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
Discography
217 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Tchaikovsky Orchestral Works Vol. 2
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Alpesh Chauhan
Classical - Released by Chandos on Mar. 15, 2024
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Prokofiev, Rimsky-Korsakov & Tsfasman: Works for Piano and Orchestra
Zlata Chochieva, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Karl-Heinz Steffens
Classical - Released by Naive on Oct. 18, 2024
Available in24-Bit/192 kHz Stereo -
Earth, Sea, Air: British Music for Cello and Orchestra
Laura van der Heijden, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ryan Wigglesworth
Concertos - Released by Chandos on May 31, 2024
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Bartok: The Wooden Prince (Final Version)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Onyx Classics on Mar. 29, 2024
Available in24-Bit/192 kHz Stereo -
Homecoming - A Scottish Fantasy
Nicola Benedetti, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Rory MacDonald
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan. 1, 2013
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Elgar: Enigma Variations; In the South & Other Orchestral Works
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Oct. 28, 2016
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Beach, Chaminade & Howell: Piano Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 70)
Danny Driver, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Rebecca Miller
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Mar. 3, 2017
Available in24-Bit/96 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 May 3, 2015
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Rubinstein: Piano Concerto No. 4 – Scharwenka: Piano Concerto No. 1 (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 38)
Marc-André Hamelin, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Michael Stern
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Oct. 1, 2005
Available in24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo -
Tippett: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Dec. 29, 2017
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: The Tempest, Francesca da Rimini, The Voyevoda, Overture and Polonaise from "Cherevichki"
Pyotr Illitch Tchaïkovski, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Alpesh Chauhan
Classical - Released by Chandos on Jun. 2, 2023
QobuzissimeAvailable in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Ravel: Piano Concertos; Falla: Nights in the Gardens of Spain
Steven Osborne, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ludovic Morlot
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Jun. 2, 2017
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Bloch: Schelomo & Voice in the Wilderness – Bruch: Kol Nidrei
Natalie Clein, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ilan Volkov
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Jul. 27, 2012
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Schumann: Violin Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Violin Concerto 13)
Anthony Marwood, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Douglas Boyd
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Aug. 31, 2012
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Tippett: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4; Symphony in B-Flat
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Mar. 1, 2019
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Sterndale Bennett: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-3 (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 74)
Howard Shelley, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Mar. 2, 2018
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Busoni & R. Strauss: Violin Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Violin Concerto 16)
Tanja Becker-Bender, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Garry Walker
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Jul. 27, 2014
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Coke: Piano Concertos Nos. 3, 4 & 5 (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 73)
Simon Callaghan, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Oct. 27, 2017
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Stravinsky: Complete Music for Piano & Orchestra
Steven Osborne, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ilan Volkov
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Jun. 2, 2013
Available in24-Bit/88 kHz Stereo -
Bennett: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2
John Wilson, Howard Mcgill, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Chandos on Jul. 1, 2018
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 & Other Works (Hyperion Romantic Violin Concerto 19)
Jack Liebeck, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Dec. 31, 2015
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo