SCO NEWS

rOy mCewAn’s suCCessOr AnnOunCed

Welcome to Gavin Reid who becomes our new Chief Executive from 29 August 2016.

Gavin was born in Edinburgh and played trumpet in the European Community Youth Orchestra before being appointed Principal Trumpet with Manchester Camerata in 1989. In 2002 he was appointed General Manager of Manchester Camerata and was one of the first Fellows on the Clore Leadership Programme. In 2006 he became Director of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBC SSO).

During his time there he has appointed a world-class team of conductors; created a special partnership with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS); and consolidated the BBC SSO in its new home in City Halls, Glasgow. He has also been successful with commercial recordings, music festivals and touring.

Speaking about his appointment, Gavin says, “I am enormously thrilled to take up this post after 10 wonderful years at the BBC SSO. I am passionate about music and the extraordinary opportunities it can offer to everyone. I am particularly excited by the crucial and influential role that the SCO plays within Scotland and I look forward to working closely with players, staff, artists and all of the SCO’s supporters to build on the fantastic achievements of recent years, as led by Roy McEwan.”

Roy will hand over to Gavin during the summer before he fully retires on Monday 29 August at the Virgin Money Fireworks Concert which now symbolises the ‘changing of the guard’. On Gavin’s appointment, Roy comments, “I have no doubt that Gavin will bring great experience, flair and devotion to the next stage of the SCO’s story. He is joining a wonderful orchestra full of talented and committed musicians and staff and I wish him well in taking them forward.”

We are all really looking forward to working with Gavin to build on our creative relationships, develop our creative learning and grow our profile as a cultural ambassador for Scotland. summer COnCerts

As we tour the length and breadth of Scotland in the summer months, connecting with as many communities as we can, what is it that makes these concerts so special?

Making music is such an intense experience. Being away from home has its challenges in one sense, but travelling together as an Orchestra brings so many other rewards both on and off the concert platform. One such reward is the time we have together while travelling and staying overnight. Becoming a tighter ‘family’ means we understand each other better, take more risks with our playing and therefore make even better music than ever.

Venturing intO the unknOwn... No matter which venues we travel to, there are always questions to be answered to build our local knowledge. Is the stage area wide enough to fit the whole orchestra in Blair Castle? How will we set up the stage area in the basketball court in Kingussie? Will the B&B in Callander still be serving sandwiches after the concert? What’s the new Crêperie in Findhorn like? Will our truck fit through the gate at Lanark

we are thrilled to play in the ballroom at Blair Castle for the second year in a row on saturday 6 August. last year the statues of Atholl soldiers joined us (they couldn’t be moved) and people came from all around including nearby villages and farms, and the local campsite.

Memorial Hall? As you can imagine, there is a great sense of adventure (and on occasion, a small amount of anxiety)!

lOCAl herOes… Another reward is the number of friends we continue to make across Scotland. They let us in on local secrets, decorate the town and village shops with our posters, provide help with accommodation and meals, or organise interval drinks for the audience. They inform the local music teachers and school music departments about the concerts and encourage students to come along (some under 18s get free tickets!). These friends, and there are too many to name, are our local heroes. We can’t thank them enough for all the support they have provided over the years. JOin in… The people we meet in the communities have become part of who we are and make our summer concerts so special.

And you can get involved:

1. If you attend our concerts in our cities, consider catching up with us one evening in the countryside. For example, plan a visit to Nardini’s Café in Largs, then stroll along to the seaside pavilion – The

Barrfields Theatre – for our evening concert on Saturday 28

May.

2. Send our list of concerts to your friends and family around

Scotland – most people attend a concert because of a personal recommendation. A full list of our concerts is available on the back page or at www.sco.org.uk. You can also download a poster for each concert from the website.

3. If you spot a concert close to where you live, give us a call or send an email if you can help out. That may be with publicity (delivering a few fliers or hanging posters), or if you need materials to help inform local groups, or if you can help on the night of the concert with refreshments or selling programmes. Every small contribution is a great help.

4. Look for our events on

Facebook and share them.

rOBin updAte

Our Principal Conductor Robin Ticciati has had to withdraw from several months of work after suffering from a herniated disc in February. He underwent successful surgery in March and is now at home in London, taking time to ensure he makes a full recovery. We look forward to welcoming Robin back to Scotland in August for our Edinburgh International Festival performance of Berlioz’s Roméo & Juliette followed by our Season opening of Mozart’s Last Symphonies in Perth, Edinburgh and Glasgow, proudly sponsored by Baillie Gifford.

it’s A girl!

SCO Cellist Eric de Wit and SCO Violinist Rachel Smith are thrilled to let you know that they welcomed baby Nora Miryam into the world on Sunday 20 March. She was 9lb 12oz and 59cm at birth. All three family members are doing very well.

eric, rachel and nora sCO COnneCt

April brings change for the SCO Connect team. Lucy Forde has now finished in her role as SCO Connect Director and we wish her and her family all the very best for the future. We are delighted to welcome back Dr Kirsteen Davidson-Kelly who previously provided maternity cover. Kirsteen is a pianist and researcher who has collaborated with composers, dancers, physical theatre practitioners, visual artists and filmmakers – both as a performer and through creative education projects within diverse communities and internationally.

wester hAiles residenCy In January 2016, we began a residency project in Wester Hailes, Edinburgh at Canal View and Clovenstone Primary Schools. Matilda Brown, composer and workshop leader, Ana Almeida, a specialist in early years’ musical movement, and SCO musicians including Eric de Wit, Emily Dellit Imbert and Su-a Lee led five music and movement workshops in each school. The children were very enthusiastic about trying out instruments, responding to sounds through movement and creating new music in collaboration with the team. The workshops culminated in an informal performance where children were able to share their work with their classmates, parents and teachers. Amanda Carmichael, teacher at Canal View Primary School said, “The children have really become a lot more focussed in class since this project and are working together more. Those that are quiet in the classroom really came out of their shells through the music and this was lovely to see. The children have loved this and have learned so much. Honestly, the five weeks doesn’t seem like enough time.” The residency continues with creative workshops for pre-school children and their parents and carers.

win £250

250 sOCiety Please join us in congratulating recent winners of our 250 Society draw who each won £250.

January 2016 – Janet Monfries February 2016 – Elaine Ross March 2016 – Eon Grindlay April 2016 – Peter Swarbrick

It costs just £5 a month to become a member of the SCO’s 250 Society and be in with a chance of winning a monthly prize of £250. All proceeds go towards funding the work of SCO Connect. To join, simply download the SCO 250 Society membership form at www.sco.org.uk/support-us or contact Adam James on 0131 478 8344. Kindly supported by Ponton House Trust, Jean Fraser Charitable Trust, Bank of Scotland Foundation and The Stevenston Charitable Trust

rAttrAy primAry sChOOl residenCy Our residency in Rattray Primary School in Perthshire is coming to the end of its first year. To mark the occasion, children will be showcasing the work they have developed with Matilda Brown and SCO musicians in a performance on Monday 16 May in the NorieMiller Studio, Perth Concert Hall for pupils, teachers and parents.

Kindly supported by The Robertson Trust, The Plum Trust and Paterson Logan Charitable Trust

edinBurgh internAtiOnAl BOOk FestiVAl (eiBF) Following a very successful collaboration around The Crocodiamond Family Concert, we will be working with EIBF again in August. SCO players Alison Mitchell and Gordon Bragg will join author and illustrator Debi Gliori for the Big Draw event on 21 August and a Storybox event for schools on 30 August.

student Collective on stage at usher hall

student COlleCtiVe

Our Student Collective provides opportunities for students to gain practical experience of working with an orchestra. This Season we have been working with Chenxin Xie (Strathclyde University), Vivek Santayana and Niklas Hamström (University of Edinburgh).

Niklas and Vivek have been creating links with student radio stations and publications and represented the SCO at the University Freshers’ Fair. Niklas organised a tour at the Usher Hall, providing students the opportunity to feel what it’s like to stand on stage and have a sneak peek backstage at our musicians warming up. Chenxin has been active on social media, promoting SCO concerts. She has also set up links with many societies on campus including ‘The Strathclyde Chinese Students and Scholars Association’, helping us bring our music to new audiences. Niklas (University of Edinburgh) added that ,“The SCO work placement has given me valuable insight into the running of the orchestra and the functioning of the marketing department. One of the most enjoyable experiences has been the time in the office; getting to know the staff and feeling like a part of the organisation.”

COnneCt students Anita Okienko, a 3rd year BA (Hons) Popular Music student at Edinburgh Napier University, volunteered as a Student Tutor on our SCO VIBE course in 2015. Along with animateur Paul Griffiths, a team of SCO and freelance musicians and two other Student Tutors, Anita worked with young musicians aged 11 to 18. Anita talks about her experience of SCO VIBE and how it inspired her to follow her passion to teach.

“The main challenge for me was the transition between being a student to becoming a teacher – I had to be confident enough, make responsible decisions and decide on the creative outcome of any activity. One day

the pupils came up with fantastic lyrics which we later used in one of the orchestra’s compositions. “It was incredibly rewarding to see this great bunch of aspiring musicians having so much fun, interacting with each other and learning new skills. The feeling when you start noticing your contribution towards a child’s education is impossible to describe – so heart-warming. This experience definitely confirmed to me that I want to become the best teacher I possibly can.”

SCO VIBE is delivered in partnership with Drake Music Scotland and City of Edinburgh Council. For more information on the Student Collective please contact connect@sco.org.uk

prOgrAmme ChAnge

A CELEBRATIONOF SCOTLAND’S MUSICAL HERO Thursday 1 December, Edinburgh Friday 2 December, Glasgow

Sadly Sir Peter Maxwell Davies was unable to write his Accordion Concerto which we had commissioned for these concerts. Instead we are delighted to be joined by Cellist William Conway who will perform Maxwell Davies’ Strathclyde Concerto No 2. This work, which is as lyrical as anything he wrote, was originally written for William Conway when he was our Principal Cellist. He first performed it with the SCO in February 1989.

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seCOnd interView MARCuS BARCHAM STEvENS

we’re looking forward to you joining the Orchestra as principal second Violin in October. what do you enjoy about playing in a chamber orchestra? Thank you. I am excited about taking up the job with the SCO. I loved the two recent Brahms symphonies I played with the SCO, Brahms 3 with Robin Ticciati and Brahms 4 with Emmanuel Krivine. Close musical communication and interaction is what attracts me to chamber orchestras, as well as the repertoire, especially Baroque/Classical and 20th Century.

did you always want to be a violinist? Pretty much. From about the age of 10 I was bowled over by two recordings: Beethoven’s Violin Concerto by Arthur Grumiaux and Sibelius’ Violin Concerto by Christian Ferras, which made me want to be a violinist. Other things I have thought about being are a composer, going into the church or the Foreign Office.

how do you listen to music? Through a subscription to Digital Concert Hall, from the Berlin Philharmonie. Really excellent concerts are streamed online and there is an archive of historical concerts from 1966. Live musicmaking communicates so much more to me than “perfect” edited recordings.

we’re giving you a time machine. which period or moment in musical history would you travel to and why? Leipzig in the 1720s. Or more specifically, 1723-26 in the Thomaskirche. Imagine seeing Bach every Sunday conduct his latest cantata which he had just composed that week.