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!
Coming up
![SCO Principal Double Bass Nikita Naumov playing his instrument in front of a bright green background with dark green and light pink shapes.]()
Beethoven's 'Pastoral' Symphony
–
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Mark Wigglesworth conducts Beethoven’s hymn of wonder to the natural world, with SCO Principal Nikita Naumov as soloist in Eötvös’s Aurora.![Violinist Isabelle van Keulen smiling at the camera, holding her instrument, against a dark background with light blue and pink shapes.]()
Schumann & Schubert
–
St Andrews
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Isabelle van Keulen takes the reins of the SCO for the lyrical Violin Concerto by Robert Schumann, alongside Schubert’s Third Symphony.![]()
Big Ears, Little Ears
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Matinee
St Andrews
Perth
Big Ears, Little Ears is our relaxed concert series for children under the age of five and their grown-ups.![Conductor François Leleux smiling at the camera, holding the baton, against a dark background with shapes in different shades of green.]()
Mozart & Strauss
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Matinee
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Aberdeen
Deeply charismatic oboist and conductor François Leleux directs Mozart’s cheeky Bassoon Concerto, and music by the teenage Richard Strauss.![Chorus members photographed from above, holding their sheet music.]()
Seven Last Words
Choral
Edinburgh
A choral contemplation of loss and rebirth from Scotland’s greatest living composer, Sir James MacMillan, performed by the SCO Chorus.![Shot from behind a violinist playing to the audience at a dementia-friendly concert.]()
Tea Dance Concerts
–
Edinburgh
Dumfries
...and more!
Enjoy an afternoon of music and join our musicians as they perform a programme designed especially for people living with dementia.![Stephanie Gonley plays the violin.]()
Mozart Sinfonia Concertante
–
St Andrews
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Stephanie Gonley, leads an evening of innovation, virtuosity, and timeless classics.![Pianist Yeol Eum Son standing with her arms crossed elegantly, lightly smiling at the camera, against a dark green background with a lighter green circle.]()
Yeol Eum Son plays Beethoven
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Choral
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Yeol Eum Son makes a welcome return with Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto, in a concert that reaches its climax with Haydn’s ‘Nelson’ Mass.![Violinist Nicola Benedetti, leaning on one arm with her head resting on the other hand, smiling at the camera against a dark background with light pink and green shapes.]()
Benedetti plays Brahms
–
Perth
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Nicola Benedetti joins charismatic Principal Conductor Maxim Emelyanychev for an end-of-Season celebration full of romance and adventure.![]()
SCO Wind Soloists in Concert
–
Summer Tour
Kames
Kilmelford
Crianlarich
...and more!
Join our Wind Soloists for an intimate and captivating evening of music in Kames, Kilmelford, Crianlarich and Gartmore.
6 Latest videos
Seascape
7:35
Summer Tour 2025 Trailer
0:42
Serenade in Seven Colours
10:00
Novelletten
13:58
Supporting the SCO
2:37
Principal Guest Conductor
3:09
Latest news
![Three men, the first two in 18th century formal dress (one in black and white, one in a red coat), the last in an old photo, smoking]()
What is a sinfonia concertante?
17 March 2025
We delve into the history of a hybrid genre ...![Composer Ruth Gipps leaning forward with both hands gently touching her face.]()
Digital Season: Gipps Seascape
7 March 2025
Read the programme note for our online performance of Gipps' Seascape![]()
The double bass concerto
17 February 2025
We complete our survey of the concerto for stringed instruments with the double bass. It's not just about jazz!![]()
Musical folk tales
10 February 2025
It's the 19th century and musical retellings of Greek myths are out. Enter the European folk tale ...![]()
SCO announces Summer Tour 2025
7 February 2025
The Orchestra is touring Scotland this summer, with 7 programmes across 20 venues.![]()
Once upon a time: music with a narrative
3 February 2025
How do composers set about telling a story in music? We look at a few examples.![]()
Beethoven's 'lesser' symphonies
27 January 2025
Why are some Beethoven symphonies better-known than others?![A collage of images of students working on the Great Grumpy Gaboon set including painting, carpentry, and design]()
RCS Students Help Build the Magical World of The Gaboon!
22 January 2025
Listen very carefully, Can you hear that tune? Those are the sounds of students building The Great Grumpy Gaboon!![]()
Visions of the afterlife: the Requiem Mass
20 January 2025
Depending on whom you ask, death can be comforting or inspire holy terror, including in composers writing a Mass for the Dead.![]()
The oboe concerto
13 January 2025
The oboe: refined, yes, but cheeky or melancholic? Join us as we look at the concertos exploring this instrument's wide-ranging moods.
