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Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Welcome to the SCO. We have been inspiring audiences and connecting with communities since 1974, delivering diverse programmes that are open to all. Embrace the classics, discover exciting new music, and create beautiful musical memories with us!

26/27 Booking

Priority booking is now open online for customers who bought 4+ concerts in a single transaction for the 25/26 Season in Edinburgh, Glasgow or St Andrews.

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Coming up

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  1. Cello Classics

    –

    Summer Tour

    Arbroath
    Aberdeen
    Fraserburgh
    ...and more!
    Experience the cello like never before with this vibrant programme led by SCO Principal Cello Philip Higham.
  2. Illustration of musicians and children

    Big Ears, Little Ears at V&A Dundee

    Summer Tour

    Dundee
    These interactive performances are playful, multi-sensory introductions to live orchestral music.

  3. Dementia-Friendly Concert

    Summer Tour

    Glenrothes
    Our popular dementia-friendly concerts take pride of place in our Summer Tour.
  4. Moira Morrison leads a small group in Craigmillar Castle

    Make Music Day

    Community

    Edinburgh
    Make Music Day, which takes every year, encourages everyone to participate in music!

  5. Duruflé Requiem

    –

    Summer Tour

    Edinburgh
    St Andrews
    Join the SCO Chorus for an evening of profound beauty and spiritual depth.

  6. Summer Classics

    –

    Summer Tour

    Oban
    Callander
    Kingussie
    ...and more!
    An evening of wit and Mediterranean warmth awaits you, as Lucas Macías conducts a programme that lets our wind soloists truly shine.

  7. Highland Classics

    –

    Summer Tour

    Inverness
    Findhorn
    Blair Atholl
    This summer, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra brings a sparkling programme of classical favourites and virtuosic flair to Highland audiences.

  8. SCO at East Neuk Festival

    Summer Tour

    St Monans
    East Neuk Festival 2026 closes on a high note with Haydn and Mozart at their most splendid and entertaining.

  9. VIBE in the Borders

    –

    Workshop

    Galashiels
    Join VIBE and the Harris Trust's SPaRKs programme.
  10. VIBE Particpants in 2025 performing at the Melrose Music Festival

    VIBE in the Borders

    –

    Workshop

    Galashiels
    A FREE music-making project for 30 students in S1-3 who love singing or playing an instrument.
A triptych of images of players. featuring Cerys Ambrose Evans, Shaun Harrold and Rachel Smith

Multibuy Savings and Discounts

Save up to 25%
Advance Booking
Under 18s FREE
£6 Under 26s

Discover the benefits of becoming a multibuyer and learn about other discounts available.

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10 Latest videos  

Peter Franks plays the trumper. He wears glasses and a black suit and tie.

26/27 Season Trailer

00:38

All particpants in the Music for Life films headshots.

Music for Life

01:43

Summer Tour 2026

00:31

Su-a Lee poses for a photo with Rhona Smith.

Tapestry: Craigmillar Celebration

03:10

Craigmillar singers come together under the direction of Moira Morrison

Tapestry: Full Performance

31:37

Jay sits admiring the filming of his work

Whisky Mouth

5:49

A babys hand and fathers hand link.

The Night Watch

09:10

Bruckner's Skull

19:50

Silent Night

5:54

Image with Maxim conducting with cameras around

The Origin of Colour

14:50

26/27 Season Concerts

Explore more
  1. Two elderly people smile as they are served tea at the concert

    Dementia-friendly Concerts

    –

    Community

    Stirling
    Dumfries
    Enjoy an afternoon of music and join our musicians as they perform a programme designed especially for people living with dementia.
  2. An illustartion of two young lovers dancing under chandeliers with pink stars surrounding them and moonlight.

    Viennese New Year

    –

    Matinee

    Edinburgh
    Aberdeen
    Ayr
    Step into the sparkling elegance of a Viennese ballroom as we welcome the New Year in style.
  3. An illustration of a moon and pink stars

    Chorus Christmas Concert

    –

    Choral

    Edinburgh
    Return to the serenity of Greyfriars Kirk for an evening of reflection and warmth in one of Edinburgh’s most atmospheric spaces.
  4. Cerys and Cebrian in costume as their Gaboon characters with their instruments performing.

    The Great Grumpy Gaboon

    –

    Community

    Dundee
    Aberdeen
    Glasgow
    After three sold-out seasons, the Great Grumpy Gaboon is back and ready to take you on a spellbinding adventure.
  5. Maxim plays a recorder like instrument to a full crowd.

    Baroque Inspirations

    –

    Edinburgh
    Glasgow
    Join Maxim Emelyanychev for an evening of contrasts and connections, where timeless style sparks fresh creativity.
  6. Benedetti smiles as she plays the violin. She weard a sleeveless light dress.

    Brahms Double Concerto

    –

    Perth
    Edinburgh
    Glasgow
    To close the Season we invite you to an extraordinary evening centred on one of the jewels of the Romantic repertoire.
  7. Roderick sings with the orchestra playing behind. He wears a white unbuttoned shirt and a black jacket.

    Beethoven's Missa Solemnis

    –

    Choral

    Edinburgh
    Glasgow
    Conducted by Andrew Manze, this performance is a rare opportunity to hear Beethoven’s monumental setting of the Mass.
  8. Vaclav Luks conducts. He points off to the right. He wears a patterened tie, glasses and a black jacket.

    Mozart's 'Turkish' Concerto

    –

    St Andrews
    Edinburgh
    Glasgow
    A concert full of colour and character awaits with a programme that dances between Hungarian fire and Viennese grace.
  9. Lorenza Borrani plays the violin while the orchestra plays behind.

    The Seasons: Schumann & the Mendelssohns

    –

    Edinburgh
    Glasgow
    A celebration of spring and renewal, with the music of Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn alongside Schumann’s radiant ‘Spring’ Symphony.
  10. Carolyn Sampson sings and Maxim conducts while the orchestra play behind them. Carolyn wears a sleeveless dress and Maxim wears a dark suit with an unbuttoned white shirt.

    La Voix humaine

    –

    Edinburgh
    Glasgow
    Acclaimed soprano Carolyn Sampson brings this emotional tour de force to vivid life.
All particpants in the Music for Life films headshots.

Music for Life

Learning & Participation

To mark the launch of our new season, we’re delighted to share some stories about the profound, lasting impact of our Learning & Participation work, told in the voices of the people who experience it first-hand.

Learn more

6 Music for Life  

All particpants in the Music for Life films headshots.

Music for Life

01:43

Daniel talks to the camera. He wears a dark shirt.

Daniel Abrahams

02:53

Jane Bentley talks to the camera. She wears a necklace and a bandana.

Jane Bentley

02:52

Kenny looks to camera he wears glasses and a grey cardigan.

Kenny Moffat

02:22

Sarah talks to the camera she wears a spotted dress.

Sarah Duncan

03:20

Zac smiles to camera. He wears a black jumper over a white shirt.

Zac Nedumpully

01:37

Summer Tour 2026

May-September

This summer, we are bringing world-class music to 26 towns and cities across Scotland. We look forward to performing at a venue near you.

11 tours
26 locations
explore today
Donald plays the cello

Your 26/27 Season

Our 2026/27 Season celebrates the power of music to inspire, connect and transform. We look forward to showcasing our core orchestral repertoire, bold contemporary music and deep-rooted community engagement.

Explore today
Mari Samuelson leans back and plays the vilin she wears a long black dress.

New Dimensions

Explore new sound worlds

Experience visionary composers and genre-defying works that challenge tradition and reimagine the concert experience.

6 Concerts
2 Cities
An anatomical drawing of a human body.

Silent Teachers

Celebrating 300 Years of the Edinburgh Medical School

We partner with the University of Edinburgh to mark 300 years of medical education at Edinburgh Medical School to create a new film.

1 Film
Online
Learn more

Join In

Creative Learning Programme

We believe everyone deserves equal access to exceptional musical experiences. See how you can be part of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra's mission.

Over 15 projects
Across Scotland
Discover more

Let's take a moment.

Unwind with the SCO from the comfort of your home. Listen through our extensive recorded catalogue on Spotify (or your preferred streaming platform) and enjoy our latest releases.

Listen on Spotify
Discounts

Full information on bookings and discounts can be found here.

For school group bookings,learn more here.

Accessibility

In collaboration with the venues we regularly perform in, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra is committed to ensuring that everyone can enjoy our performances. Learn more about venue access here.

What we offer:

Braille and large text brochure
If you would like to receive an accessible copy of our Season brochure, please Contact Us.

Discounts
For most SCO concerts, we offer 50% off full-price tickets to people with a disability and free tickets for carers.

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Press

If you have a specific press enquiry or require images of artists, please contact our PR at maddie@rdmr.co.uk.

For anything else you can contact Will Fisher, Marketing and Communications Manager, at will.fisher@sco.org.uk

Learn more about the Orchestra here, get in touch to request an up-to-date biography, or browse our latest news.

Careers

Any job opportunities with the SCO will appear here. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

Feedback

We hope every SCO concert is special and we value all feedback.

You can get in touch with us via social media, email, telephone, or through individual departments here.

Latest news

View all news

  1. Music to be proud of: a history of LGBTQIA+ composers

    1 June 2026

    Join us as we celebrate Pride Month with a look at queer composers over the centuries!
    Read More
  2. 3 members of the Craigmillar youth choir sing, they wear school unirom.

    Tapestry: a celebration of the SCO's Craigmillar residency

    29 May 2026

    Watch Tapestry, the culmination of the SCO's work within the Craigmillar community over the last five years.
    Read More

  3. Double concertos

    25 May 2026

    Concertos for more than a single instrument are a comparative rarity, making their performance something of a treat for everyone.
    Read More

  4. The (mis)numbering of symphonies

    18 May 2026

    We look at the thorny issue of how symphonies are numbered. Warning: may cause confusion!
    Read More

  5. Visions of the afterlife: the Requiem Mass

    11 May 2026

    Depending on whom you ask, death can be comforting or inspire holy terror, including in composers writing a Mass for the Dead.
    Read More
  6. A man plays the cello, his bow on the string

    The SCO cellists on Cello Classics: "I thought of the music that we would all relish playing"

    4 May 2026

    We sat down with all four of our cellists for a chat ahead of their starring role in the first of this year's Summer Tour concerts.
    Read More

  7. Beethoven's Seventh: the apotheosis of the dance?

    27 April 2026

    How has Wagner's epithet affected the way we approach this favourite Beethoven symphony?
    Read More

  8. Silent Teachers

    23 April 2026

    Read about our collaboration with Edinburgh Medical School, celebrating its 300th anniversary.
    Read More

  9. Beethoven 200

    23 April 2026

    Join us as we mark the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's death next Season.
    Read More

  10. Maxim extends his SCO contract

    23 April 2026

    Wonderful news from our Principal Conductor!
    Read More

Inspiring music making

We believe that access to world-class music is not a luxury but something that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy.

Your support helps to continue inspiring performances and ensures quality live music is reachable for future generations and accessible for all.

Support us