Scottish Chamber Orchestra

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is one of Scotland’s five National Performing Arts Companies, and is internationally recognized as one of the finest chamber orchestras in the world. 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, East Neuk, St Magnus and Aldeburgh Festivals and the BBC Proms. Its busy touring schedule has recently included many European countries as well as India and the USA. The Orchestra receives support from the Scottish Government.

Robin Ticciati was appointed to the post of Principal Conductor in 2009 and he has recently committed to the Orchestra until 2018. Ticciati and the Orchestra have appeared together at the Edinburgh International Festival, have toured to Italy, Germany and Spain and undertook a further major pan-European tour in November 2012. Together they have released two recordings, Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique (2012) and Les nuits d’été & La mort de Cléopí¢tre (May 2013), both on Linn.

As part of the 40th Anniversary celebrations in 2014, the SCO will perform at two of Europe’s most prestigious classical concert venues — the Vienna Musikverein and Salzburg’s Mozarteum (which will also be the Orchestra’s first appearance at the renowned Mozartwoche festival). The SCO will then undertake a major tour to the Far East with Robin Ticciati and Maria Joí£o Pires which includes performances at the Hong Kong Arts Festival and concerts in Japan and Korea.

Current SCO Associate Artists include conductor/keyboardist Richard Egarr and director/violinist Alexander Janiczek, appointed in 2011, and mezzo soprano Karen Cargill, appointed in 2013. All perform regularly with the Orchestra during its concert season, in the recording studio, on tour and in festival appearances.

The SCO’s long-standing relationship with its Conductor Laureate, the late Sir Charles Mackerras, resulted in many exceptional performances and recordings, including two multi award-winning discs of Mozart symphonies (Linn Records).

The SCO has strong relationships with many eminent guest conductors including Conductor Emeritus Joseph Swensen, Olari Elts, John Storgí¥rds, Louis Langrée, Oliver Knussen and Emmanuel Krivine; soloist/directors include Christian Zacharias and Piotr Anderszewski.

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, Judith Weir, Sally Beamish, Karin Rehnqvist, Lyell Cresswell, Haflií°i Hallgrí­msson, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Stuart MacRae, the late Edward Harper and Martin Suckling, who is now SCO Associate Composer.

The SCO has led the way in music education with a unique programme of projects. SCO Connect provides workshops for children and adults across Scotland and has attracted interest and invitations from overseas.

The Orchestra broadcasts regularly and has a discography now exceeding 150 recordings.