60 SECOND INTERVIEW

evocative solo sixth movement, Appel Interstellaire.

The International Festival comes to a resplendent and explosive close with the dazzling pyrotechnics of the Virgin Money Fireworks Concert, conducted by Clark Rundell. With special guest artists, we celebrate the Leonard Bernstein centenary with a specially chosen selection of his foot-tapping, flamboyant music as well as Holst’s visionary The Planets. The day kicks off with a concert exclusively for Primary 7 pupils, then join us in the evening for one of the biggest fireworks concerts in the world! For full details of this year’s International Festival, please visit eif.co.uk. ––––––Our Summer Season comes to a close in September (13 – 16), with concerts in St Andrews, Hamilton, Dumfries and finally, as part of this year’s Lammermuir Festival, Haddington. Cristian Măcelaru conducts Mozart, Prokofiev and Beethoven, and clarinettist Mark Simpson makes his SCO debut in Nielsen’s stormy Concerto. Simpson will be Artist in Residence at Lammermuir this year; on 22 September he directs SCO Wind Soloists in Mozart’s great Serenade for 13 Winds, the ‘Gran Partita’, as well as Geysir, his own work written for the same forces. For more details of Lammermuir Festival please visit lammermuirfestival.co.uk

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SECOND INTERVIEW WILLIAM STAFFORD

Krommer isn’t often performed, never mind a Double Clarinet Concerto! What a treat this sounds – will it be? I am hugely looking forward to playing the Krommer on tour in June. He writes beautifully for the two clarinets and the music is full of fun and playfulness. Of course, playing alongside Maxi as a soloist is just a dream!

You have inspired so many young people through SCO Connect. What do you share with young people that helps them build their confidence? I love working with young people and find their vivid imaginations and willingness to explore very energising. I have particularly enjoyed working on Soundmoves – a project linking music and movement, and The Snail and the Whale – a day combining music, storytelling and marine ecology, Another project that is very close to my heart is ReConnect – interactive music-making with dementia patients. SCO Connect is a tremendous force in my life, drawing together many different strands of interest and weaving them into some wonderful projects and I am sincerely thankful for the Connect programme.

You play lots of other instruments in the Orchestra, not just the B-flat clarinet. Tell us about these instruments? That’s true. I feel very lucky to get to play lots of different instruments in the orchestra. I secretly find the low notes of the bass clarinet the most civilised! And I’m very much looking forward to playing basset horn in the Mendelssohn Concert Pieces with Maxi in December. Lots in the pipeline! ––––––Hear William and Maxi perform the Krommer Concerto in Thurso, Inverness and Dunblane, 14-16 June 2018 and Mendelssohn Concert Pieces in Edinburgh and Glasgow, 6-7 December 2018