2016:17
GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL
rsno.org.uk
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rsno.org.uk/SEASON1617
CELEBRATING
125 YEARS OF
SCOTLAND’S
NATIONAL
ORCHESTRA!
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
THE PIANO:
BEETHOVEN AND
PROKOFIEV
We’re 125 years young!
Join us as we celebrate this
exciting milestone in our
history with a stellar Season
of concerts.
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Beautiful music performed with
passion. Book now to hear five
world-class pianists perform
all five of Beethoven’s piano
concertos with the RSNO:
Paul Lewis (Sat 15 Oct), Lars
Vogt (Sat 10 Dec), Ingrid Fliter
(Sat 18 Feb), Jonathan Biss
(Sat 8 Apr) and Alice Sara Ott
(Sat 6 May). Plus don’t miss
the last two concerts in our
Prokofiev Piano Concerto Cycle
performed by the supremely
talented Nikolai Lugansky
(Sat 5 and Sat 12 Nov).
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SIBELIUS, BEETHOVEN
AND MAHLER
MAHLER THREE
Scotland’s National
Orchestra, Chorus and Junior
Chorus come together under
the baton of Music Director
Peter Oundjian for Mahler’s
glorious Third Symphony
(Sat 3 Jun).
Three of the world’s greatest
composers in the one concert?
Sublime! Join Principal Guest
Conductor Thomas Søndergård
as he takes us on a journey with
a trio of concerts, each featuring
music by these three masters
(Saturdays 22 Oct, 22 Apr and
27 May).
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SPECIAL PRE-TOUR
HIGHLIGHT
Enjoy a sneak preview before
we head off to the USA with
superstar Nicola Benedetti
(Thu 9 Mar).
THE PRINCIPAL
SPOTLIGHT
Don’t miss our wonderful
principals in the spotlight.
Principal Cello Aleksei Kiseliov
performs alongside worldrenowned cellist Giovanni
Sollima (Sat 19 Nov), Principal
Flute Katherine Bryan
performs Vaughan Williams’
beautiful The Lark Ascending
(Sat 4 Feb) and Principal Oboe
Adrian Wilson performs
Vaughan Williams’ gorgeous
Concerto for Oboe and Strings
(Sat 4 Mar).
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Under the Skin of series
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Katherine Bryan.
ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE
We’re delighted to welcome
our special Artists in
Residence: pianists Nikolai
Lugansky and Jonathan Biss,
and cellist Giovanni Sollima,
who join the Orchestra for
multiple performances,
including Under the Skin of
and chamber concerts.
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The Scottish Orchestra and Glasgow Choral Union with
conductor Mr Walter Wilkinson, The Dream of Gerontius,
St Andrew’s Hall, 13 Mar 1948
CONTENTS
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Conducting history
125: A look back over the years
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125
YEARS
YOUNG!
DEAR FRIENDS
I wish you the warmest welcome to the
RSNO’s 2016:17 Season.
From our modest beginnings back in 1891
to our international standing today, the
Orchestra’s focus has always been to perform
great music to the highest standard for you,
our audience.
This Season, as we celebrate our 125th
anniversary, we are delighted to continue
with that tradition. We have more of the
music you love, performed by the wonderful
musicians of the RSNO, alongside some of
the world’s most in-demand guest artists and
conductors. From the passion of Beethoven,
Tchaikovsky and Mahler, to the thrill of
our new anniversary commissions by Sally
Beamish, Martin Suckling and Gerald Barry,
there’s much to be excited about!
I hope you enjoy reading all about the new
Season and selecting your concerts. We look
forward to welcoming you to the Glasgow
Royal Concert Hall very soon.
Join us at 6.45pm before each
concert for our pre-concert talks.
Free to ticket holders.
Artist in Residence
Peter Oundjian
RSNO Music Director
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rsno.org.uk/SEASON1617
Timps being rescued after fire,
St Andrew’s Hall 26 Oct 1962
“There may be someone
in the audience who
may never have heard
an orchestra live. I try to
remember this every time
I step on stage – every
performance is a first.”
Lance Green : RSNO Associate Principal Trombone
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SEASON OPENER!
BENEDETTI PLAYS
TCHAIKOVSKY
NICOLA
BENEDETTI
BEETHOVEN PIANO
CONCERTO CYCLE
LEWIS PLAYS
THE EMPEROR
PAUL
LEWIS
BEETHOVEN
SEVEN
THOMAS
SØNDERGÅRD
PROKOFIEV PIANO
CONCERTO CYCLE
RACHMANINOV
THREE
NIKOLAI
LUGANSKY
SAT 8 OCT 2016 : 7.30PM
SAT 15 OCT 2016 : 7.30PM
SAT 22 OCT 2016 : 7.30PM
SAT 5 NOV 2016 : 7.30PM
Khachaturian
Waltz from Masquerade
Tchaikovsky
Violin Concerto
Rachmaninov
Symphony No2
Jörg Widmann
Con brio Scottish premiere
Beethoven
Piano Concerto No5 Emperor
Dvořák
Symphony No7
Peter Oundjian CONDUCTOR
Nicola Benedetti VIOLIN
Cristian Măcelaru CONDUCTOR
Paul Lewis PIANO
Mahler
Blumine
Mahler arr Britten
What the Wild Flowers Tell Me
from Symphony No3
Sibelius
Violin Concerto
Beethoven
Symphony No7
Liadov
The Enchanted Lake
Prokofiev
Piano Concerto No5
Prokofiev
Piano Concerto No1
Rachmaninov
Symphony No3
Thomas Søndergård
CONDUCTOR
Michael Tumelty
in conversation
with Peter Oundjian
Con brio means 'with brilliance',
and that’s exactly what British
pianist Paul Lewis will bring
to Beethoven’s epic Emperor
Concerto – the first in a yearlong Beethoven concerto cycle.
First, though, guest conductor
Cristian Măcelaru detonates
Jörg Widmann’s outrageous
little spoof of Beethoven, and
unleashes the raw energy of
Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony.
This tempestuous portrait
of a nation awakening to
freedom packs a serious
emotional punch.
Ursula Heidecker Allen
(RSNO Violin) in conversation
with Cristian Măcelaru
Eivind Gullberg Jensen
CONDUCTOR
Nikolai Lugansky* PIANO
“Breathtakingly supreme”:
that’s how The Daily Telegraph
described the playing of Dutch
violinist Janine Jansen, so
we’re thrilled to have her as
the soloist in Sibelius’ Violin
Concerto. It’s the icy but
passionate centrepiece of a
concert that begins in Mahler’s
Alpine meadows and ends
with RSNO Principal Guest
Conductor Thomas Søndergård
throwing caution to the
winds in Beethoven’s wildest
symphony; the uproarious
Seventh. Nothing prepares
you for the sheer thrill of
hearing it live in concert!
Deep in the Russian forests,
a mysterious breeze stirs the
waters. When guest conductor
Eivind Gullberg Jensen
works his magic anything’s
possible: whether it’s Liadov’s
old Russian fairy tales or
Rachmaninov’s glittering
Third Symphony – a song of
longing for a lost world, with
tunes to die for and a big-band
swing. Or, most spectacular of
all, the great Russian virtuoso
Nikolai Lugansky throwing
everything he has – and then
some – at Prokofiev’s showstopping piano concertos
in our anniversary cycle.
Janine Jansen VIOLIN
The start of a new season is
always a big occasion, and
for this one we’re bringing
together our Music Director
Peter Oundjian, Nicola
Benedetti and three pieces
that simply overflow with
emotion. As vast as Russia
and as passionate as a lovesong, Rachmaninov’s Second
Symphony might just be the
most romantic symphony ever
written. Tchaikovsky’s Violin
Concerto, meanwhile has both
poetry and fireworks. With
Scotland’s best-loved violinist
as soloist, it’ll light up the sky!
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Manus Carey
(RSNO Executive Producer)
in conversation with
Thomas Søndergård
Ursula Heidecker Allen
(RSNO Violin) in conversation
with Eivind Gullberg Jensen
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Closing concert with Sir Alexander Gibson,
Carnegie Hall, USA Tour 1982
Aleksei Kiseliov
RSNO Principal Cello,
performing with Giovanni
Sollima Sat 19 Nov
“Aleksei’s performance
was seamless. You
can’t get better than
that. No acting, no
acrobatics but the cello
played at its very best.
Not surprisingly the
audience adored it…”
Barnaby Miln : Edinburgh Guide
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PROKOFIEV PIANO
CONCERTO CYCLE
MAHLER ONE
JOHN
STORGÅRDS
DVOŘÁK CELLO
CONCERTO
GIOVANNI
SOLLIMA
VERDI REQUIEM
ELIZABETH
DeSHONG
BEETHOVEN PIANO
CONCERTO CYCLE
VOGT PLAYS
BEETHOVEN
LARS
VOGT
SAT 12 NOV 2016 : 7.30PM
SAT 19 NOV 2016 : 7.30PM
SAT 3 DEC 2016 : 7.30PM
SAT 10 DEC 2016 : 7.30PM
Einar Englund
Suite from Pojat
Scottish premiere
Prokofiev
Piano Concerto No3
Mahler
Symphony No1
Giovanni Sollima
Violoncelles, vibrez!
Scottish premiere
Dvořák
Cello Concerto
Shostakovich
Symphony No5
Verdi
Requiem
Kodály
Dances of Galánta
Beethoven
Piano Concerto No4
Rachmaninov
Symphonic Dances
John Storgårds CONDUCTOR
Nikolai Lugansky* PIANO
Omer Meir Wellber CONDUCTOR
Giovanni Sollima* CELLO
Aleksei Kiseliov CELLO
Edgaras Montvidas TENOR
Alexander Vinogradov BASS
RSNO Chorus
Maher’s First Symphony begins
with the creation of the world
itself. From breathless opening
to heaven-storming finish, it’s
one of those pieces that you
simply have to hear live – and
a stunning way to follow the
diamond-toothed brilliance
of Prokofiev’s Third Piano
Concerto, which completes
our Prokofiev anniversary
cycle with Nikolai Lugansky.
John Storgårds conducts, and
shares a delightful film-score
discovery – Finland’s answer
to The Great Escape?
For Dmitri Shostakovich, his
Fifth Symphony wasn’t just a
matter of life and death – it
was more important than that.
In the hands of dynamic guest
conductor Omer Meir Wellber,
it’s one of 20th century
music’s most unforgettable
experiences. And talking of
unforgettable, meet Giovanni
Sollima. There’s no-one quite
like this Italian cello sensation,
whether going solo in Dvořák’s
gorgeous Concerto, or teaming
up with the RSNO’s own
Aleksei Kiseliov for his jawdropping cello love-in, vibrez!
John Whitener
(RSNO Principal Tuba)
Aleksei Kiseliov
(RSNO Principal Cello)
This concert is dedicated to the RSNO’s
Circle members in acknowledgment of
their generous support.
Carlos Miguel Prieto
CONDUCTOR
Evelina Dobračeva SOPRANO
Elizabeth DeShong
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MEZZO-SOPRANO
Rafael Payare CONDUCTOR
Lars Vogt PIANO
Drums thunder, trumpets blast,
and a mighty chorus yells out
in terror: Verdi’s Requiem isn’t
exactly what you expect from
religious music! But it’s exactly
what you’d expect from the
grand master of Italian opera
– and it’s 125 years since
it received its first Scottish
performance. Conductor
Carlos Miguel Prieto directs
an all-star cast, an expanded
RSNO, and our superb RSNO
Chorus, so hold on to your
seats as we turn the volume
up to 11.
Few pianists understand
Beethoven more profoundly
than Lars Vogt, so we’re thrilled
that he joins the Orchestra to
perform Beethoven’s poetic
Fourth Piano Concerto as
part of our 125 Anniversary
celebrations. There’s
secret romance afoot with
Rachmaninov’s love letter to
his own past disguised as three
colourful Symphonic Dances
and the blazing fiddles of
Kodály’s Dances of Galánta will
surely set your feet tapping
under the baton of guest
conductor Rafael Payare.
John Whitener
(RSNO Principal Tuba)
William Chandler
(RSNO Associate Leader)
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Sir Alexander Gibson rehearsing Schoenberg’s
Gurrelieder, Henry Wood Hall 1983
“[Katherine’s] intention
is to “offer a new
perspective on familiar
compositions”, and
that’s exactly what you
get from her deliciously
ripened version of
Vaughan Williams’
The Lark Ascending…
A breathtaking package.”
Ken Walton : The Scotsman
Katherine Bryan
RSNO Principal Flute,
soloist in The Lark
Ascending Sat 4 Feb
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THE LARK
ASCENDING
PETER
OUNDJIAN
BEETHOVEN PIANO
CONCERTO CYCLE
JÄRVI’S 80TH
BIRTHDAY
NEEME
JÄRVI
BEETHOVEN’S
EROICA
LAHAV
SHANI
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THE AMERICAN TOUR
BENEDETTI PLAYS
BRAHMS
NICOLA
BENEDETTI
SAT 4 FEB 2017 : 7.30PM
SAT 18 FEB 2017 : 7.30PM
SAT 4 MAR 2017 : 7.30PM
THU 9 MAR 2017 : 7.30PM
Vaughan Williams
The Lark Ascending
Martin Suckling
Flute Concerto
(RSNO Commission)
Ravel
Daphnis et Chloé Suites 1 & 2
Tchaikovsky
Hamlet Fantasy-Overture
Beethoven
Piano Concerto No2
Tchaikovsky
Manfred Symphony
Dvořák
Carnival Overture
Vaughan Williams
Concerto for Oboe and Strings
Beethoven
Symphony No3 Eroica
Borodin
Overture to Prince Igor
Brahms
Violin Concerto
Tchaikovsky
Symphony No4
Neeme Järvi CONDUCTOR
Ingrid Fliter PIANO
Lahav Shani CONDUCTOR
Adrian Wilson OBOE
Peter Oundjian CONDUCTOR
Nicola Benedetti VIOLIN
Our Conductor Laureate
Neeme Järvi isn’t just an RSNO
icon: he’s got a worldwide
reputation. So we’re delighted
that he’s chosen to celebrate
his 80th birthday with us
in this powerful programme.
Ingrid Fliter displays her
signature sparkle in Beethoven’s
brightest piano concerto,
and Järvi brings his magic to
two neglected Tchaikovsky
masterpieces – the gripping
Hamlet Overture, and Manfred:
a huge, dark musical drama
of forbidden love.
With two shattering chords,
Ludwig van Beethoven blew
the world of classical music
wide open – and there’s
still nothing to match the
sheer explosive power of his
revolutionary Eroica Symphony.
It’s a magnificent climax to an
evening of music that simply
won’t be kept down, whether
it’s the blossoming beauty of
Vaughan Williams’ radiant
Oboe Concerto (played by
the RSNO’s own Adrian Wilson)
or a Dvořák overture that’s
guaranteed to get any party
started – all conducted by
young dynamo Lahav Shani.
One of the greatest of all violin
concertos, played by Nicola
Benedetti and conducted by
Peter Oundjian – when the
RSNO goes on tour it shows
the best that Scotland has to
offer. This is Glasgow’s chance
to hear the music we’ll be
playing on our forthcoming
tour of the USA: Brahms
with Benedetti, Borodin’s
swashbuckling overture
and the glorious melodies
and raw emotional power of
Tchaikovsky’s no-holds-barred
Fourth Symphony. Get a
sneak preview – and wish
us bon voyage!
Peter Oundjian CONDUCTOR
Katherine Bryan FLUTE
‘He rises and begins to round/
He drops the silver chain
of sound…’ When The Lark
Ascending takes to the air, time
itself seems to stand still: no
wonder it regularly tops the
Classic FM Hall of Fame.
Our lark tonight is the RSNO’s
own Principal Flute Katherine
Bryan – who’ll also be playing
music composed especially
for her by rising Scottish star
Martin Suckling. How to top
that? Peter Oundjian shares
Ravel’s sumptuous vision of
ancient Greece: shepherd
girls, pirates and sounds
that’ll ravish your ears.
William Chandler
(RSNO Associate Leader)
in conversation with
Martin Suckling
Sir Alexander Gibson Memorial Concert
Michael Tumelty
Supported by the Jennie S. Gordon
Memorial Foundation
Katherine Bryan
(RSNO Principal Flute)
Supported by Hedley G Wright
Manus Carey
(RSNO Executive Producer)
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rsno.org.uk/SEASON1617
John Barbirolli with members of the
Scottish Orchestra, circa 1934
“I am really excited to play
the Vaughan Williams Oboe
Concerto, a piece that
beautifully highlights the
oboe’s lyrical and singing
qualities. Its warm and
wistful sound world evokes
a sense of tranquillity.”
Adrian Wilson : RSNO Principal Oboe,
soloist in Vaughan Williams’ Oboe Concerto Sat 4 Mar
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BEETHOVEN PIANO
CONCERTO CYCLE
BRAHMS FOUR
JONATHAN
BISS
BEETHOVEN ONE
RODERICK
WILLIAMS
TCHAIKOVSKY’S
PATHÉTIQUE
NIKOLAJ
ZNAIDER
BEETHOVEN PIANO
CONCERTO CYCLE
BRAHMS THREE
ALICE SARA
OTT
SAT 8 APR 2017 : 7.30PM
SAT 22 APR 2017 : 7.30PM
SAT 29 APR 2017 : 7.30PM
SAT 6 MAY 2017 : 7.30PM
Sally Beamish
Piano Concerto No3
The Makers (RSNO Commission)
Beethoven
Piano Concerto No1
Brahms
Symphony No4
Sibelius
Finlandia
Mahler
Des Knaben Wunderhorn
Sibelius
The Oceanides
Beethoven
Symphony No1
Scriabin
Rêverie
Prokofiev
Violin Concerto No2
Tchaikovsky
Symphony No6 Pathétique
Brahms
Nänie
Beethoven
Piano Concerto No3
Gerald Barry
Humiliated and Insulted
(RSNO Commission)
Brahms
Symphony No3
Peter Oundjian CONDUCTOR
Jonathan Biss* PIANO
Thomas Søndergård
Nikolaj Znaider CONDUCTOR
Sergei Krylov VIOLIN
James Feddeck CONDUCTOR
Alice Sara Ott PIANO
RSNO Chorus
CONDUCTOR
Roderick Williams BARITONE
Brahms’ Fourth begins with a
sigh and ends with a tempest.
Beethoven was Brahms’ hero
and that meant playing for
the highest possible emotional
stakes. Peter Oundjian has
devised a whole concert
around Jonathan Biss’
performance of Beethoven’s
brilliant First Piano Concerto.
On one side, there’s Brahms’
mighty homage to Beethoven.
On the other, a new piano
concerto by one of Scotland’s
finest living composers, Sally
Beamish. Three composers,
each making history: come
and be part of it.
Katherine Wren (RSNO Viola)
Sibelius shakes his fist at
tyranny – and gets banned.
Beethoven begins his First
Symphony with a forbidden
chord – and gets the critics
in a lather. And Mahler takes
a harmless book of folk-poems
and turns them into songs so
rich and intriguing that they’ll
stick with you forever. Tonight
is all about composers who
went one step too far. And
with Thomas Søndergård
conducting and Roderick
Williams singing, why not
follow them? You’ll end up
somewhere rather wonderful…
Ursula Heidecker Allen
(RSNO Violin) in conversation
with Roderick Williams
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The name’s misleading:
Pathétique means ‘filled with
emotion’. And from the tragic
depths of its opening to its
final, devastating moments,
every note of Tchaikovsky’s
Sixth Symphony is drenched
in feeling. Sit back and let
conductor Nikolaj Znaider take
you deep into its burning heart
– and hear the superb Russianborn violinist Sergei Krylov
make his mark on Prokofiev’s
best-loved work for violin, the
delightful Second Concerto.
William Chandler
(RSNO Associate Leader)
‘Free but Happy’ is the motto
of Brahms’ Third Symphony –
but it could go for the whole of
this wonderfully unpredictable
concert. Beethoven’s Third
Piano Concerto begins in
darkness but breaks into
sunlight at the last possible
moment; perfect for musical
free-spirit Alice Sara Ott.
And then the RSNO Chorus
sings Humiliated and Insulted,
the latest creation from
Gerald Barry; probably
classical music’s most
unashamed prankster.
Expect to be surprised –
and thoroughly entertained!
Manus Carey
(RSNO Executive Producer) in
conversation with Gerald Barry
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rsno.org.uk/SEASON1617
Sir Alexander Gibson
“The orchestral
sound was rich and
massive: luminous
winds, blazing
peals from the
brass, deep and
lustrous strings.”
Kate Molleson : The Guardian
Sarah Digger
RSNO Cello
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A NIGHT AT
THE BALLET
ANDREW
LITTON
SIBELIUS FIVE
THOMAS
SØNDERGÅRD
SEASON FINALE!
MAHLER THREE
KAREN
CARGILL
SAT 13 MAY 2017 : 7.30PM
SAT 27 MAY 2017 : 7.30PM
SAT 3 JUN 2017 : 7.30PM
Tchaikovsky
Selected mvts from
Sleeping Beauty
Prokofiev
Selected mvts from
Romeo and Juliet
Ravel
Mother Goose Suite
Stravinsky
The Firebird Suite (1945)
Sibelius
Canzonetta, Scene with Cranes,
Valse triste from Kuolema
Mahler
Rückert-Lieder
Beethoven
Leonore Overture No3
Sibelius
Symphony No5
Mahler
Symphony No3
Andrew Litton CONDUCTOR
CONDUCTOR
Peter Oundjian CONDUCTOR
Karen Cargill MEZZO-SOPRANO
Ladies of the RSNO Chorus
RSNO Junior Chorus
Thomas Søndergård
Jennifer Johnston
MEZZO-SOPRANO
Sleeping princesses, greenclawed ogres, star-crossed
lovers and a bird with feathers
of flame – when a composer
puts on their ballet shoes
you just know you’re going to
hear something spectacular.
Tonight the RSNO teams up
with Classic FM for a night at
the ballet. From Tchaikovsky’s
fairy tale masterpiece to
the ear-tingling brilliance of
Stravinsky’s The Firebird, with
New York City Ballet Music
Director Andrew Litton in
charge, you’re going to be in
for a treat.
In partnership with
“Today I saw 16 swans. God,
what beauty!” Sibelius took a
brief glimpse of wonder, and
transformed it into the melody
that crowns his Fifth Symphony
– a tune so good that when
you hear it for the first time,
you feel like you’ve known
it your whole life. Tonight’s
concert brings together four
of Sibelius’ loveliest visions, the
elemental power of Beethoven,
and Mahler’s rapturous songs,
as Thomas Søndergård opens
a gateway to new worlds of
natural beauty.
Katherine Wren (RSNO Viola)
in conversation with
Thomas Søndergård
This concert is dedicated to the
Lillie Bequest Fund in honour
of the RSNO Foundation
Gustav Mahler's Third
Symphony is one of the biggest
ever written. Distant trumpets,
children’s songs, glittering
marches and serene mountaintop meditations: this isn’t just
a symphony, it’s a whole
universe, and it ends with
a ravishing hymn to love.
Every performance is a special
occasion – and with Peter
Oundjian conducting the
Ladies of the RSNO Chorus,
RSNO Junior Chorus and a
specially-expanded orchestra,
this is a gloriously uplifting
way to celebrate the end of
the RSNO’s Season.
Michael Tumelty
15
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rsno.org.uk/SEASON1617
A look back over
The institution known today as the
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
was officially born in 1891.
Before the beginning
It had been a long time coming.
The institution known today
as the Royal Scottish National
Orchestra was officially born
in 1891. Two years later, the
lofty German maestro George
Henschel led an inaugural 26week season the likes of which
had never been seen in the UK
north of Manchester. But the
pre-natal story stretches back
nearly half a century earlier,
to the emergence of a largescale classical music culture
in Scotland.
At the beginning of the
19th century the notion of a
professional orchestra – of any
kind of orchestra – was still
a long way off. Change came
first and fastest to Glasgow,
rapidly expanding into the
Second City of the Empire and
keen to acquire a cultural clout
to match. The new Victorian
industrialists had time, money
and chutzpah to jump-start
the city’s nightlife from postReformation sobriety to a fullscale entertainment business
within just a couple of decades.
Insurance men formed
madrigal groups in the Trongate
and in 1821 an orchestra of
amateurs gathered to perform
Beethoven and Robert Burns
at Glasgow’s first ever music
festival. The playing was ropy,
according to audience reports,
but still: the enthusiasm
was there.
The Scottish Orchestra 1901
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the years
The roots of unionism formed
on factory floors and as early
as the 1840s the Glasgow
Mechanics Union ran music
classes for crowds of 150–200
a pop. Abstinence societies
bemoaned singing saloons and
music halls for corrupting the
workers and provided edifying
sit-down concerts instead.
The City Hall opened in 1841
between a couple of cheese
shops in the Candleriggs:
a grand edifice of civic
architecture, intended for mass
betterment, yet there was still
no orchestra to fill it.
Then, in 1844, an amateur
ensemble was formed to
accompany the Glasgow
Choral Union – ancestor of
today’s RSNO Chorus – in the
Scottish premiere of Handel’s
Messiah. That triumphant
event planted the Glasgow
passion for singing and by the
turn of the 20th century there
were more than 100 choirs
up and running in the city.
The roots of a professional
orchestra began to take hold
in the 1870s. The fearsome
critic of the Glasgow Herald,
one Thomas Logan Stillie,
launched a subscription
concert series for a 50-strong
ensemble called the Glasgow
Resident Orchestra, and from
the off it planned tours, too,
to Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth
– in effect, it was Scotland’s
first national orchestra.
What’s more, it could play.
When Brahms’ friend Hans
von Bülow conducted at City
Hall in 1875, Stillie declared
“such a gorgeous concert of
instrumental music was never
before heard in Glasgow”.
Soon the Glasgow Resident
Orchestra was luring worldclass soloists to Scotland:
Polish piano legend Ignacy Jan
Paderewski, violinists Eugène
Ysaÿe, Pablo de Sarasate, even
Joseph Joachim. By 1885 the
band had grown to 85 regular
players and its conductor, the
extravagantly hirsute August
Manns, routinely took to the
podium in white kid gloves.
But there was discontent afoot.
Playing standards fluctuated
because freelancers were
recruited for a season that
was too short to develop a
cohesive ensemble sound.
In 1891, a West of Scotland
ship-owner called James Allan
fronted £20,000 to establish
a brand new orchestra: one
with enough rehearsal time
to become truly world-class.
It would be called the
Scottish Orchestra.
Problem was, the new band
worked in competition with
the old one, and that split
the audience. A feud ensued
and in the end Henschel’s
26-week season blew the
Choral Union Orchestra’s
10-weeks out of the water.
August Manns stood down
and the two bands merged.
Henschel conducted
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
to celebrate, and the Scottish
Orchestra played under the
banner of the Glasgow Choral
and Orchestral Union until 1950.
Maestro carousel
Over the next half-century the
Scottish Orchestra’s fortunes
would rise and fall according
to the times. Concerts were
paused altogether between
1916 and 1919 (the Orchestra
did mark Armistice Day with
Elgar’s The Spirit of England)
while in smoother periods the
1894 concert programme
1901 Scottish Orchestra list
George Henschel
Willem Kes
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Neeme Järvi, Bryden Thomson, Sir Alexander Gibson
musicians boarded branch
lines to Greenock, Forfar, Ayr,
Paisley, Dunfermline, Stirling –
anywhere that wanted to
hear them.
Meanwhile a cast of august
central-European conductors
came and went. There was
Willem Kes, the exacting
Dutchman who, in 1896,
took the Orchestra on its first
foreign tour: a bold two-week
foray into the Netherlands.
There was Wilhelm Bruch,
nicknamed ‘Sleepy Billy’; the
quiet Dr Frederic H Cowen,
about whom Elgar once said –
and this is a glorious example
of damning with faint praise
– that “he never imposed his
own personality on the music”.
Richard Strauss visited in 1902
and 1903 to wow Scottish
audiences with his huge
orchestral showpieces.
John Barbirolli
There was the graceful Emil
Młynarski; the sensible Sir
Landon Ronald, tasked with
getting the Orchestra back
on its feet after WWI; the
willowy Felix Weingartner,
a devoted Beethovenian
and one-time successor to
Mahler at the Vienna Opera.
And, in 1923, the swaggering
Serge Koussevitski, ablaze
with charisma. A year later
he would become the
most renowned conductor
the Boston Symphony
Orchestra ever had – a starry
transatlantic career trajectory
that set a precedent for
Scottish Orchestra conductors
to come.
There was the one whom
Vaughan Williams called
“Glorious John” and whom his
rival Thomas Beecham called
“that upstart”. John Barbirolli’s
great legacy would be left at
the Hallé, but in the 1930s
he spent six golden seasons
at the helm of the Scottish
Orchestra. Depression-era
finances were stringent
but ticket sales soared as
the dauntless 31-year-old
Cockney tackled massive
works (Stravinsky’s Petrushka,
Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben) and
bolstered the Orchestra’s
contingent of female players.
A grand total of ten might be
no great shakes by today’s
standards, but it was better
than the UK average in 1934.
On nights off Barbirolli invited
his musicians for spaghetti
at his Charing Cross flat but
the love affair couldn’t last.
Eventually he was seduced
SNO with Bryden Thomson, Henry Wood Hall
across the Atlantic to an
un-turndownable post at the
New York Philharmonic.
Another fine chef, another
harsh taskmaster, Georg Szell
likewise ended up heading
west to make the Cleveland
Orchestra into one of the best
in the world. But in the late
1930s the stern Hungarian
treated Scotland to searing
performances of Strauss,
Mozart, Bartók, Shostakovich
and Hans Gál. He was an oldschool autocrat, imposing
and uncompromising, but
he had one of the sharpest
ears in the 20th century and
he whipped the Scottish
Orchestra into shape.
The WWII years were tough.
The Orchestra played a
reduced home season and
touring was cancelled for fear
of air strikes. Aylmer Buesst
and Warwick Braithwaite
took successive charge, both
keen Wagnerians, which
was an awkward thing to be
in 1940s Britain. The genial
Walter Susskind arrived in
1946: young, dapper, hungry
for any repertoire going. Eye
witnesses at the Usher Hall
reported him wiggling his bum
along to the viola triplets at
the beginning of Wagner’s
Siegfried Idyll.
And yet throughout all
this – even after storming
BOX OFFICE 0141 353 8000
19
In the glorious 25 years he
spent as Principal Conductor,
he gave the Orchestra the unique
identity it had been waiting for.
the inaugural Edinburgh
International Festival in 1947
– the Orchestra remained
part-time. Every summer the
musicians disbanded to seek
jobs in seaside pavilion bands
or festival opera pits. Barbirolli
called the situation “utterly
absurd”, and at last more
permanence was achieved
in 1950 when the Orchestra
proudly added ‘National’ to
its name to reflect its new
full-time status. Seventy-five
players signed a hefty contract
that allowed them four days
off each month and two
weeks’ paid holiday each year.
New name, new era
The first decade of the new
era was guided by a pair of
venerable Viennese chiefs.
Karl Rankl had studied with
Schoenberg and Webern
but preferred the Germanic
mainstream and disapproved
of female players; Hans
Swarowsky was a sharp
dresser, a smooth talker, a
traditionalist through and
through. Neither was exactly
progressive, but it’s impressive
to think of the depth of AustroCzech experience woven into
the RSNO’s foundations.
Walter Susskind
The next appointment proved
the seismic one. Alexander
Gibson was a Scot, born in
Motherwell, and when he
accepted the SNO job at 33
he was already making waves
in London’s opera houses.
But while his predecessors
had often used Scotland
as a staging post to bigger
things, Gibson wanted to
make Scotland his big thing
– and boy did he succeed. He
conducted all seven Sibelius
symphonies in his first season
(quite the opening move!) and
later programmed surveys of
Hans Werner Henze, Mahler
and more. After a performance
of Mahler’s First Symphony in
Edinburgh, the critic Andrew
Porter called Gibson “a poet,
a master of the broad span”.
In the glorious 25 years
he spent as SNO Principal
Conductor (1959 to 1984), he
gave the Orchestra the unique
identity it had been waiting for.
Gibson dreamed of making the
SNO into a Vienna Philharmonic
equivalent: a heavyweight
ensemble to serve both
opera pit and concert stage.
In 1962 he founded a wildly
ambitious young company
called Scottish Opera.
Thousands flocked to the
opening week performances
of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly
and Debussy’s Pelléas et
Mélisande, and The Times
declared Gibson “the hero of
the evening”. Eventually the
season became too demanding
and the SNO parted ways
with Scottish Opera, but not
before remarkable stagings
of Henze’s Elegy for Young
Lovers, Stravinsky’s The Rake’s
Progress, Berlioz’ The Trojans
and even a complete Ring cycle.
Equally audacious was Gibson’s
contemporary music series
Musica Nova, through which
the SNO presented premieres
by Berio, Birtwistle, Musgrave
and numerous others. The
major coup of Musica Nova
SNO with Gibson, Usher Hall, Aug 1965
was the UK premiere in 1961
of Stockhausen’s immense
Gruppen – 120 players, three
conductors (Gibson, Norman
del Mar and John Carew)
and an audience packed
to the rafters. One listener
shouted “rubbish!” before
the applause kicked in, but
the event was a triumph.
By the 1970s, The Observer
was moved to compare
Glasgow’s contemporary music
programming to London’s.
“In Glasgow they set about
things more purposefully,” the
critic concluded, “and that is
what I call artistic direction.”
Boxing matches and moving
boxes
What a whirlwind those first
few years of the Gibson era
must have been. Scottish
Opera and Musica Nova were
momentous additions to
Scotland’s musical life,
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The Orchestra’s first two
decades as the RSNO were
marked by pulverising
accounts of Shostakovich,
Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky…
but there was tragedy, too,
when the SNO lost its glorious
Glasgow home. St Andrew’s
Hall had been the finest place
for orchestral music in Britain:
a classic ‘shoe-box’ auditorium
whose acoustics were up there
with Vienna’s Musikverein and
Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw.
When it opened in 1877 it
could hold 3000 people and
the SNO regularly packed it
full, but the city also used it
for sporting events on the
Orchestra’s nights off. In
October 1962 a smouldering
cigarette was flicked into a pile
of dust at an amateur boxing
match between Scotland and
Romania. Next morning, smoke
was seen from 20 miles away
and paintwork on nearby cars
bubbled from the intensity of
the blaze. Gibson said the loss
was “like losing a close friend”.
For the next 25 years the SNO
flitted from Gaiety Theatre to
City Hall to Kelvin Hall to SECC,
St Andrew’s Hall
none of the spaces really good
enough. But the band played
on: after one performance
of Webern’s Symphony
Op21, The Herald noted that
the SNO had “reached and
maintained an exceptionally
high standard. This in itself is
a strong argument for building
a concert hall of adequate
size in Glasgow as quickly
as possible.”
A hall, no, but a home of
sorts was found in 1979 in
the shape of Henry Wood
Hall – formerly Trinity Church
on Claremont Street and
converted into rehearsal space
and management offices.
The chairman gave a heartfelt
speech at the opening:
“The players have been
literally wandering minstrels,
traipsing around from one
hall to another. Now,” he
beamed, “they have a home
of their own.”
Another year, another
benchmark: in 1980 Fiona
Grant became the first woman
to run a British orchestra, and
she went on to appoint Neemi
Järvi as Gibson’s successor.
It was a bold move. The
ferociously spirited Estonian
never conducted a bar the
same way twice and he
recorded vast swathes of
Prokofiev and Shostakovich,
Dvořák and Scriabin. On tour
at the Berlin Philharmonie
he earned the Orchestra
a standing ovation for a
Tchaikovsky Five that had
“whipped into an experience
of quite extraordinary
intensity,” according to The
Herald’s Michael Tumelty. In
Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, “Järvi’s
approach to his absolutely
sterling orchestra was
powerfully engaging,” reported
Paul Driver in The Times.
Back at home, things were
on the up and up. Pat Lally
– leader of Glasgow District
Council and architect of the
city’s 1980s civic revamp –
declared the new Glasgow
Royal Concert Hall “the great
hall of the people of Glasgow”.
The SNO played new works
by Thomas Wilson and Thea
Musgrave at the grand opening
in autumn 1990. This also
seemed the right moment to
adopt a ‘royal’ in its name: after
all, the Queen had granted
patronage back in 1977. Thus
the SNO became the RSO
and the swashbuckling new
Viennese Music Director
Walter Weller conducted
Stéphane Denève
Strauss’ Four Last Songs to
celebrate. But the audience
missed the ‘national’ and
in December 1992 the
management settled for having
it all: R and N together in RSNO.
So far it seems to have stuck.
The Orchestra’s first two
decades as the RSNO were
marked by pulverising accounts
of Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky
and Stravinsky under Alexander
Lazarev and by a new Gallic
sensibility from Stéphane
Denève, whose superb Debussy
survey released on Chandos in
2012 prompted The Observer’s
Fiona Maddocks to sum up:
“the RSNO, keenly responsive
to Denève after his seven
seasons as chief conductor,
confirm the absolute precision,
transparency and […] passion
required for these scores.”
Current Chief Executive
Dr Krishna Thiagarajan said
he made his decision to leave
New York for the RSNO job
after hearing great recordings
from the Gibson, Järvi and
Denève years.
BOX OFFICE 0141 353 8000
Left
Peter Oundjian
Right
RSNO Centre,
2015
So when Peter Oundjian arrived
as Music Director in 2012, he
inherited an orchestra steeped
in Teutonic, Scandinavian,
French and British music, old
and new; an orchestra honed
by the 20th century’s great
disciplinarians and equally
comfortable in the vast
glittering concert halls of
China or the Clickimin Leisure
Complex of Lerwick.
And, just before turning 125,
the RSNO couldn’t resist one
last move. In October 2015
the final boxes were packed
at Henry Wood Hall and the
glassy doors of the new RSNO
Centre were thrown open.
This substantial extension to
the Glasgow Royal Concert
Hall is a state-of-the-art
rehearsal room, a 600-capacity
concert venue, a high-tech
education facility that will
enable interactive projects to
stream across the country.
Never has the Orchestra, along
with fellow family members
the RSNO Chorus and Junior
Chorus, had more potential to
be a truly national resource.
It’s hard to imagine there will
be any looking back.
Kate Molleson
RSNO with Peter Oundjian, New Auditorium, 2015
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Conducting history
JOHN BARBIROLLI 1930–1931,
1932–1937
1930–1932
NIKOLAI MALKO
1929–1932
ROBERT HEGER
1928–1933
ALBERT VAN RAALTE
ALBERT COATES
1927–1929
1927–1930
VLADIMIR GOLSCHMANN
FELIX WEINGARTNER
1924–1926
1924–1927
VÁCLAV TALICH
HERMANN ABENDROTH
1925–1926,
1927–1928
1923–1924
MAURICE BESLY
ADRIAN C BOULT
1923–1924
1923–1924
SERGE KOUSSEVITSKI
1919–1925,
1930–1931
SIR LANDON RONALD
1910 –1916,
1923–1926
EMIL MŁYNARSKI
1900–1910
DR FREDERIC H COWEN
1898–1900
WILHELM BRUCH
1895–1898
WILLEM KES
1891–1895
GEORGE HENSCHEL
From George Henschel to Peter Oundjian, over the last 125 years
Scotland’s National Orchestra has performed under the direction
of many of the finest conductors of its day. Whether termed Principal
Conductor or Music Director or, as was the case for the concert
Seasons between 1923 and 1933, “a variety of a series of Orchestral
Conductors of repute”, the remit has always been the same – to create
the best sounding Orchestra for the people of Scotland and beyond.
1931–1932
BASIL CAMERON
2005–2012
STÉPHANE DENÈVE
1992–1997
WALTER WELLER
1984–1988
NEEME JÄRVI
1957–1959
HANS SWAROWSKY
1946–1952
WALTER SUSSKIND
1939–1940
AYLMER BUESST
1931–1932
ISSAI DOBROWEN
2012–PRESENT
PETER OUNDJIAN
1997–2005
ALEXANDER LAZAREV
1988–1991
BRYDEN THOMSON
1959–1984
SIR ALEXANDER GIBSON
1952–1956
KARL RANKL
1940–1945
WARWICK BRAITHWAITE
1936–1939
GEORG SZELL
1931–1932
CONSTANT LAMBERT
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rsno.org.uk/SEASON1617
Under the
Skin of
SPECIAL SUBSCRIBER OFFER!
SAVE 50%!
Subscribe to any six Season concerts and
enjoy our Under the Skin of series for half price!
See the subscription booking form in the centre
of the brochure for more details.
There’s more to classical music than meets
the ear. Delve beneath the glorious sound
of a full orchestra, and what you find are
stories of the human heart: personal
dramas, intimate secrets, soaring dreams
and epic thrills.
Join Music Director Peter Oundjian and the Orchestra in the
New Auditorium for an evening of interviews, conversation
and, of course, live orchestral music.
With only a limited number of seats available, this is a rare
opportunity to go behind the scenes with your National
Orchestra. Hear 80 experts share their passion, unravel
the nuts and bolts of compositions, and delve Under the
Skin of the music, the maestros and the musicians.
PETER
OUNDJIAN
JONATHAN
BISS
UNDER THE SKIN
OF RACHMANINOV
UNDER THE SKIN
OF BEETHOVEN
WED 5 OCT 2016 : 7.30PM
New Auditorium
WED 5 APR 2017 : 7.30PM
New Auditorium
Classical music isn’t really
about white ties and spotlights.
Tonight Peter Oundjian and
the full Royal Scottish National
Orchestra invite you into the
New Auditorium for an evening
of conversation and music
designed to lay bare the human
side of the great composers.
It’s a uniquely intimate way
to see a side of a symphony
orchestra that the public
doesn’t usually see, and tonight
Peter and the Orchestra dive
deep into the heart and soul
of Sergei Rachmaninov –
looking at the nuts and bolts
of his music to discover how
he transformed 80 musicians
and some black dots on a
page into some of the most
romantic music ever created.
“The world has many princes”
said Ludwig van Beethoven.
“But there is only one
Beethoven!” Think of
Beethoven and too often,
you picture only a shock of
grey hair and an angry frown.
Tonight, in the intimate
surroundings of the New
Auditorium, conductor Peter
Oundjian, concert pianist
Jonathan Biss and the full
RSNO push past the myths
to get Under the Skin of the
greatest revolutionary in the
history of music. There’ll be
conversations and interviews,
a chance to hear from the
RSNO players themselves,
and, of course, lots of live
music as we show you how
the music works – from
the inside!
Peter Oundjian
CONDUCTOR/PRESENTER
Peter Oundjian
CONDUCTOR/PRESENTER
Jonathan Biss* PIANO
Symphony, Soup
and a Sandwich
JAMIE
PHILLIPS
The great composers BEETHOVEN EIGHT
have always wanted
WED 26 OCT 2016 : 1PM
New Auditorium
just one thing – to
communicate. And in Kurt Schwertsik
Shrunken Symphony
our New Auditorium,
Wagner
they can do exactly
Siegfried Idyll
that. No fuss, no frills: Beethoven
Symphony No8
just a lunch hour filled
Jamie Phillips CONDUCTOR
with great music,
delivered with passion There are no artificial additives
in today’s lunchtime concert!
by the musicians
The brilliant young British
conductor Jamie Phillips
of the RSNO.
Join us for lunch before the
concert! Available from
11.30am, you can enjoy soup,
sandwiches, a scone with
butter, cream and jam, cakes
and unlimited tea and coffee
for just £7.50*. Ask for a lunch
ticket when you book your
concert ticket. Please note
there is limited availability for
lunch so it is advisable to book
in advance.
*Lunch price correct at time of going to print.
(“electrifying” – The Arts Desk)
has a flair for the unexpected,
and he’ll bring out both the
tender romantic poetry of
Wagner’s great musical loveletter, and the quick-fire wit of
Beethoven’s fastest, funniest
symphony. Plus he throws in
a hilarious bonus – an instant
symphony in just six minutes
by Viennese musical prankster
Kurt Schwertsik. Delicious!
LEO
McFALL
BOX OFFICE 0141 353 8000
25
KARINA
CANELLAKIS
DVOŘÁK SIX
DVOŘÁK EIGHT
WED 8 MAR 2017 : 1PM
New Auditorium
WED 10 MAY 2017 : 1PM
New Auditorium
Ligeti
Concert românesc
Dvořák
Symphony No6
Andrew Norman
The Great Swiftness
Dvořák
Symphony No8
Leo McFall CONDUCTOR
Karina Canellakis CONDUCTOR
There’s something spicy on the
menu for lunch today. High in
the mountains of Transylvania,
a shepherd’s horn sounds –
Ligeti’s Concert românesc is
a musical day-trip to a land
of blazing fiddles and huge
open spaces. And then Dvořák
gallops off across the rolling
hills of Bohemia, in a symphony
powered by song, dance, and
late summer sun. A guided
tour of Eastern Europe – and
you don’t even have to leave
Glasgow! Conductor Leo
McFall is your guide.
A quiet hymn, a flurry of
birdsong and the whole
orchestra leaps for joy. That’s
how Dvořák opened his Eighth
and happiest symphony, with
its blend of musical sunshine
and pure, irresistible melody.
First though, try something
new and tasty for lunch:
a brilliant little letter from
America, conducted by the
dynamic young New Yorker
Karina Canellakis.
26
rsno.org.uk/SEASON1617
Chamber Series
RELAXING SUNDAY AFTERNOONS
WITH THE RSNO
The perfect way to spend a
Sunday afternoon, relax and
enjoy these performances
featuring the musicians of the
RSNO and some very special
guests in the New Auditorium.
Add our Chamber Series to
your subscription or phone
0141 353 8000 to book.
SCHUBERT OCTET
ITALIAN STRINGS
SUN 9 OCT 2016 : 2.30PM
New Auditorium
SUN 20 NOV 2016 : 2.30PM
New Auditorium
Françaix
Octet
Schubert
Octet
Giai
Sinfonia in C major for strings
Leo
Concerto No3 in D minor for
cello, strings and continuo
Rossini
Une larme for cello
and string orchestra
Boccherini
Cello Concerto in G major G480
Giovanni Sollima
L.B.Files for cello and strings
Scottish premiere
If chamber music is ‘the music
of friends’, then Schubert’s
Octet must be the happiest
musical house-party of all
time. Schubert’s youthful
inspiration just bubbles over:
this should be as much fun
for the RSNO players as it is
for you the audience! And
that goes double for Jean
Françaix’s own delicious
little Octet full of Gallic wit,
saucy dance rhythms and
beautiful melodies.
Featured Artists in Residence
GIOVANNI
SOLLIMA
JONATHAN
BISS
Featuring
Giovanni Sollima* CELLO
“Sollima brought the house
down” announced one
critic after witnessing the
phenomenon that is the
Italian cellist Giovanni Sollima.
“The audience was absolutely
ecstatic.” Sounds a bit much to
expect from a concert of Italian
music for cello and strings?
Put any preconceptions aside
as Sollima unleashes all the
sunshine, seduction and
theatricality of his native land
in a programme that spans
four centuries.
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SIBELIUS AND
STRAUSS PIANO
QUARTETS
BEETHOVEN
QUINTET FOR
PIANO AND WINDS
SUN 5 FEB 2017 : 2.30PM
New Auditorium
SUN 9 APR 2017 : 2.30PM
New Auditorium
Michael Daugherty
Diamond in the Rough
Sibelius
Piano Quartet in D minor
R Strauss
Piano Quartet in C minor
Nielsen
Wind Quintet
Berio
Opus Number Zoo
Beethoven
Quintet for piano and winds
Think Sibelius and Strauss,
and you think epic orchestral
blockbusters. The good news
is that when they turned to
chamber music, they distilled
all that power and inspiration
down to its intoxicating
essence. Sibelius turns on
charm by the tonne, and the
young Richard Strauss simply
goes extravagantly for broke.
Michael Daugherty, meanwhile,
is the American maverick
who wrote a symphony about
Superman. This is his take on
Mozart: let’s just say that it
doesn’t keep its wig on.
27
DELIGHTFUL
STRINGS
MASTERS OF
THE BASS
SUN 7 MAY 2017 : 2.30PM
New Auditorium
SUN 21 MAY 2017 : 2.30PM
New Auditorium
Tchaikovsky
Bacarolle
Rossini
Duo for cello and double bass
Bottesini
Duo for cello and double bass
Featuring
Jonathan Biss* PIANO
Haydn
Baryton Trio in D major
Martinů
Duo No1, 3 Madrigals
Sperger
Duo for Viola and Double Bass
Mozart
String Duo No2 K424
Bottesini
Grand Duo Concertante
All truly great musicians love
to play chamber music – and
the RSNO’s players are thrilled
to be collaborating with
an artist as thoughtful and
accomplished as the pianist
Jonathan Biss. This piano and
wind quintet is Beethoven
at his most entertaining and
Nielsen’s Wind Quintet is like
a blast of fresh Scandinavian
air. As for Luciano Berio’s
brilliantly bonkers musical trip
to the zoo…well, you’ve just
got to hear it, really. Please
do not feed the bassoon!
Good things come in small
packages. Musicians make
bad jokes about viola players,
but they’re just jealous –
because, as this delightful
concert proves, when you add
a viola to the mix, you unlock
a little universe of musical
potential. The young Mozart
works miracles in 18th century
Salzburg, Haydn charms the
wig off his aristocratic boss
and Martinů reinvents Tudor
England in jazz-age Prague.
Pocket-sized pleasures from
the RSNO’s finest.
The double bass might look
like the daddy of the cello, but
it has the soul of a nightingale.
Put cello and bass together
with the grand master of
Italian opera, Gioachino Rossini,
add a little something by the
Italian bass sensation Giovanni
Bottesini and…well, hear for
yourself, as two stars of the
RSNO’s lower strings give it
their all in a concert of musical
acrobatics, playful humour and
sheer, unbuttoned song. You’ll
believe an elephant can fly!
28
rsno.org.uk/SEASON1617
More great concer
From popular big screen soundtracks
to world premieres, there’s something
for everyone to enjoy all year round.
Enhance your subscription further
by adding our exciting family, film
and festive concerts to your booking
MUSIC AT
form or phone the Box Office on
THE MUSEUM
0141 353 8000 to book today.
FRI 16 SEP 2016 : 8PM
SAT 17 SEP 2016 : 8PM
Imagine a gala evening in the
spectacular surroundings of
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and
Museum. Now imagine that
fabulous building resounding
to some of the best-loved
melodies of stage and screen.
A concert at Kelvingrove
is always an occasion to
remember; but this year the
full RSNO is joined by the
sensational young American
diva Angel Blue for an
evening of music by Puccini,
Rachmaninov and Gershwin,
performed with passion and
style by a voice to die for.
Book early!
Aziz Shokhakimov CONDUCTOR
Angel Blue SOPRANO
CHILDREN’S CLASSIC
CONCERTS
OWEN AND OLLY’S
BEASTLY BASH
SAT 29 OCT 2016 : 3PM
Join mischief-makers Owen
and Olly and their filthsome
friends from the Royal
Scottish National Orchestra
for a hornswoggling Hallowe’en
concert celebrating Roald
Dahl’s 100th birthday. Featuring
the RSNO Junior Chorus.
Owen Gunnell PRESENTER
Oliver Cox PRESENTER
RSNO Junior Chorus
Sponsored by
The RSNO is proud to work
in partnership with Children’s
Classic Concerts.
BOX OFFICE 0141 353 8000
29
© Snowman Enterprises Ltd 2016
rts for you to enjoy
A ST ANDREW’S
PARTY
SAT 26 NOV 2016 : 7.30PM
It isn’t a St Andrew’s Party
unless fiddle legend Aly Bain
and Phil “fastest fingers in
the west” Cunningham are
doing their stuff with the
RSNO. They’re one of the
most entertaining double
acts in traditional music –
and this year, as the RSNO
celebrates 125 years of great
Scottish music-making,
they’re joining forces with
two of Scotland’s most
glorious voices: Eddi Reader
and Julie Fowlis. Jigs, reels,
jokes – and melodies to set
every heart dancing. Slàinte!
John Logan CONDUCTOR
Phil Cunningham ACCORDION
Aly Bain FIDDLE
Eddi Reader VOCALS
Julie Fowlis VOCALS
Sponsored by
CHILDREN’S CLASSIC
CONCERTS
CHRISTMAS
COUNTDOWN
SUN 4 DEC 2016 :
1PM & 3PM
Kick-start the festive season
here by counting down to the
big day with Owen and Olly.
Treat yourself to a fabulous
selection of Christmas hits as
the magnificent RSNO open
the doors of their musical
advent calendar. With the
Manor School of Ballet.
Owen Gunnell PRESENTER
Oliver Cox PRESENTER
Manor School of Ballet
Sponsored by
THE RSNO
CHRISTMAS
CONCERT
SAT 17 DEC 2016 :
2PM & 6PM
We’re walking in the air…it isn’t
Christmas until The Snowman
has taken you on his magical
journey through the winter sky.
Enjoy this special showing of
the festive classic on large
screen, accompanied by the
RSNO and narrated by a
special star guest. Hosted by
the irrepressible Christopher
Bell, this Christmas party for
the whole family is filled with
seasonal favourites, carols
old and new – and, of course,
a chance for everyone to
sing along!
Christopher Bell CONDUCTOR
RSNO Chorus
RSNO Junior Chorus
HANDEL’S MESSIAH
MON 2 JAN 2017 : 3PM
Handel’s Messiah is as much a
part of the Christmas season
as turkey, tinsel and the John
Lewis advert. And since 1741
it’s been leaving audiences
stirred, uplifted and humming
the tunes. Ev’ry Valley Shall be
Exalted, For Unto Us a Child Is
Born, The Trumpet Shall Sound…
not forgetting the Hallelujah
chorus! With a crack team
of star soloists plus the full
RSNO Chorus, get ready to
experience all the glory, joy
and inspiration of this
timeless masterpiece.
Laurence Cummings
CONDUCTOR
Elizabeth Atherton SOPRANO
Robin Blaze COUNTERTENOR
Joshua Ellicott TENOR
Peter Harvey BARITONE
RSNO Chorus
30
rsno.org.uk/SEASON1617
More great concer
JOHN WILLIAMS
AND FRIENDS
SAT 25 FEB 2017 :
3PM & 7.30PM
From sharks to spies, whether
you’re swashbuckling with
Indiana Jones or cycling though
the air with a little alien who
just wants to phone home,
you already know the tunes.
John Williams has given us the
soundtracks to some of Steven
Spielberg's greatest cinematic
adventures of the past five
decades and no-one knows
this music better than movie
maestro Richard Kaufman.
Including music from Jaws,
Raiders of the Lost Ark, Saving
Private Ryan and Star Wars,
experience the thrill of these
legendary soundtracks live in
concert – with the best sound
quality you’ll ever hear!
Richard Kaufman CONDUCTOR
Sponsored by
MUSICAL SAFARI
THU 30 MAR 2017 : 10.30AM
New Auditorium
Join the musicians of the Royal
Scottish National Orchestra
as we go on a special musical
adventure! Big, little, furry,
funny…what animals will you
hear on our exciting Musical
Safari? Come and clap, dance
and sing along to the jungle
drums as you hear from
musical creatures of all
shapes and sizes.
Come dressed as your
favourite animal or bring a
cuddly animal toy to join in the
fun! This concert is suitable
for pre-schoolers and P1 pupils
(3-6 year olds) and lasts
approximately 30 minutes.
COMPOSERS’ HUB
WORKSHOP
IN FOCUS:
MAHLER SONGS
FRI 31 MAR 2017 : 10AM
New Auditorium
SAT 22 APR 2017 :
10AM-4PM
RSNO Centre, Glasgow
Be there as we hear five brand
new works written especially
for the RSNO by the members
of the RSNO’s Composers’ Hub.
After spending the Season
with the Orchestra working on
a variety of different projects
and learning what goes on
behind the scenes, these five
emerging composers will
have their moment to shine.
In this public workshop, each
composition will be rehearsed
and discussed, with only one
being selected for performance
in the RSNO’s 17:18 Season.
Join RSNO violist Katherine
Wren as she leads a day of
discovery focusing on the
music of Gustav Mahler.
Considered to be one of the
most important composers
in the modern symphony
orchestra’s repertoire, it’s hard
to imagine that his music was
scarcely heard until the 1960s.
Spend the day at the home
of the RSNO and take an
in-depth look at Mahler’s
Rückert-Lieder ahead of the
Orchestra’s performance in
May, alongside the deeply
felt Kindertotenlieder.
Tickets for Mahler in Focus
cost £25 and include lunch
and refreshments.
Spaces are limited.
To book your tickets,
visit rsno.org.uk/engage or
email [email protected]
BOX OFFICE 0141 353 8000
31
rts for you to enjoy
AMADEUS LIVE
SAT 20 MAY 2017 : 7.30PM
Winner of eight Academy
Awards®, four BAFTAs and
four Golden Globes, Amadeus
is more than just a classic
period drama with the best
soundtrack of all time – it’s a
romantic comedy, a mystery,
and a tense psychological
thriller. With Tom Hulce as
Mozart and an Oscar-winning
performance by F. Murray
Abraham as Salieri, it’s also
one of the most entertaining
films ever made about
classical music. Don’t miss
this remarkable screening
with Mozart’s incredible music
performed live by the full
RSNO and RSNO Chorus.
Ludwig Wicki CONDUCTOR
RSNO Chorus
© Saul Zaentz/Warner Bros
32
rsno.org.uk/SEASON1617
RSNO on
tour in 2017
SPAIN
FLORIDA, USA
19–27 JANUARY 2017
13–22 MARCH 2017
Tour presented by Intermusica
Tour presented by CAMI
The RSNO returns to Europe
in January 2017 with a fourdate tour of Spain with Music
Director Peter Oundjian.
Following the success of her
performances in Scotland
with the Orchestra, we’re
delighted that pianist Ingrid
Fliter will be accompanying
us on our travels, performing
Mendelssohn’s First Piano
Concerto.
With Music Director Peter
Oundjian at the helm and guest
soloist Scottish superstar
Nicola Benedetti set to sparkle,
the RSNO is ready to fly the
flag for Scotland in the United
States of America. Our first
tour to the States in thirty-five
years, we’re delighted to make
the trip with an exciting
eight-date tour of Florida.
PROGRAMME 1
Beethoven
Leonore Overture No3
Mendelssohn
Piano Concerto No1
Brahms
Symphony No2
PROGRAMME 2
Rossini
Overture to The Silken Ladder
De Falla
Nights in the Gardens of Spain
Tchaikovsky
Symphony No4
Peter Oundjian CONDUCTOR
Ingrid Fliter PIANO
Full dates and venue
information will be published at
rsno.org.uk/tour
PROGRAMME 1
Borodin
Overture to Prince Igor
Brahms
Violin Concerto
Tchaikovsky
Symphony No4
Don’t miss a special Scottish
preview of this concert in the
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall:
Thu 9 Mar 2017 : 7.30PM
PROGRAMME 2
Debussy
Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
Bruch
Violin Concerto No1
Beethoven
Symphony No5
Don’t miss a special Scottish
preview of this concert in the
Usher Hall, Edinburgh:
Fri 10 Mar 2017 : 7.30PM
Peter Oundjian CONDUCTOR
Nicola Benedetti VIOLIN
13/03/2017
Broward Center,
Fort Lauderdale
14/03/2017
Kravis Performing Arts Center,
West Palm Beach
15/03/2017
Kravis Performing Arts Center,
West Palm Beach
PETER
OUNDJIAN
16/03/2017
Van Wezel Performing Arts
Hall, Sarasota
17/03/2017
Community Church,
Vero Beach
19/03/2017
Phillips Performing Arts Center,
Gainesville
NICOLA
BENEDETTI
20/03/2017
Mann Performing Arts Hall,
Fort Myers
22/03/2017
Peabody Auditorium,
Daytona Beach
Supported by
Northwood Charitable Trust
INGRID
FLITER
Chorus
Spectacular
We’re delighted that the wonderful singers of the RSNO Chorus
and RSNO Junior Chorus will be joining the Orchestra throughout
the Season for some spectacular performances. From Verdi’s
Requiem via Amadeus Live to our brand new commission for
RSNO Chorus, our singers play a central role in the RSNO family
under the guidance of Chorus Directors Gregory Batsleer and
Christopher Bell.
If you are interested in auditioning to join the RSNO Chorus or
have a child interested in auditioning for the RSNO Junior Chorus,
please visit rsno.org.uk/chorus or email [email protected].
RSNO
CHORUS
RSNO
JUNIOR CHORUS
OWEN AND OLLY'S BEASTLY BASH
*
SAT 29 OCT 2016 : 3PM
VERDI REQUIEM
SAT 3 DEC 2016 : 7.30PM
THE RSNO CHRISTMAS CONCERT
*
SAT 17 DEC 2016 : 2PM & 6PM
HANDEL’S MESSIAH
MON 2 JAN 2017 : 3PM
BRAHMS AND BARRY
SAT 6 MAY 2017 : 7.30PM
AMADEUS LIVE
SAT 20 MAY 2017 : 7.30PM
MAHLER THREE*
SAT 3 JUN 2017 : 7.30PM
*featuring the RSNO Junior Chorus
BOX OFFICE 0141 353 8000
33
RSNO CHORUS
ACADEMY
COME AND SING :
MOZART REQUIEM
TUESDAYS : 6PM-8PM
SAT 1 APRIL 2017 :
10AM-5PM;
public concert 6PM
Are you passionate about
classical music but have never
sung it before? Then come
and join the RSNO Chorus
Academy. Open to singers of
all abilities, the group is led by
RSNO Chorus Director Gregory
Batsleer and will focus on
choral and singing techniques
and musicianship, including
reading a musical score. The
Academy meets on a Tuesday
night and is a fun way to meet
like-minded individuals and
develop your singing.
For more information about
how to book for the RSNO
Chorus Academy, visit
rsno.org.uk/chorus-academy
or email [email protected].
BLOCK 1
November 22, 29
December 6, 13
January 10, 17, 24
Saturday January 28 afternoon
rehearsal 2.30PM–4.30PM
with a sharing event for friends
and family at 5PM
BLOCK 2
April 18, 25
May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Saturday 3 June 2.30PM–
4.30PM with a pre-concert
Choral Recital at 5PM
Don’t miss this amazing
opportunity to sing live in the
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
accompanied by Scotland’s
National Orchestra! One of
the greatest pieces written
for chorus, Mozart’s Requiem
is full of glorious harmonies.
Join Chorus Director Gregory
Batsleer and members of
the RSNO Chorus for the
day to rehearse Mozart’s
spine-tingling Requiem,
before putting on a live
public performance with the
Orchestra and soloists from
the Royal Conservatoire of
Scotland for family and friends.
This is your chance to stop
singing in the shower and
come and sing with Scotland’s
National Orchestra!
Come and Sing participation
tickets: £25, including tea
and coffee.
Come and Sing audience
tickets: £10, U26 £6, U16 free
For more information about
how to participate in Come
and Sing Mozart, please visit
rsno.org.uk/come-and-sing or
email [email protected].
34
rsno.org.uk/SEASON1617
© Snowman Enterprises Ltd 2016
Family
Concerts
Introduce your little
ones to the wonder
of classical music
with our familyfriendly concerts.
See their faces light up as they
watch The Snowman on the
big screen accompanied live
by the musicians of Scotland’s
National Orchestra or enjoy
the antics of Children’s Classic
Concerts presenters Owen and
Olly in our special Hallowe’en
and Christmas concerts. The
perfect way to start their own
musical journey.
See pages 28–31 for full
details of our family concerts.
A GREAT NIGHT
OUT FOR THE
WHOLE FAMILY
CHILDREN’S CLASSIC
CONCERTS
CHILDREN’S CLASSIC
CONCERTS
SAT 29 OCT 2016 : 3PM
SUN 4 DEC 2016 :
1PM & 3PM
JOHN WILLIAMS
AND FRIENDS
MUSICAL SAFARI
OWEN AND OLLY’S
BEASTLY BASH
SAT 25 FEB 2017 :
3PM & 7.30PM
CHRISTMAS
COUNTDOWN
THE RSNO
CHRISTMAS
CONCERT
SAT 17 DEC 2016 :
2PM & 6PM
THU 30 MAR 2017 : 10.30AM
New Auditorium
With the RSNO, there’s no need to pay the
babysitter! Children are welcome to all RSNO
Season concerts in the Glasgow Royal Concert
Hall. From Beethoven to Rachmaninov, children
aged 15 and under can experience the full
wonder of the RSNO live in concert for free
when accompanied by an adult.
Plus, show your U16 ticket to the programme
sellers on the night and you’ll receive a free
concert programme. (Maximum two free
children per adult ticket. Additional children
£6 each.)
BOX OFFICE 0141 353 8000
35
RSNO Engage
Inspiring the next generation
SPECIAL
OFFERS
RSNO TAKEOVER
2017
YOUNG
AMBASSADORS
RSNO FOR
SCHOOLS
RSNO Takeover is a Music
Teacher Award nominated
two-day work experience
programme for anyone
aged 16 to 18 who wants to
work in the arts. Fifty young
people are given the chance
to work across the RSNO.
From marketing, press and
PR, to fundraising, teaching,
conducting and performing,
participants are involved in
every aspect of preparing a
classical concert.
Are you interested in classical
music and aged 16 to 18?
Why not become an RSNO
Young Ambassador? RSNO
Ambassadors attend concerts
and spread the word about
great classical music to
their peers. They have the
chance to meet musicians
and conductors, and act as
a youth advisory board for
the Orchestra.
Every year the RSNO delivers
a series of specially tailored
workshops and activities for
nursery, primary and secondary
schools. Full information about
RSNO Engage for Schools can
be found at rsno.org.uk/engage.
If you’re interested in taking
part in RSNO Takeover on
Monday 12 and Tuesday 13
June 2017, apply online at
rsno.org.uk/engage or email
the RSNO Engage Team at
[email protected].
Call the RSNO Engage Team
today on 0141 225 3552 to
find out more about becoming
a Young Ambassador.
School and youth groups are
most welcome to all RSNO
Season concerts. Musician
meet and greets and special
pre-concert talks can be
arranged for groups. All tickets
are £6 with accompanying
adults going free*.
Please phone the RSNO
Engage Team to book
on 0141 225 3552.
TICKET OFFERS
FOR YOUNG
PEOPLE
The RSNO has a number of
great ticket offers for young
people*. Details of each offer
can be found at the back of
this brochure on p39.
Under 16s go free
Under 26s and mature
students £6
14-18’s attend for free
with friends
School and youth groups
£6 tickets
*Terms and conditions apply.
Offers are subject to availability.
“Truly fantastic experience. Thoroughly enjoyed my time and learned
so many new things I’ll use in the future. Highly recommend this to
anyone – you don’t have to play an instrument to be involved!”
Megan Lawson : RSNO Takeover 2015
36
rsno.org.uk/SEASON1617
JOIN THE
RSNO CIRCLE
... and get to know us better
For 125 years, audiences in Scotland
and across the globe have revelled in
the rich RSNO sound. Its history and
pedigree is exceptional.
In 1900, Gustav Holst joined the Orchestra as second trombone.
In 1902, Richard Strauss conducted a programme including his
Don Juan and Death and Transfiguration. In 1933, John Barbirolli
became Principal Conductor. And we cannot overlook our modern
history such as the tenure of Music Director Sir Alexander Gibson
or the definitive recordings of Neeme Järvi.
Our move to the new RSNO Centre at the Glasgow Royal Concert
Hall is the foundation stone for the next era. In addition to our
artistic team, led by Music Director Peter Oundjian and Principal
Guest Conductor Thomas Søndergård, the new building will
be the catalyst to drive forward our clear vision for the RSNO
over the coming years. It will contribute immensely to the
development of the Orchestra’s distinctive sound, alongside
the acclaimed RSNO Chorus and Junior Chorus.
SUPPORT THE RSNO BY BECOMING A
MEMBER OF THE RSNO CIRCLE TODAY.
YOUR GIFT WILL ENABLE US TO:
Secure a new programme
of concerts for children,
schools and families.
Prepare the foundations for
a regular commitment to
international touring, flying
the flag for Scotland’s
National Orchestra
overseas and building
confidence and pride
around the RSNO on an
international stage.
Launch the RSNO’s new
record label and develop
and promote a new
programme of recordings.
Progress our broadcast
schedule with weekly
concert slots on Classic FM
and more regular
broadcasts on BBC Radio 3.
Continue the conservation
of the RSNO archive.
BOX OFFICE 0141 353 8000
37
AS A MEMBER OF THE
RSNO CIRCLE YOU WILL:
Receive advance information and priority
single ticket booking for Season concerts.
Have the opportunity to attend
RSNO Circle Open Rehearsals.
Be kept up to date with RSNO news
with our magazine Inner Circle.
Be informed about RSNO Circle events
in your area.
Be acknowledged in our Season concert
programmes (Sonata, Concerto, Symphony
and Virtuoso supporters only).
Provide vital support to Scotland’s
great national symphony orchestra.
Get to know us better!
To join the RSNO Circle please add a gift to
your subscription payment. Simply complete
the box on the booking form with your
preferred level of membership.
Alternatively, if you do not wish to join the
Circle at this time, please do make a one-off
gift on your booking form.
You can make your gift go further by dating and
signing the Gift Aid box. If you are a UK taxpayer
the RSNO will be able to claim an additional 25p
for every £1 you donate.
Thank you to all our Circle members who kindly
give to support our work on and off the concert
podium.
If you have any questions about the Circle
please telephone 0141 225 3565 or email
[email protected].
YOUR LEVEL OF SUPPORT:
VIRTUOSO*
SYMPHONY*
CONCERTO*
£270
£120
or £90 per month
by Direct Debit
or £45 per month
by Direct Debit
or £22.50 per month
by Direct Debit
or £10 per month
by Direct Debit
£1,080
£540
* Sonata, Concerto, Symphony and Virtuoso members will be acknowledged in RSNO Season programmes.
SONATA*
OVERTURE
£35/30†
annually
Concession
†
38
rsno.org.uk/SEASON1617
A big thank you to our partners
PRINCIPAL SPONSORS & CORPORATE DONORS
PRINCIPAL MEDIA PARTNER
BROADCAST PARTNER
CORPORATE PARTNERS
First Rule Investment Consultancy Ltd
Glasgow Chamber of Commerce
Institute of Directors
Scots Magazine
OFFICIAL TRANSPORT PROVIDER
CHAIR SPONSORS
The Scottish Council for
Development & Industry
Smart Graphics
PROJECT PARTNERS
Children’s Classic Concerts
Children’s Hospice Association Scotland
Culture Republic
Drake Music Scotland
Glasgow Life
Horsecross Arts
National Trust for Scotland
National Youth Choir of Scotland
Renfrewshire Council
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care
Sistema Scotland
Skills Development Scotland
Starcatchers
Usher Hall
Young Scot
We’re taking the train so why don’t you?
ScotRail is the RSNO’s Official Transport Provider for the Season. RSNO musicians will not only travel in comfort to all corners of the nation,
but will also reduce the environmental impact of a busy touring schedule. We recommend you make tracks for our concerts by taking the
train. Glasgow Royal Concert Hall is just minutes from both Queen Street and Central Stations. With convenient, fast and frequent services
throughout Scotland and a wide range of great value off-peak and group fares, ScotRail is bound to have just the ticket to hit the right note!
Visit scotrail.co.uk or call 0344 811 0141 to book tickets.
BOX OFFICE 0141 353 8000
39
Book your tickets today!
35%
SAVE UP TO
BY SUBSCRIBING
TO THE SEASON!
BOOKING FOUR OR MORE
SEASON CONCERTS?
Complete and return the booking form in the centre of this
brochure to access our great ticket discounts.
BOOK YOUR TICKETS
Online*: rsno.org.uk
Phone*: 0141 353 8000
Open Mon–Sat 10am to 6pm
In person: Visit the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Box Office
at 2 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3NY
Open Mon–Sat 10am to 6pm
*A transaction fee of £1 is charged for online bookings and £1.50 for phone
bookings. Postage, where applicable, is charged at £1. Fees correct at time
of print.
SINGLE TICKET PRICES
Season concerts: £36, £28, £22, £16.50, £12.50
Film, Festive and Gala concerts: £35, £26, £17
Kelvingrove concerts: Seated £25, £20, Standing £10
Under the Skin of: £25
RSNO Chamber concerts: £12.50
Symphony, Soup and a Sandwich concerts: £12.50
plus £7.50 for lunch ticket
Children’s Classic Concerts: Adult from £10, Child from £6
Musical Safari: £7.50 per child (Adult free)
Composers’ Hub Workshop: £10
In Focus / Come and Sing participation: £25
Come and Sing audience: £10
UNDER 16s GO FREE
Children aged 15 or under go
free to all 19 RSNO Season
concerts in the Glasgow Royal
Concert Hall. Children must
be accompanied by a paying
adult. Maximum of two free
children’s tickets per adult.
Additional children £6 each.
Show your ticket on the night
to receive a free programme.
UNDER 26s AND
MATURE STUDENTS
If you are aged between 16
and 25 inclusive, or are in
full-time education, you can
purchase tickets to all 19
RSNO Season concerts in the
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
for £6 each*. Proof of age or
valid full-time student card
must be shown.
14–18 YEAR OLDS
The RSNO has a limited
number of free tickets
available for each of our
concerts, which are intended
to encourage 14–18 year olds
who are interested in classical
music, and want to attend
RSNO concerts with friends.
You can apply for these tickets
by calling the Engage team
on 0141 225 3552.
UNEMPLOYED
If you are of working age and
in receipt of unemployment
benefit, you can purchase
tickets to all 19 RSNO Season
concerts in the Glasgow Royal
Concert Hall for £6 each*.
PATRONS WITH
DISABILITIES
Patrons with disabilities
and their carers are entitled
to 50% off full price single
tickets. Please purchase
tickets in advance. (Disabled
concessions are not applicable
to subscription prices.)
Wheelchair spaces (£6 each)
are situated at the ends of
Terraces A and C. Access for
disabled patrons is via the
North Entrance (Killermont
Street). Lifts are available
to all levels.
GREAT DISCOUNTS
FOR GROUPS
Groups of 6–10 save 20% off
full price tickets. Groups of 11+
save 30% off full price tickets.
Email [email protected]
to book. Discounts are subject
to availability.
SCHOOL AND
YOUTH GROUPS
School and youth groups are
most welcome to all 19 RSNO
Season concerts. All tickets
are £6, with accompanying
adults going free*. Please email
[email protected] to book.
*Seating area restrictions may
apply to some performances.
Subject to availability.
Full details of RSNO ticket
offers are available online at
rsno.org.uk/great-ticket-offers
Subscriptions on sale from Wednesday 16 March 2016. Single tickets on general
sale from Tuesday 3 May 2016. RSNO Circle members can priority book single
tickets from Monday 25 April 2016.
2016:17 SEASON
Music at the Museum
Verdi Requiem
Beethoven’s Eroica
Chamber: Delightful Strings
GLW Fri 16 Sep 2016 : 8PM
GLW Sat 17 Sep 2016 : 8PM
EDN Fri 2 Dec 2016
GLW Sat 3 Dec 2016
GLW Sun 7 May 2017 : 2.30PM
Under the Skin of
Rachmaninov
Children’s Classic Concerts:
Christmas Countdown
EDN Fri 3 Mar 2017
GLW Sat 4 Mar 2017
ABN Sun 5 Mar 2017 : 3PM
GLW Wed 5 Oct 2016
GLW Sun 4 Dec 2016 : 1PM & 3PM
Benedetti Plays Tchaikovsky
Vogt Plays Beethoven
EDN Fri 7 Oct 2016
GLW Sat 8 Oct 2016
EDN Fri 9 Dec 2016
GLW Sat 10 Dec 2016
Chamber: Schubert Octet
Children’s Classic Concerts:
Christmas Swingalong
GLW Sun 9 Oct 2016 : 2.30PM
Lewis Plays The Emperor
DND Thu 13 Oct 2016
EDN Fri 14 Oct 2016
GLW Sat 15 Oct 2016
Beethoven Seven
EDN Fri 21 Oct 2016
GLW Sat 22 Oct 2016
ABN Sun 23 Oct 2016 : 3PM
Symphony, Soup and a
Sandwich: Beethoven Eight
GLW Wed 26 Oct 2016 : 1PM
Children’s Classic Concerts:
Owen and Olly’s Beastly Bash
GLW Sat 29 Oct 2016 : 3PM
EDN Sun 30 Oct 2016 : 3PM
Rachmaninov Three
DND Thu 3 Nov 2016
EDN Fri 4 Nov 2016
GLW Sat 5 Nov 2016
Mahler One
PTH Thu 10 Nov 2016
EDN Fri 11 Nov 2016
GLW Sat 12 Nov 2016
Dvořák Cello Concerto
EDN Sun 11 Dec 2016 : 3PM
The RSNO Christmas Concert
DND Fri 16 Dec 2016
GLW Sat 17 Dec 2016 : 2PM & 6PM
EDN Sun 18 Dec 2016 : 3PM
Handel’s Messiah
GLW Mon 2 Jan 2017 : 3PM
Viennese Gala
DNF Fri 6 Jan 2017
LNG Sat 7 Jan 2017
PTH Sun 8 Jan 2017
INV Tues 10 Jan 2017
STR Wed 11 Jan 2017
RSNO in Concert
KDY Fri 27 Jan 2017
MSB Sat 28 Jan 2017
The Lark Ascending
EDN Fri 3 Feb 2017
GLW Sat 4 Feb 2017
Chamber: Sibelius & Strauss
Piano Quartets
GLW Sun 5 Feb 2017 : 2.30PM
Tchaikovsky Four
Symphony, Soup and a
Sandwich: Dvořák Six
A Night at the Ballet
Benedetti Plays Brahms
GLW Sat 13 May 2017
GLW Thu 9 Mar 2017
Amadeus Live
Benedetti Plays Bruch
EDN Fri 19 May 2017
GLW Sat 20 May 2017
EDN Fri 10 Mar 2017
Musical Safari
GLW Thu 30 Mar 2017 : 10.30AM
Composers’ Hub Workshop
GLW Fri 31 Mar 2017 : 10AM
Come and Sing:
Mozart Requiem
EDN Fri 26 May 2017
GLW Sat 27 May 2017
Season Finale! Mahler Three
RSNO in Concert
GLW Wed 5 Apr 2017
Brahms Four
DND Thu 6 Apr 2017
EDN Fri 7 Apr 2017
GLW Sat 8 Apr 2017
Chamber: Beethoven Quintet
GLW Sun 9 Apr 2017 : 2.30PM
Beethoven One
EDN Fri 21 Apr 2017
GLW Sat 22 Apr 2017
In Focus: Mahler
GLW Sat 22 Apr 2017 : 10AM
EDN Sat 20 May 2017 : 10AM
Järvi’s 80th Birthday
GLW Sun 20 Nov 2016 : 2.30PM
EDN Fri 17 Feb 2017
GLW Sat 18 Feb 2017
Brahms Three
19 Killermont Street, Glasgow G2 3NX
+44 (0)141 226 3868
rsno.org.uk
Scottish Company No 27809
Scottish Charity No SC010702
Sibelius Five
Under the Skin of Beethoven
Chamber: Italian Strings
EDN Fri 24 Feb 2017
GLA Sat 25 Feb 2017 : 3PM & 7.30PM
DND Sun 26 Feb 2017 : 3PM
GLW Sun 21 May 2017 : 2.30PM
EDN Fri 2 Jun 2017
GLW Sat 3 Jun 2017
EDN Fri 28 Apr 2017
GLW Sat 29 Apr 2017
ABN Sun 30 Apr 2017 : 3PM
John Williams and Friends
Chamber: Masters of the Bass
GLW Sat 1 Apr 2017 : 10AM
PTH Thu 9 Feb 2017
EDN Fri 10 Feb 2017
DND Sat 11 Feb 2017
GLW Sat 26 Nov 2016
GLW Wed 10 May 2017 : 1PM
GLW Wed 8 Mar 2017 : 1PM
EDN Fri 18 Nov 2016
GLW Sat 19 Nov 2016
A St Andrew’s Party
Symphony Soup and a
Sandwich: Dvořák Eight
Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique
EDN Fri 5 May 2017
GLW Sat 6 May 2017
DNF Sat 10 Jun 2017
All concerts start at 7.30PM
unless otherwise noted.
BOX OFFICE NUMBERS
Aberdeen ABN 01224 641122
Dundee DND 01382 434940
Dunfermline DNF 01383 602302
Edinburgh EDN 0131 228 1155
Glasgow GLW 0141 353 8000
Inverness INV 01463 234234
Kirkcaldy KDY 01592 583302
Langholm LNG 01387 381196
Musselburgh MSB 0131 665 2240
Perth PTH 01738 621031
Stirling STR 01786 473544
Thank you to:
RSNO photography:
© Mark Hamilton 2016
Lighting and projections:
Phil Smith, Matthew Smith –
Phil Smith Associates Ltd
Design concept: Ken Maskrey
Design consultants: Stand
The RSNO is supported by
the Scottish Government