About us
Principal Conductor Designate: Maxim Emelyanychev
Principal Guest Conductor: Emmanuel Krivine
Conductor Emeritus: Joseph Swensen
Associate Composer: Anna Clyne
Chorus Director: Gregory Batsleer
Founded in 1974, the internationally renowned Scottish Chamber Orchestra is made up of a unique collection of world-class musicians who inspire and connect with people of all ages. The SCO’s mission is to transform and enhance lives and communities throughout Scotland and beyond, through the power of inspirational music-making.
Bringing superb live music to thousands of people every year, the SCO regularly tours the length and breadth of Scotland and around the world, as a proud ambassador for Scottish cultural excellence. In recent years, the Orchestra has travelled throughout Europe, Asia, India, and the USA.
One of Scotland’s five National Performing Companies, the SCO receives funding from the Scottish Government. The SCO makes a significant contribution to Scottish life both on the concert platform and beyond, working in schools, universities, hospitals, care homes, places of work and community centres through the Orchestra’s creative learning programme.
The SCO presents regular winter concert seasons in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, St Andrews and
(with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Royal Scottish National Orchestra) Perth. It also undertakes many engagements throughout Scotland including an annual Summer tour to Scotland’s towns and villages.
The Orchestra is committed to the creation and performance of new music and It enjoys close relationships with many leading composers, having commissioned more than 150 new works. These include pieces by Sir James MacMillan, Judith Weir, Sally Beamish, Karin Rehnqvist, Lyell Cresswell, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Toshio Hosokawa, John MacLeod, Rolf Martinsson, Lotta Wennäkoski, Tom Harrold, Hafliði Hallgrímsson, Martin Suckling and the SCO’s Associate Composer, Anna Clyne.