Blind Summit to explore what puppetry can reveal about music.

Performances of Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night and Philip Glass’ Symphony No. 3, will breathe life into the puppet, fleetingly revealing the composer’s intentions, ambitions and ideas. Blind Summit are a cohort of puppet makers and puppeteers, who have contributed to the creation of some of the most extraordinary spectacles of recent years: from the giant storybook characters in the opening ceremony of London’s 2012 Olympic Games to critically acclaimed productions of War Horse and Pinocchio. 

Following a memorable performance during Celtic Connections 2024, Donald Grant and Scottish Ensemble once again join forces to revel in the joy of making music together (April 2025 – Edinburgh, Inverness, Aberdeen, Findhorn). Featuring traditional and contemporary string music that bridges genres and tells of life in the Highlands, through Donald’s new work Thuit an Oidhche Oirnn (The Night Overtook Us). 

The 2024-25 season begins with Resound (September 2024 – Arran, Kirkcudbright, Perth, Mull, Seil, Glasgow), an intimate guided listening experience that journeys through five centuries of mind-expanding music.

Curated by Scottish Ensemble’s violist Andrew Berridge the works performed will explore how music can transport and inspire, lifting spirits and strengthening connections.

Music has the power to improve wellbeing and Resound complements Scottish Ensemble’s Music for Wellbeing programme. 2024-25 will see the continuation of a long-term partnership with Maggie’s,, whose centres support people who are affected by cancer, and further partnerships with schools across Scotland to support young people’s mental health. 

Scottish Ensemble has a proven track record of commissioning works from a new generation of composers – and during this year’s Concerts by Candlelight tour (December 2024 – Perth, Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dunblane) performs the world premiere of a new work by Hannah Kendall.

Hannah’s music has been performed across the world, and she share’s Scottish Ensemble’s collaborative spirit, often working with visual artists, choreographers, and poets. This piece marks the second composition supported by Scottish Ensemble’s Calder Commissioning Fund, created through a transformative donation, made in memory of Scottish Ensemble’s late founder John Calder.  

Scottish Ensemble’s work with a new generation of musicians also continues with its Young Artists programme, in partnership with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. As well as supporting talented young string players through a week-long residency in January, selected Young Artists are offered the opportunity to join one of the ensemble’s Scottish tours as a performer in 2025. 

Singer and composer Héloïse Werner features as both soloist and composer in Concerts for a Summer’s Night (June 2025 – Perthshire, Strathpeffer, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee). Words and music will take flight in a vibrant end to the season in light-filled venues across Scotland. 

In addition, Scottish Ensemble head to London to perform at the opening weekend of the Southbank Centre’s 2024-25 classical season, with a dynamic programme, that includes Philip Glass’ meditative Symphony No. 3  and explores new musical paths and connections.  

in Sync, the acclaimed collaboration with MishMash Productions, also heads south with performances at the Southbank Centre and Nottingham. Further events in Scotland include a special project with Sonica at the Burrell Collection and a concert as part of RCS’s Fridays at One lunchtime series.                         

For full details visit https://scottishensemble.co.uk/whats-on/ 

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