The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) ( gd, Orcastra Nàiseanta Rìoghail na h-Alba) is a British orchestra, based in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...

, Scotland. It is one of the five

national performing arts companies of Scotland Scotland's national performing arts companies are directly funded by the Scottish Government. In the country's performing arts circles, they are often referred to as the Big Five.''Scottish arts face £2 million funding cut'', ''The Daily Telegr ...

. Throughout its history, the Orchestra has played an essential part in Scotland’s musical life, including performing at the opening ceremony of the Scottish Parliament building in 2004. Its music centre and rehearsal studios are directly connected to the

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Glasgow Royal Concert Hall is a concert and arts venue located in Glasgow, Scotland. It is owned by Glasgow City Council and operated by Glasgow Life, an agency of Glasgow City Council, which also runs Glasgow's City Halls and Old Fruitmarket ...

. The RSNO performs throughout Scotland, at such venues as Glasgow Royal Concert Hall,

Usher Hall The Usher Hall is a concert hall in Edinburgh, Scotland. It has hosted concerts and events since its construction in 1914 and can hold approximately 2,200 people in its recently restored auditorium, which is well loved by performers due to its ...

, Caird Hall, Aberdeen Music Hall, Perth Concert Hall and

Eden Court Theatre Eden Court Theatre (Scottish Gaelic: Cùirt an Easbaig) is a large theatre, cinema and arts venue situated in Inverness, Scotland close to the banks of the River Ness. The theatre has recently undergone a complete refurbishment and major exten ...

Thomas Søndergård Thomas Søndergård (born 4 October 1969 in Holstebro, Denmark) is a Danish conductor and percussionist. Biography EUYO Søndergård studied percussion at the Royal Danish Academy of Music from 1989 to 1992, where his teachers included Gert Mort ...

is the orchestra's current music director, since 2018.

History

The precursor ensemble to the RSNO was established in 1843 to accompany the Glasgow Choral Union (today known as the RSNO Chorus). In 1891, the orchestra was recognised formally as the ''Scottish Orchestra'', with

George Henschel Sir Isidor George Henschel (18 February 185010 September 1934) was a German-born British baritone, pianist, conductor, and composer. His first wife Lillian was also a singer. He was the first conductor of both the Boston Symphony Orchestra ...

as the ensemble's first principal conductor under that name. In 1950, the orchestra took the name of the ''Scottish National Orchestra''. The orchestra received

royal patronage Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

in 1977, one of only three British orchestras to do so (after the

Royal Philharmonic The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...

and

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is a music organisation based in Liverpool, England, that manages a professional symphony orchestra, a concert venue, and extensive programmes of learning through music. Its orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmon ...

). It continued to use the name 'Scottish National Orchestra' until 1991, when it changed to its present name (although during 1992 it briefly changed to the title ''Royal Scottish Orchestra'' before reverting to its current name). The orchestra's longest-serving principal conductor was Sir Alexander Gibson, the first Scot to be its principal conductor and musical director, from 1959 to 1984, who is also the founder of

Scottish Opera Scottish Opera is the national opera company of Scotland, and one of the five national performing arts companies of Scotland. Founded in 1962 and based in Glasgow, it is the largest performing arts organisation in Scotland. History Scottish O ...

. He pioneered overseas tours by the Orchestra, the SNO Junior Chorus and by Scottish Opera. He also became Hon President of the

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland ( gd, Conservatoire Rìoghail na h-Alba), formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama ( gd, Acadamaidh Rìoghail Ciùil is Dràma na h-Alba) is a conservatoire of dance, drama, music, production, and ...

. During Gibson's tenure, beginning in 1979, the RSNO's base was at Henry Wood Hall in Glasgow and this space was also used as its recording venue. Gibson was particularly noted for his interpretations of

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

n composers, notably

Jean Sibelius Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...

and

Carl Nielsen Carl August Nielsen (; 9 June 1865 – 3 October 1931) was a Danish composer, conductor and violinist, widely recognized as his country's most prominent composer. Brought up by poor yet musically talented parents on the island of Funen, he ...

. His successor,

Neeme Järvi Neeme Järvi (; born 7 June 1937) is an Estonian American conductor. Early life Järvi was born in Tallinn. He initially studied music there, and later in Leningrad at the Leningrad Conservatory under Yevgeny Mravinsky, and Nikolai Rabinovich ...

, continued this tradition, and also led the orchestra through its first complete Gustav Mahler cycle. Principal conductor from 1984 to 1988, Järvi currently has the title of conductor laureate with the RSNO.

Bryden Thomson Bryden Thomson (16 July 1928 – 14 November 1991) was a Scottish conductor remembered especially for his championship of British and Scandinavian composers. His recordings include influential surveys of the orchestral music of Hamilton Harty a ...

, the orchestra's second Scottish principal conductor, maintained the Nordic link with a cycle of Nielsen symphonies.

Alexander Lazarev Alexander Nikolayevich Lazarev (russian: Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Ла́зарев; born 5 July 1945, Moscow, Soviet Union) is a Russian conductor. He studied at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, and later at the Moscow Conser ...

was principal conductor of the RSNO from 1997 to 2005, and now has the title of conductor emeritus with the orchestra.

Marin Alsop Marin Alsop ( �mɛər.ɪn ˈæːl.sɑːp born October 16, 1956) is an American conductor, the first woman to win the Koussevitzky Prize for conducting and the first conductor to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship. She is music director laureate o ...

was the RSNO's principal guest conductor from 2000 to 2003, the first woman to hold the title. Garry Walker succeeded Alsop as principal guest conductor, serving from 2003 to 2007. Stéphane Denève was music director of the RSNO from 2005 to 2012. During his tenure, the RSNO recorded music of Debussy and of

Albert Roussel Albert Charles Paul Marie Roussel (; 5 April 1869 – 23 August 1937) was a French composer. He spent seven years as a midshipman, turned to music as an adult, and became one of the most prominent French composers of the interwar period. His ...

, the latter for

Naxos Records Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about ...

. In January 2011, the RSNO announced the appointment of

Peter Oundjian Peter Oundjian (born 21 December 1955) is a Canadian-American violinist and conductor. Early life Born in Toronto, Ontario, as the youngest of five children from an Armenian father and English mother, Oundjian also claims Scottish ancestry throug ...

as its next music director, as of the 2012–2013 season, with an initial contract of 4 years. In October 2011,

was named the orchestra's principal guest conductor, as of the 2012–2013 season, with an initial contract of 3 years for 3 programmes per year. In 2015, the orchestra took up new residence at the RSNO Centre and Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. The RSNO's current assistant conductor is Holly Mathieson, since September 2016. Oundjian is scheduled to conclude his tenure as RSNO music director after the close of the 2017–2018 season. In May 2017, the RSNO announced the appointment of Søndergård as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2018-2019 season. In June 2017, the RSNO appointed

Elim Chan Elim Chan (; born 18 November 1986) is a Hong Kong-born conductor. Elim Chan has been the chief conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra since the 2019-2020 concert season and has been the permanent guest conductor of the Royal Scottish Nati ...

as its next principal guest conductor, effective 2018, following her first guest-conducting appearance with the RSNO in January 2017 and a return engagement a fortnight later as an emergency substitute for Neeme Järvi. In February 2021, the RSNO announced the extension of Søndergård's contract as music director through autumn 2024. In December 2018, the RSNO announced the appointment of Alistair Mackie as its next chief executive, effective April 2019.

RSNO Chorus and RSNO Junior Chorus

The affiliated choruses of the RSNO are the RSNO Chorus and the RSNO Junior Chorus. The RSNO Chorus evolved from a choir formed in 1843 to sing the first full performance of Handel's ''Messiah'' in Scotland, in April 1844. In addition to its commitment to the RSNO, the Chorus performs independently and has toured worldwide. The current chorus director is Gregory Batsleer. In 1978, Jean Kidd formed the RSNO Junior Chorus. In 1994 its director became Christopher Bell and then in 2018 it changed to Patrick Barrett. The RSNO Junior Chorus has a membership of around 400 singers, aged from eight to eighteen. The members learn to sing using the Kodály method.

Recordings

Glasgow_Royal_Concert_Hall_%286182751252%29

The orchestra has had a long-standing recording contract with

Chandos Records Chandos Records is a British independent classical music recording company based in Colchester. It was founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.Naxos Records Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about ...

, most notably in a cycle of Anton Bruckner symphonies with

Georg Tintner Georg Tintner, (22 May 19172 October 1999) was an Austrian conductor whose career was principally in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. Although best known as a conductor, he was also a composer (he considered himself a composer who conducted ...

, cycles of

Arnold Bax Sir Arnold Edward Trevor Bax, (8 November 1883 – 3 October 1953) was an English composer, poet, and author. His prolific output includes songs, choral music, chamber pieces, and solo piano works, but he is best known for his orchestral musi ...

symphonies with David Lloyd-Jones, and several recordings of American works (including the complete orchestral works of

Samuel Barber Samuel Osmond Barber II (March 9, 1910 – January 23, 1981) was an American composer, pianist, conductor, baritone, and music educator, and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century. The music critic Donal Henahan said, "Proba ...

) conducted by

. With Denève, their first Roussel recording received the Diapason d'Or de l'année for Symphonic Music. The second disc in the series was released in 2008.

Principal conductors

(1893–1895) *

Willem Kes Willem Kes (Dordrecht, 16 February 1856 – München, 22 February 1934, was a Dutch conductor, composer, violist, and violinist. He was the first principal conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, holding that position from 1888 to ...

(1895–1898) * Wilhelm Bruch (1898–1900) *

Frederic Cowen Sir Frederic Hymen Cowen (29 January 1852 – 6 October 1935), was an English composer, conductor and pianist. Early years and musical education Cowen was born Hymen Frederick Cohen at 90 Duke Street, Kingston, Jamaica, the fifth and last ch ...

(1900–1910) *

Emil Młynarski Emil Szymon Młynarski (; 18 July 18705 April 1935) was a Polish conductor, violinist, composer, and pedagogue. Life Młynarski was born in Kibarty (Kybartai), Russian Empire, now in Lithuania. He studied violin with Leopold Auer and composi ...

(1910–1916) *

Landon Ronald Sir Landon Ronald (born Landon Ronald Russell) (7 June 1873 – 14 August 1938) was an English conductor, composer, pianist, teacher and administrator. In his early career he gained work as an accompanist and ''répétiteur'', but struggled ...

(1919–1923) *

Václav Talich Václav Talich (; 28 May 1883, Kroměříž – 16 March 1961, Beroun) was a Czechs, Czech violin, violinist and later a musical pedagogue. He is remembered today as one of the greatest conducting, conductors of the 20th century, the object of co ...

(1926–1927) *

Vladimir Golschmann Vladimir Golschmann (16 December 18931 March 1972) was a French-American conductor. Biography Vladimir Golschmann was born in Paris. He studied violin at the Schola Cantorum in Paris. He was a notable advocate of the music of the composers ...

(1928–1930) *

John Barbirolli Sir John Barbirolli ( Giovanni Battista Barbirolli; 2 December 189929 July 1970) was a British conductor and cellist. He is remembered above all as conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, which he helped save from dissolution in 19 ...

(1933–1936) *

George Szell George Szell (; June 7, 1897 – July 30, 1970), originally György Széll, György Endre Szél, or Georg Szell, was a Hungarian-born American conductor and composer. He is widely considered one of the twentieth century's greatest condu ...

(1937–1939) * Warwick Braithwaite (1940–1946) *

Walter Susskind Jan Walter Susskind (1 May 1913 – 25 March 1980) was a Czech-born British conductor, teacher and pianist. He began his career in his native Prague, and fled to Britain when Germany invaded the city in 1939. He worked for substantial periods in ...

(1946–1952) *

Karl Rankl Karl Rankl (1 October 1898 – 6 September 1968) was a British conductor and composer who was of Austrian birth. A pupil of the composers Schoenberg and Webern, he conducted at opera houses in Austria, Germany and Czechoslovakia until fleeing f ...

(1952–1957) *

Hans Swarowsky Hans Swarowsky (September 16, 1899September 10, 1975,) was an Austrian conductor of Hungarian birth. Swarowsky was born in Budapest, Hungary. He studied the art of conducting under Felix Weingartner and Richard Strauss. Jiří Vysloužil, ...

(1957–1959) * Alexander Gibson (1959–1984) *

(1984–1988) *

(1988–1990) * Walter Weller (1992–1997) *

(1997–2005) * Stéphane Denève (2005–2012) *

(2012–2018) *

(2018–present)

References

Sources

* ''Playing for Scotland: History of the Royal Scottish Orchestra''; author Conrad Wilson, published by Collins, 1993.

External links

Royal Scottish National Orchestra official website
{{Authority control 1891 establishments in Scotland Musical groups established in 1891 British symphony orchestras Culture in Aberdeen Culture in Dundee Culture in Edinburgh Music in Glasgow Organisations based in Glasgow National Orchestra Scottish orchestras National performing arts companies of Scotland Scottish Arts organizations established in 1891