Latest news with #ScottishChamberOrchestra
Daily Record
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Scottish Chamber Orchestra bringing Rossini and Schubert to Airdrie Town Hall stage
Conducted by the dynamic Jakob Lehmann, the programme opens with 'Overture to The Barber of Seville' by Gioachino Rossini. Cracking classical music will fill the air with joy at Airdrie Town Hall next month. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) is bringing the note-perfect Rossini and Schubert to the stage on August 27. Conducted by the dynamic Jakob Lehmann, the programme opens with Overture to The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini, a masterpiece of bustling brilliance and comedic flair. The spotlight then turns to SCO's celebrated principal clarinet, Maximiliano Martin as he takes centre stage for Spohr's Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in E-flat, Op. 57 - a lyrical gem of the Romantic era full of passion and virtuosity. The concert concludes with Schubert's Symphony No. 2 in B-flat, a youthful and exuberant work brimming with lyrical beauty and rhythmic vitality - and an uplifting finale to a night of musical elegance. The concert is kindly supported by Eriadne & George Mackintosh, Claire & Anthony Tait, and The Jones Family Charitable Trust. It starts at 7.30pm and tickets are priced £20 for adults, £10 for people with disabilities, with their carer going free, £6 for under 26, unwaged and students, and no charge for under 18s (under 16s must be accompanied by an adult). *Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
The Herald Scotland
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
A fitting end to the East Neuk Festival
Bowhouse, St Monans More usually it is the job of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra to close the East Neuk Festival at the Bowhouse, but that task has gone to an agglomeration of string quartets this year, so this marvellous menu of melodic orchestral music opened the programme, and the surprisingly fine acoustic of the big farm shed seemed even more startling as a result. At the heart of the concert was Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with Edinburgh's international guitar star Sean Shibe as the soloist. The work is not just the only guitar concerto everyone knows but has one of the most familiar openings of any concerto, one that immediately suggests the start of both the finale and the beautiful Adagio theme the soloist shares with the orchestra's cor anglais. Read More: Shibe's guitar was subtly amplified with a microphone and small PA to assure its place in the balance, and his relaxed, virtuosic playing – he must already have performed the piece countless times – was always clear but never over-dominant. Conductor Andrew Manze's sympathetic shaping of the music, ensuring that every detail of conversation between the guitar and the other players was heard, was just as essential to what was an immaculate account of the work. Manze brought the same expansive approach to Schubert's Symphony No 6 after the interval, his realisation of the variations of tempi and dynamics in the slow movement and following Scherzo bringing out all the symphony's youthful drama. His startlingly light touch in the finale emphasised its pastoral feel, which echoed the less well-known piece that had opened the concert. Lars-Erik Larsson is a 20th century contemporary of Rodrigo, and the Swede's Pastoral Suite, from immediately before the Second World War, is a three-movement concerto for orchestra of enormous charm. The SCO strings were on stellar form from the start, and its central Romance has lush scoring that invites comparison with Barber's Adagio and Mahler Five. The lively conclusion, featuring Andre Cebrian's flute and rhythmic pizzicato low strings, sounded close kin to the best mid-20th century British film scores. The 2025 East Neuk Festival had a memorable start, before the SCO played a note, when fiddler Donald Grant entered from the back of the barn and walked through the audience to preface Manze and Shibe's appearance onstage. That atmospheric opening trailed his playing in St Fillan's Cave in Pittenweem at the weekend when he and SCO cellist Su-a Lee soundtrack a new video installation by Andy McGregor.
Scotsman
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
SCO & Sean Shibe, East Neuk Festival review: 'tenderness and intimacy'
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... SCO & Sean Shibe, Bowhouse, St Monans ★★★★ With oystercatchers whirling above the heads of concertgoers as they arrived, and housemartins flitting back and forth to nests in the evening's venue, nature felt gloriously close at the East Neuk Festival's opening concert in St Monans' cavernous Bowhouse. There was a bracingly outdoor, authentic feel to the music inside too – kicked off in semi-ceremonial style with fiddler Donald Grant delivering a gradually coalescing tune while processing through the large and enthusiastic audience. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Andrew Manze | Chris Christodoulou Grant's tune felt like the natural upbeat to the sometimes rustic sounds of Larsson's Pastoral Suite, which opened the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and conductor Andrew Manze's buoyant programme – Manze virtually caressed the music into being, though the skittering melodies were punchy and the central Romance's strings offered a wonderfully gilded, velvety sound, all the more pronounced in the Bowhouse's rich acoustics. If there was tenderness and intimacy in Manze's opener, there was even more in guitarist Sean Shibe's remarkably crisp, nuanced account of Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez. Not that Shibe didn't deliver on the piece's flamboyant fingerwork and fiery rhythms, but he teased apart intertwined lines and shaped phrases with microscopic detail, all the while ensuring the music felt fresh and spontaneous – and, most importantly, played deeply from the heart. Sean Shibe | Iga Gozdowska SCO cor anglais player Katherine Brymer made for a particularly sonorous, soulful partner in the concert's heartrending slow movement, matching Shibe's sense of freedom and warmth. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Scotsman
24-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Edinburgh's new concert hall handed million dollar grant by Andrew Carnegie foundation
Edinburgh's first purpose-built new concert hall for more than a century is to benefit from the fortune left by Scottish industrialist Andrew Carnegie. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... His philanthropic foundation Carnegie Corporation of New York has made a $1 million grant - £735,000 - towards the Dunard Centre, which is set to be built on the recently cleared site behind the historic Royal Bank of Scotland building in St Andrew Square. The news comes as a new report projects the 1,000-seater venue will generate £170 million in gross value added in first 20 years and boost tourism spending by £8.6m each year. Work is due to start this summer and the new venue is expected to open in 2029. The Dunard Centre will be a 1,000-seat concert hall complete with a multi-purpose space, café and bar. | David Chipperfield Architects, Reiach and Hall Architects Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Dunard Centre - expected to cost at least £115 million - will provide a permanent home for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and a new venue for the Edinburgh International Festival. The Carnegie foundation, which is led by Dame Louise Richardson, former principal and vice-chancellor of St Andrews University, was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911, to manage the bulk of his philanthropic giving. He wanted it to 'promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding'. It is backed by an endowment valued at around $4.5 billion and between 2023 and 2024, it awarded grants totalling $174 million. The Dunard Centre, expected to open in 2029, will become the permanent home for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra | supplied Jo Buckley, chief executive of the Dunard Centre, said: 'We are hugely grateful for this grant, which recognises both the global significance of the Dunard Centre and the role it will play in enriching the lives of local people, by giving them greater access to the arts. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The money will help us develop and advance our engagement strategy, which is a vital element of our mission to create a 'Hall for All' here in Edinburgh. 'With a focus on supporting civic participation and socioeconomic mobility, we intend to build trusted relationships, design thoughtful creative engagement programmes, and establish the team that will bring this work to life when we open our doors in 2029. 'We look forward to the opportunity of exploring and sharing the parallels between the transformational philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie – and the mark this left upon the world –and the various ways civic society benefits from the provision of outstanding performance and lifelong engagement with music.' The centre is named after the Dunard Fund, an arts charity established by philanthropist Carol Colburn Grigor, which has contributed £35m toward the project. In total, the new concert hall has attracted record private donations of £80m. And it is backed by £25 million of public investment through Edinburgh's City Region Deal.
Daily Record
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Composer returns to his Ayrshire roots as part of Scottish Chamber Orchestra Summer tour
The orchestra is bringing world-class music to venues across Scotland and part of the Ayrshire region will be on the tour. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra has announced its annual Summer Tour- and for one composer it's a real homecoming to his Ayrshire roots. The orchestra is bringing world-class music to venues across Scotland and part of the Ayrshire region will be on the tour. And for former Cumnock Academy pupil, Jay Capperauld, it'll be his second year as SCO Associate Composer. Until August29 2025, the orchestra is bringing together a host of exceptional conductors and soloists to present world-class, live classical music to 20 remote Scottish locations From Kames in the West to Golspie in the North, the SCO Summer Tour aims to build relationships with local communities, put SCO musicians centre-stage and bring world-class concerts to audiences who might otherwise not be able to experience them. The 2024/25 season marks Jay Capperauld's second year as SCO Associate Composer. Following a season that included the world premiere of Bruckner's Skull and performances of three other works, the SCO will perform two newly commissioned pieces by Jay during the Summer Tour, including his Wind Dectet Carmina Gadelica. Gavin Reid, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, said: 'As we look ahead to summer 2025, we look forward to hitting the road once again and bringing the SCO's music to communities across Scotland. 'With our world-class musicians and a dynamic programme that truly showcases the depth of our orchestra, this tour promises to offer something for everyone. Whether it's your first concert or you're a long-time supporter, we can't wait to share the joy of live music with you all.' The SCO's Principal Guest Conductor Andrew Manze takes the Orchestra to Stirling (26 June), Dunoon (27 June), and Hawick (28 June) for a concert of timeless melodies including Larsson's Pastoral Suite, Mozart's Bassoon Concerto with SCO's very own Cerys Ambrose-Evans as soloist and concluding with Schubert's Symphony No. 6. Conductor Jakob Lehmann and SCO Principal Clarinettist Maximiliano Martín lead a romantic programme in Airdrie (27 August), Blair Atholl (28 August), and Inverness (29 August). The programme includes Rossini's Overture to The Barber of Seville, Spohr's Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in E-flat, and Schubert's Symphony No. 2 in B-flat. Conductor Adam Hickox leads a French Romantic programme with SCO Principal Flautist André Cebrián placing his instrument firmly in the spotlight. Touring to Kingussie (19 June), Golspie (20 June), and Findhorn (21 June). The programme features Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin, Ibert's Flute concerto, as well as Schubert's Symphony No. 5. Conductor Jonathan Bloxham takes the Orchestra to Hamilton (17 July), Castle Douglas (18 July), and Ayr (19 July) with a programme showcasing the Orchestra's versatility and artistry. The concert features the world premiere of Rewired, a dynamic new concerto for soprano saxophone and chamber orchestra written by Jay Capperauld, with Lewis Banks as soloist. The programme also includes symphonies by Haydn and Beethoven. The SCO Wind Soloists visit Kames (11 June), Kilmelford (12 June), Crianlarich (13 June) and Gartmore (14 June) with an intimate programme, featuring Carmina Gadelica, a vibrant new dectet by Jay Capperauld, who takes inspiration from Gaelic hymns, incantations and songs in his striking new work. The SCO Strings directed by Stephanie Gonley embark on a Summer Serenade which takes audiences on a journey through vibrant rhythms, tender romance and timeless beauty, with works including miniatures from Coleridge-Taylor's Novelletten and Piazzolla's The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. Sibelius's Rakastava (The Lover) and Dvořák's Serenade for Strings round off performances in Brechin (12 June), Fochabers (13 June), and Fortrose (14 June). Also over the summer period, the SCO takes to the stage at the East Neuk Festival for the Opening Concert (25 June). SCO Principal Guest Conductor Andrew Manze leads the celebrations with The East Neuk of Fife, followed by guitarist Sean Shibe performing Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez, perhaps the most famous piece ever written for guitar, before closing the concert with Schubert's joyful Symphony No 6. 18 and Under Go Free. Under 26s/students/Universal Credit £6. People with disabilities half price, essential companion goes free.
