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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Goetz & J. Wieniawski: Piano Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 52)
Hamish Milne, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Michał Dworzynski
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 Nov 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lipkin: The Symphonies
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by Lyrita on 1 Apr 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphony, Op. 20: I. Aborted Anacrusis
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Geoffrey Paterson
Symphonic Music - Released by Resonus Classics on 13 May 2022
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
McCabe: Arthur Pendragon - Ballet Suite No.1
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Dutton Epoch on 1 Feb 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hubay: Violin Concertos Nos. 3 & 4 (Hyperion Romantic Violin Concerto 3)
Hagaï Shaham, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 Apr 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 3 & Scottish Fantasy (Hyperion Romantic Violin Concerto 17)
Jack Liebeck, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 28 Sep 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stanford: Violin Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Violin Concerto 2)
Anthony Marwood, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 Nov 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dubois: Piano Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 60)
Cédric Tiberghien, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Manze
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 30 Jun 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tippett: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 29 Dec 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Saint-Saëns: Cello Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 etc. (Hyperion Romantic Cello Concerto 5)
Natalie Clein, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Manze
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 31 Aug 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Albéniz: Concierto fantástico – Granados: Concerto Patético (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 65)
Melani Mestre, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 3 May 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ferdinand David: Violin Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Violin Concerto 9)
Hagaï Shaham, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 27 Sep 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis; Konzertmusik; Mathis der Maler
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 24 Nov 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bloch: Schelomo & Voice in the Wilderness – Bruch: Kol Nidrei
Natalie Clein, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ilan Volkov
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 27 Jul 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Janáček: Mr Brouček Suite, The Eternal Gospel & Other Orchestral Music
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ilan Volkov
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 Sep 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cecil Coles: Music from Behind the Lines
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 Jun 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stanford: Complete Works for Cello & Orchestra (Hyperion Romantic Cello Concerto 3)
Gemma Rosefield, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Manze
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 26 Sep 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Zarzycki & Żeleński: Piano Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 59)
Jonathan Plowright, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Łukasz Borowicz
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 31 Mar 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wordsworth: Overture "Conflict" & Symphonies Nos. 1 & 5
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, James Loughran, Stewart Robertson
Classical - Released by Lyrita on 1 Apr 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 2 & Other Works (Hyperion Romantic Violin Concerto 21)
Jack Liebeck, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 30 Dec 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar: Enigma Variations; In the South & Other Orchestral Works
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 28 Oct 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo