Scottish Chamber Orchestra: 2024-25 Preview
The Scottish Chamber Orchestra has announced its programme for the 2024-2025 Season. The orchestra, under Principal Conductor, Maxim Emelyanychev, has gone from strength to strength since their return to performing after the pandemic. After their successful 50th anniversary celebrations, next year’s programme continues to offer music with a wide appeal, featuring an eclectic range of composers, some innovative concert formats and world-class guest conductors and soloists.
Maxim conducts nine concerts in total. He get the season off to an exciting start on 26th September in an all-Dvorak programme with Steven Isserlis playing the ‘Cello Concerto.’ He also conducts Mozart’s ‘Great Mass in C minor’ on 3rd October and this year’s version of the popular ‘Baroque Inspirations’ the following week. Between December and February he conducts four concerts including, in December, Prokofiev’s ‘Violin Concerto No 2’ with Aylen Pritchin and Mozart’s ‘Oboe Concerto’ in February. At the end of the season, he returns with pianist Yeol Eum Son for Beethoven’s ‘Piano Concerto No 3’, and the final concert sees him reunite with Nicola Benedetti for Brahms’ ‘Violin Concerto’ in what is sure to be a sell-out performance.
New this season are three concerts billed as ‘New Dimensions – exploring New Sound Systems.’ An informal concert format - cabaret tables in the stalls and a DJ playing music in the foyer before the concert - is promised. The concerts on 31st October, 30th January and 13th March consist of new work, other contemporary pieces by established SCO collaborators, James MacMillan and Sally Beamish, and, perhaps unexpectedly, Britten’s ‘Young Apollo’ and Haydn’s Symphony No 88. Pekko Kuusisto conducts the third concert, and his popularity with his younger fans, who come out in force for his concerts, certainly indicates that there is an audience for contemporary music. However, I imagine that many older SCO regulars who enjoy new music and notice that Maxim and Andrew Manze are conducting the other two concerts will be encouraged to give the new format a try, even if, like me, they make a sedate early progress to the balcony beforehand, rather than linger with the DJ downstairs!
I was initially concerned that these concerts might corral all the new music - this has certainly not happened and there are new pieces in many other programmes, including two commissions from SCO Associate Composer, Jay Capperauld, and the intriguing Scottish Premiere of Georgian teenager, Tsotne Zédginidze’s ‘Symphony Number 1’.
Andrew Manze, just confirmed as the orchestra’s new Principal Guest Conductor, is in charge of three concerts including the Faure ‘Requiem’ with the SCO Chorus and Roderick Williams in February, while Pekka Kuusisto returns for his usual residency in March, playing Tchaikovsky’s ‘Violin Concerto’ and a Sunday matinee with friends. Audiences will be pleased to welcome back Ryan Bancroft, conducting Eric Lu in Grieg’s ‘Piano Concerto,’ Joana Carniero, conducting the New Year’s Day concert which includes excerpts from ‘Die Fledermaus’ and Bernstein’s ‘Wonderful Town’, Joseph Swensen in a Sibelius programme, Mark Wigglesworth with Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral Symphony’, François Leleux with Mozart and Strauss, and violinist, Lorenza Borrani, directing Mozart and Schumann.
The SCO Chorus under director Gregory Batsleer sing Bach’s ‘Christmas Oratorio’ (Cantatas 1-3) and Haydn’s ‘Nelson Mass’ (as well as Mozart’s ‘Great Mass in C minor’ and the Faure ‘Requiem’ already mentioned). Not to be missed is the Chorus’s Christmas concert ‘Silent Night” at Greyfriars Church – unaccompanied choral singing at its finest - book early! This year they return to Greyfriars in April with the SCO Strings for James MacMillan’s ‘Seven Last Words.’
I’m pleased to report that three Thursday matinees are again part of the SCO main season, with 2pm concerts featuring, in October, Anthony Marwood in Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s ‘Violin Concerto,’ in January, Rachel Podger with two of Bach’s ‘Brandenburg Concertos,’ and in April, François Leleux with Mozart and Strauss
Finally, it will be good to welcome a number of SCO Principals and Sub Principals as soloists in this season’s concerts, including Max Mandel, viola, Nikita Naumov, double bass, André Cebrián and Marta Gómez, flute, Maximiliano Martin and William Stafford, clarinet, and Cerys Ambrose-Evans, bassoon.
In no particular order, some ‘must-see’ recommendations from the 2024-2025 programme are:
Maxim conducting Dvorak’s ‘Cello Concerto’ with Steven Isserlis on 28th September
Bach’s ‘Christmas Oratorio’ on 28th November
Mark Wigglesworth conducting Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral Symphony’ and the UK premiere of Eötvös’s ‘Aurora for double bass solo with accordion’ with SCO double bassist, Nikita Naumov, on 20th March
Baroque Inspirations 2024, with Maxim conducting and playing harpsichord on 10th October.
For full programme details, including dates for concerts in Glasgow and other venues, pricing and booking, see 24 | 25 Season | Scottish Chamber Orchestra Please feel free to highlight your personal favourites in the comments section!
