Scottish Chamber Orchestra

During the summer months, the Orchestra tours extensively across Scotland, with regular visits to the South of Scotland, Highland and Islands and Central Scotland.

Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Principal Conductor: Robin Ticciati

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, Usher Hall and St Cuthbert's Parish Church), 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, South of Scotland and across the central belt. It appears regularly at the Edinburgh, St Magnus and Aldeburgh Festivals and the BBC Proms.

Its busy international touring schedule has recently included a multi-date of India, as well as perofrmingBelgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and the USA.

Robin Ticciati took up the role of Principal Conductor from the 2009/10 Season and will conduct eight concert weeks during the 2010/11 Season.

The SCO's long-standing relationship with Conductor Laureate, the late Sir Charles Mackerras, has resulted in many exceptional performances and recordings over the years, particularly at the Edinburgh International Festival where they 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 Kodaly and Bartok for Linn Records. Their recording of Mozart's last four symphonies (38-41) won numerous awards including a 2009 Classical BRIT award.

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 and Andrew Manze.

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, Haflidi Hallgrímsson, Einojuhani Rautavaara and Stuart MacRae.

The Orchestra plays a prominent role in the Edinburgh International 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 Connect provides workshops for children and adults across Scotland and has attracted interest and invitations from overseas.