BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBC SSO) is a broadcasting symphony orchestra based in Glasgow
, Scotland. One of five full-time orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC
), it is the oldest full-time professional orchestra in Scotland. The BBC SSO takes live music to towns and cities across Scotland every season, performs around Europe, and in recent years has toured in China, the USA and South America. It appears annually in Britain's most prestigious events including the BBC Proms and Edinburgh International Festival
, and performs at such festivals as the Cheltenham
, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and the St.Magnus Festival in Orkney. Broadcasting is still its primary duty, and all of its performances can be heard on the BBC’s radio and television services.
.
In 1938, the orchestra moved into its purpose built home at Studio One, in the newly opened Glasgow Studios, at Broadcasting House in Queen Margaret Drive. The newly formed Scottish Variety Orchestra (which became the BBC Scottish Radio Orchestra
in 1967) occupied Studio Two.
As one of the BBC’s many ensembles, the orchestra led a busy though sheltered life, broadcasting live at least five times a week from its studio and only occasionally allowed out. Throughout the war, the orchestra fulfilled 30 hours of broadcasts per week on the BBC Home and World Services. This meant live performances at any time of day or night, often broadcasting live to Latin America at half past one in the morning.
By the end of the war, during which the orchestra had been expanded in numbers, Whyte had brought it to a standard considered good enough for the newly established Edinburgh Festival
, at which it found itself propelled into the company of the Vienna and New York Philharmonics, appearing with soloists like Menuhin, Milstein and Schnabel. Since 1948, the BBC SSO has performed at the Festival on no less than 86 occasions.
Through the 1950s and 1960's, live studio broadcasting still dominated the orchestra's schedule, and there was little time in its schedule for public performances. Norman Del Mar
's arrival as Principal Conductor in 1960 began to change that situation. He led the BBC Scottish Orchestra’s first visit to The Proms in 1962, and through his efforts the orchestra was further expanded, necessitating a change of its title to "BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra" the following year. Del Mar's earliest projects included the UK premiere of Stockhausen's Gruppen, performed jointly in Glasgow with the Scottish National Orchestra, and it was his passion for contemporary music that laid the foundation for the BBC SSO’s long-standing commitment to new work. Then, as now, the orchestra’s indispensable support for Scottish composers found an important showcase in The Proms, the 1990 Premiere of James MacMillan’s The Confession of Isobel Gowdie
being perhaps the most celebrated example.
The last twenty years has seen the gradual emergence of the BBC SSO as a fully fledged ‘public’ orchestra, with foreign touring, commercial recordings and concerts all over the world consolidating its position as one of the cornerstones of Scottish musical life. It has seen steady artistic growth, especially under its most recent chief conductors: Jerzy Maksymiuk
, Osmo Vänskä
, Ilan Volkov
and now Donald Runnicles
.
At the beginning of January 2006 the BBC SSO moved from Broadcasting House, Glasgow - its base for nearly 70 years - to the fully refurbished Gewandhaus
-like City Halls in Glasgow, which is now the orchestra's permanent, administrative, performance and recording home. Famed for its fine acoustic, City Halls is being developed as a major centre for music performance and education.
From 2003 to 2009, the orchestra's Chief Conductor was Israel
i-born Ilan Volkov
, the youngest-ever chief conductor of any BBC orchestra. In October 2007, the orchestra announced the appointment of Edinburgh born Donald Runnicles
as its Chief Conductor in September 2009. Volkov took the title of principal guest conductor BBC SSO as of the 2009-2010 season, in parallel with the advent of Runnicles as chief conductor. In September 2015, the BBC SSO announced the extension of Runnicles' contract as chief conductor through 2015.
The British Royal Philharmonic Society
presented the BBC SSO with its award for Best Orchestra in 2002, and its then-chief conductor Ilan Volkov with the prize for Best Young Artist in 2004.
, with whom it has a long association. The orchestra has gathered 4 Gramophone Awards and a Grammy nomination for its commercial recordings.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland. One of five full-time orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
), it is the oldest full-time professional orchestra in Scotland. The BBC SSO takes live music to towns and cities across Scotland every season, performs around Europe, and in recent years has toured in China, the USA and South America. It appears annually in Britain's most prestigious events including the BBC Proms and Edinburgh International Festival
Edinburgh International Festival
The Edinburgh International Festival is a festival of performing arts that takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, over three weeks from around the middle of August. By invitation from the Festival Director, the International Festival brings top class performers of music , theatre, opera...
, and performs at such festivals as the Cheltenham
Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious meetings in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, and has race prize money second only to the Grand National...
, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and the St.Magnus Festival in Orkney. Broadcasting is still its primary duty, and all of its performances can be heard on the BBC’s radio and television services.
History
The BBC opened its Edinburgh studio in 1930, and decided to form its own full-time Scottish orchestra to complement BBC orchestras already established in London, Manchester and Wales. The BBC Scottish Orchestra was established as Scotland's first full-time orchestra on 1 December 1935 by the BBC's first head of music in Scotland, composer and conductor Ian WhyteIan Whyte
Ian Whyte may refer to:* Ian Whyte , Welsh actor and stuntman* Ian Whyte , Scottish conductor...
.
In 1938, the orchestra moved into its purpose built home at Studio One, in the newly opened Glasgow Studios, at Broadcasting House in Queen Margaret Drive. The newly formed Scottish Variety Orchestra (which became the BBC Scottish Radio Orchestra
BBC Scottish Radio Orchestra
The BBC Scottish Radio Orchestra was a light music broadcasting orchestra based in Glasgow, Scotland, maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation from 1940 until disbandment in 1981.-History:...
in 1967) occupied Studio Two.
As one of the BBC’s many ensembles, the orchestra led a busy though sheltered life, broadcasting live at least five times a week from its studio and only occasionally allowed out. Throughout the war, the orchestra fulfilled 30 hours of broadcasts per week on the BBC Home and World Services. This meant live performances at any time of day or night, often broadcasting live to Latin America at half past one in the morning.
By the end of the war, during which the orchestra had been expanded in numbers, Whyte had brought it to a standard considered good enough for the newly established Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
, at which it found itself propelled into the company of the Vienna and New York Philharmonics, appearing with soloists like Menuhin, Milstein and Schnabel. Since 1948, the BBC SSO has performed at the Festival on no less than 86 occasions.
Through the 1950s and 1960's, live studio broadcasting still dominated the orchestra's schedule, and there was little time in its schedule for public performances. Norman Del Mar
Norman Del Mar
Norman Del Mar CBE was a British conductor, horn player, and biographer. As a conductor, he specialized in the music of late romantic composers; including Edward Elgar, Gustav Mahler, and Richard Strauss. He left a great legacy of recordings of British music, in particular Elgar, Vaughan Williams,...
's arrival as Principal Conductor in 1960 began to change that situation. He led the BBC Scottish Orchestra’s first visit to The Proms in 1962, and through his efforts the orchestra was further expanded, necessitating a change of its title to "BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra" the following year. Del Mar's earliest projects included the UK premiere of Stockhausen's Gruppen, performed jointly in Glasgow with the Scottish National Orchestra, and it was his passion for contemporary music that laid the foundation for the BBC SSO’s long-standing commitment to new work. Then, as now, the orchestra’s indispensable support for Scottish composers found an important showcase in The Proms, the 1990 Premiere of James MacMillan’s The Confession of Isobel Gowdie
The Confession of Isobel Gowdie
The Confession of Isobel Gowdie is a work for large symphony orchestra by the Scottish composer James MacMillan.It is, according to the composer, a Requiem for one Isobel Gowdie, supposedly burnt as a witch in post-Reformation Scotland...
being perhaps the most celebrated example.
The last twenty years has seen the gradual emergence of the BBC SSO as a fully fledged ‘public’ orchestra, with foreign touring, commercial recordings and concerts all over the world consolidating its position as one of the cornerstones of Scottish musical life. It has seen steady artistic growth, especially under its most recent chief conductors: Jerzy Maksymiuk
Jerzy Maksymiuk
Jerzy Maksymiuk is a Polish orchestra conductor.Maksymiuk studied violin, piano, conducting and composition at the Warsaw Conservatory. In 1964 he won first prize in the Paderewski Piano Composition. Conducting soon became his principal career...
, Osmo Vänskä
Osmo Vänskä
Osmo Antero Vänskä is a Finnish conductor, clarinetist and composer.He started his musical career as an orchestral clarinetist with the Turku Philharmonic . He then became the principal clarinet of the Helsinki Philharmonic from 1977 to 1982...
, Ilan Volkov
Ilan Volkov
Ilan Volkov is an orchestral conductor. His father, Alexander Volkov, was a concert pianist of Ukrainian ancestry. His mother, Professor Shulamit Volkov of The School of Historical Studies in Tel Aviv University, is of German ancestry...
and now Donald Runnicles
Donald Runnicles
Donald Runnicles is a Scottish conductor who has worked extensively in other countries, particularly Germany and the USA....
.
At the beginning of January 2006 the BBC SSO moved from Broadcasting House, Glasgow - its base for nearly 70 years - to the fully refurbished Gewandhaus
Gewandhaus
Gewandhaus is a concert hall in Leipzig, Germany. Today's hall is the third to bear this name; like the second, it is noted for its fine acoustics. The first Gewandhaus was built in 1781 by architect Johann Carl Friedrich Dauthe. The second opened on 11 December 1884, and was destroyed in the...
-like City Halls in Glasgow, which is now the orchestra's permanent, administrative, performance and recording home. Famed for its fine acoustic, City Halls is being developed as a major centre for music performance and education.
From 2003 to 2009, the orchestra's Chief Conductor was Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i-born Ilan Volkov
Ilan Volkov
Ilan Volkov is an orchestral conductor. His father, Alexander Volkov, was a concert pianist of Ukrainian ancestry. His mother, Professor Shulamit Volkov of The School of Historical Studies in Tel Aviv University, is of German ancestry...
, the youngest-ever chief conductor of any BBC orchestra. In October 2007, the orchestra announced the appointment of Edinburgh born Donald Runnicles
Donald Runnicles
Donald Runnicles is a Scottish conductor who has worked extensively in other countries, particularly Germany and the USA....
as its Chief Conductor in September 2009. Volkov took the title of principal guest conductor BBC SSO as of the 2009-2010 season, in parallel with the advent of Runnicles as chief conductor. In September 2015, the BBC SSO announced the extension of Runnicles' contract as chief conductor through 2015.
The British Royal Philharmonic Society
Royal Philharmonic Society
The Royal Philharmonic Society is a British music society, formed in 1813. It was originally formed in London to promote performances of instrumental music there. Many distinguished composers and performers have taken part in its concerts...
presented the BBC SSO with its award for Best Orchestra in 2002, and its then-chief conductor Ilan Volkov with the prize for Best Young Artist in 2004.
Chief and Principal Conductors
- 2009–present: Donald RunniclesDonald RunniclesDonald Runnicles is a Scottish conductor who has worked extensively in other countries, particularly Germany and the USA....
- 2003-2009: Ilan VolkovIlan VolkovIlan Volkov is an orchestral conductor. His father, Alexander Volkov, was a concert pianist of Ukrainian ancestry. His mother, Professor Shulamit Volkov of The School of Historical Studies in Tel Aviv University, is of German ancestry...
- 1996-2002: Osmo VänskäOsmo VänskäOsmo Antero Vänskä is a Finnish conductor, clarinetist and composer.He started his musical career as an orchestral clarinetist with the Turku Philharmonic . He then became the principal clarinet of the Helsinki Philharmonic from 1977 to 1982...
- 1983-1993: Jerzy MaksymiukJerzy MaksymiukJerzy Maksymiuk is a Polish orchestra conductor.Maksymiuk studied violin, piano, conducting and composition at the Warsaw Conservatory. In 1964 he won first prize in the Paderewski Piano Composition. Conducting soon became his principal career...
- 1978-1980: Karl Anton RickenbacherKarl Anton RickenbacherKarl Anton Rickenbacher is a Swiss conductor.Rickenbacher studied at the Berlin Conservatory with Herbert von Karajan. He took part in master classes with Pierre Boulez. He was an assistant conductor at the Zürich Opera from 1966 to 1969. He served as first Kapellmeister of the Stadt Buhnen...
- 1971-1977: Christopher SeamanChristopher SeamanChristopher Seaman is a British conductor, the son of Albert Edward Seaman and Ethel Margery Seaman. He was educated at Canterbury Cathedral Choir School and The King's School, Canterbury, and later studied at King's College, Cambridge...
- 1965-1971: James LoughranJames LoughranJames Loughran CBE, DMus., FRNCM, FRSAMD is a Scottish conductor.-Early life:Educated at St Aloysius' College in Glasgow, Loughran conducted at school and afterwards, while studying economics and law...
- 1960-1965: Norman Del MarNorman Del MarNorman Del Mar CBE was a British conductor, horn player, and biographer. As a conductor, he specialized in the music of late romantic composers; including Edward Elgar, Gustav Mahler, and Richard Strauss. He left a great legacy of recordings of British music, in particular Elgar, Vaughan Williams,...
- 1946-1960: Ian WhyteIan Whyte (conductor)Ian Whyte was a Scottish conductor and composer, and founder of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.Born in Dunfermline, Whyte studied in London, and was a pupil of Stanford and Vaughan Williams at the Royal College of Music...
- 1935-1946: Guy WarrackGuy WarrackGuy Warrack was Scottish composer and conductor. From 1925-1935 he taught on the faculty of the Royal College of Music. From 1935-1946 he was principal conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and from 1948-1951 he was conductor for the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet...
Chief/Principal Guest Conductors
- 2009- Ilan Volkov
- 1989-1992 Takuo Yuasa
- 1986-1989 George Hurst
- 1983-1985 Vernon Handley
- 1981-1983 Sir Charles Groves
Assistant & Associate Conductors
- 1946-1948 Robert Irving
- 1948-1949 Harry Platts
- 1949-1951 John Hopkins
- 1952-1954 Alexander GibsonAlexander GibsonAlexander Gibson may refer to:* Alexander Gibson , botanist and forester in India* Alexander Gibson , Scottish conductor and music director* Alexander Gibson , Canadian industrialist...
- 1954-1956 Gerald Gentry
- 1957-1959 Colin DavisColin DavisSir Colin Rex Davis, CH, CBE is an English conductor. His repertoire is broad, but among the composers with whom he is particularly associated are Mozart, Berlioz, Elgar, Sibelius, Stravinsky and Tippett....
- 1959-1960 Bryden ThomsonBryden ThomsonBryden Thomson was a Scottish conductor.Bryden Thomson was born in Ayr. He led several British orchestras, including the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra and the Ulster Orchestra from 1977 to 1985...
- 1960-1962 James Lockhart
- 1962-1964 Bernard Keeffe
- 1964-1967 Graham Treacher
- 1968-1970 Christopher Seaman
- 1970-1972 Andrew DavisAndrew DavisAndrew Davis is the name of:* Andrew Jackson Davis , American spiritualist* Andy Davis , Washington Redskins player* Andrew Davis , American film director* Andrew M...
- 1973-1976 Christopher Adey
- 1977-1980 Simon RattleSimon RattleSir Simon Denis Rattle, CBE is an English conductor. He rose to international prominence as conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and since 2002 has been principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic ....
- 1983-1985 Nicholas Kraemer
- 1989-1991 Christopher Bell
- 1992-1996 Martyn Brabbins
Affiliated composers
- 1994-1998: Tan DunTan DunTan Dun is a Chinese contemporary classical composer, most widely known for his scores for the movies Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero.-Early life in China:...
(Associate Composer/Conductor) - 1999-2003: Stuart MacRae (Composer in Association)
- 2005-2007: Jonathan HarveyJonathan Harvey (composer)Jonathan Harvey is a British composer. He has held teaching positions at universities and music conservatories in Europe and the USA and is frequently invited to teach in summer schools around the world.-Life:...
(Composer-in-Association) - 2004-2006: Anna MeredithAnna MeredithAnna Meredith is a composer of acoustic and electronic work, musician and music educator. She is the eldest of three children in her family. Her father is a retired university teacher of journalism, and her mother works in picture restoration...
(Composer in Residence) - 2010 - Matthias PintscherMatthias PintscherMatthias Pintscher is a German composer and conductor. As a youth, he studied the violin and conducting....
(Artist-in-Association)
Recordings
As well as its regular live broadcasts and recordings for the BBC, and recordings for BBC Music Magazine, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra has recorded 98 commercial CD’s for labels including BIS, NMC and HyperionHyperion
-Computing:* Hyperion , an early portable computer* Hyperion Entertainment, a computer game producer* Hyperion Solutions, a business software company owned by Oracle* Hyperion, an IRC daemon previously used by the Freenode IRC network-In fiction:...
, with whom it has a long association. The orchestra has gathered 4 Gramophone Awards and a Grammy nomination for its commercial recordings.
- Jonathan HarveyJonathan Harvey (composer)Jonathan Harvey is a British composer. He has held teaching positions at universities and music conservatories in Europe and the USA and is frequently invited to teach in summer schools around the world.-Life:...
: Body Mandala - Anu Komsi (soprano), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ilan Volkov (conductor). Label: NMC - English Orchestral Songs – Christopher Maltman (baritone), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins (conductor), Adrian AdlamAdrian AdlamAdrian Adlam is a British violinist, conductor and music educator. He was educated at Westminster Abbey, Winchester College, Conservatoire Royale de Musique of Brussels and the Hochschule fur Musik, Hanover....
(leaderConcertmasterThe concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...
). Label: HyperionHyperion RecordsHyperion Records is an independent British classical record label.-History:The company was named after Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology. It was founded by George Edward Perry, widely known as "Ted", in 1980. Early LP releases included rarely recorded 20th century British music by...
.