BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is Scotland's national broadcasting orchestra and considered one of the leading orchestras in Europe. It is one of the five full-time BBC orchestras, and the oldest full-time radio orchestra in Scotland. While most of its performances are in studio for the BBC, it has enjoyed success performing throughout the U.K. and internationally.
The BBC SSO was founded as the BBC Scottish Orchestra in 1935 by conductor and composer Ian Whyte while he served as the first head of music in Scotland for the BBC. Originally located in Edinburgh, the orchestra moved in 1938 to its newly built home in Glasgow. Throughout World War II, the orchestra continued broadcasting its live studio performances for the BBC Home and World Services. Following the war, Whyte expanded the size of the orchestra and in 1948 began the orchestra's annual trip to perform in the Edinburgh Festival. However, the majority of its performances remained in studio.
In 1960, Norman Del Mar was named principal conductor. In 1961, Del Mar lead the BBC Scottish Orchestra, along with the Scottish National Orchestra, in the U.K. premiere of Stockhausen's Gruppen für drei orchester. The following year he would lead the orchestra in its first performance at the BBC Proms. The orchestra expanded further under Del Mar, and in 1963 was renamed the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Following Del Mar's departure in 1965, the BBC SSO had a number of principal conductors, including James Loughran (1965-1971), Christopher Seaman (1971-1977), and Jerzy Maksymiuk (1983-1993). In 2003, Ilan Volkov became the youngest chief conductor of a BBC orchestra; during Volkov's tenure, the orchestra moved to its new home at City Halls in Glasgow. He served as chief conductor until 2009. In 2016, Thomas Dausgaard was named chief conductor with a contract running through 2022.
In the 1990s, while continuing to perform for BBC programming, the BBC SSO began performing more often in public. It went on international tours across Europe, the Americas, India, and China. The orchestra also attended more festivals, including the Cheltenham Festival and the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.
Alongside its live broadcast performances, the BBC SSO has released a multitude of commercial recordings, with a majority on the Hyperion label. The BBC SSO under Dausgaard released a recording of Sibelius' Kullervo in 2019 on Hyperion.
© Keith Finke /TiVo
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Joseph Holbrooke & Haydn Wood: Piano Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 23)
Hamish Milne, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 Feb 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Arensky & Bortkiewicz: Piano Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 4)
Stephen Coombs, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Jerzy Maksymiuk
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 Jan 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bruckner: Symphony No. 3
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 Oct 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Minna Keal: Cello Concerto & Ballade
Alexander Baillie, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by NMC Recordings on 1 Sep 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Walton: Violin Concerto, Partita & Hindemith Variations
Anthony Marwood, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 30 Jun 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gablenz & Paderewski: Piano Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 83)
Jonathan Plowright, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Łukasz Borowicz
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 28 May 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Musique orchestrale (Volume 2)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Garry Walker
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on 5 Dec 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
RAWSTHORNE: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 / Corteges
Rebecca Hirsch, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Lionel Friend
Classical - Released by Naxos on 17 Apr 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Huss & Schelling: Piano Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 16)
Ian Hobson, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 Oct 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Concertos for 2 Pianos (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 3)
Stephen Coombs, Ian Munro, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 May 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dedications
Janet Hilton, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Rumon Gamba
Classical - Released by Clarinet and Saxophone Classics on 1 Jan 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Paderewski: Symphony in B Minor "Polonia"
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Jerzy Maksymiuk
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 Nov 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hindemith: Complete Viola Music, Vol. 3 – Music for Viola and Orchestra
Lawrence Power, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, David Atherton
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 31 Jan 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Fuchs & Kiel: Piano Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 31)
Martin Roscoe, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 Feb 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stravinsky: The Fairy's Kiss & Scènes de ballet
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ilan Volkov
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 Apr 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Liszt: 3 Funeral Odes, S. 112; 2 Episodes, S. 110 etc
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ilan Volkov
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 28 Mar 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stravinsky: Jeu de cartes, Agon & Orpheus
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ilan Volkov
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 Sep 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Britten: Violin Concerto, Double Concerto & Lachrymae
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ilan Volkov
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 27 Jan 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
MacMillan: The Confession of Isobel Gowdie, Tuireadh & The Exorcism of Rio Sumpúl
Martin Fröst, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä
Classical - Released by BIS on 31 Aug 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Pizzetti: Orchestral Music
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 Oct 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tippett: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4; Symphony in B-Flat
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 Mar 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo