"No other British symphony orchestra knows the colours, densities, textures and tonal networks of modern music better than the BBC SSO, or can bring them more explosively to life than these players are able to do."
-Conrad Wilson, The Herald
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is the BBC's classical music radio orchestra in Scotland.
Founded as the BBC Scottish Orchestra in 1935 by the Scottish composer and conductor Ian Whyte, it developed a strong profile supporting the BBC Symphony Orchestra in the UK and abroad, performing regularly at the BBC Proms, the Edinburgh and Cheltenham festivals. Every season, it tours Scotland extensively, bringing orchestral classical music to the smaller provincial towns as well as the larger cities. It also has a recording contract with Hyperion Records.
Since January 2003, the orchestra's Chief Conductor is the Israeli-born Ilan Volkov, the youngest ever chief conductor of any BBC orchestra. In 2006 the orchestra returned to its home, the Glasgow City Hall, which had undergone several years of restoration and refurbishment.Jonathan Harvey is the BBC SSO's Composer in Association. In September 2007, the orchestra announced that Volkov is scheduled to step down from his post in September 2009.In October 2007, the orchestra announced that Donald Runnicles will become their next Chief Conductor in September 2009, for an initial contract of 3 years.
Remarks: Tickets for Concert by BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra are available now!