Scottish Ensemble, a pioneering collective of musicians who champion music for strings, announces its 2024-25 season of events. Exploring the power and breadth of musical experience, Scottish Ensemble’s 2024-25 season will take audiences on a bold adventure with new ideas and collaborations and the return of the ever-popular Concerts by Candlelight and Concerts for a Summer’s Night tours.
Collaborating with creative minds to blur the boundaries between genres and artforms is a hallmark of Scottish Ensemble. In The Law of Gravity (February 2025 – Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow) Scottish Ensemble collaborate with master puppeteer Mark Down and his team at Blind Summit to explore what puppetry can reveal about music. Performances of Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night and Philip Glass’ Symphony No. 3, will breathe life into the puppet, fleetingly revealing the composer’s intentions, ambitions and ideas. Blind Summit are a cohort of puppet makers and puppeteers, who have contributed to the creation of some of the most extraordinary spectacles of recent years: from the giant storybook characters in the opening ceremony of London’s 2012 Olympic Games to critically acclaimed productions of War Horse and Pinocchio.
Following a memorable performance during Celtic Connections 2024, Donald Grant and Scottish Ensemble once again join forces to revel in the joy of making music together (April 2025 – Edinburgh, Inverness, Aberdeen, Findhorn). Featuring traditional and contemporary string music that bridges genres and tells of life in the Highlands, through Donald’s new work Thuit an Oidhche Oirnn (The Night Overtook Us).
The 2024-25 season begins with Resound (September 2024 – Arran, Kirkcudbright, Perth, Mull, Seil, Glasgow), an intimate guided listening experience that journeys through five centuries of mind-expanding music. Curated by Scottish Ensemble’s violist Andrew Berridge the works performed will explore how music can transport and inspire, lifting spirits and strengthening connections. Music has the power to improve wellbeing and Resound complements Scottish Ensemble’s Music for Wellbeing programme. 2024-25 will see the continuation of a long-term partnership with Maggie’s,, whose centres support people who are affected by cancer, and further partnerships with schools across Scotland to support young people’s mental health.
Scottish Ensemble has a proven track record of commissioning works from a new generation of composers – and during this year’s Concerts by Candlelight tour (December 2024 – Perth, Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dunblane) performs the world premiere of a new work by Hannah Kendall. Hannah’s music has been performed across the world, and she share’s Scottish Ensemble’s collaborative spirit, often working with visual artists, choreographers, and poets. This piece marks the second composition supported by Scottish Ensemble’s Calder Commissioning Fund, created through a transformative donation, made in memory of Scottish Ensemble’s late founder John Calder.
Scottish Ensemble’s work with a new generation of musicians also continues with its Young Artists programme, in partnership with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. As well as supporting talented young string players through a week-long residency in January, selected Young Artists are offered the opportunity to join one of the ensemble’s Scottish tours as a performer in 2025.
Singer and composer Héloïse Werner features as both soloist and composer in Concerts for a Summer’s Night (June 2025 – Perthshire, Strathpeffer, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee). Words and music will take flight in a vibrant end to the season in light-filled venues across Scotland.
In addition, Scottish Ensemble head to London to perform at the opening weekend of the Southbank Centre’s 2024-25 classical season, with a dynamic programme, that includes Philip Glass’ meditative Symphony No. 3 and explores new musical paths and connections. in Sync, the acclaimed collaboration with Mish Mash Productions, also heads south with performances at the Southbank Centre and Nottingham. Further events in Scotland include a special project with Sonica at the Burrell Collection and a concert as part of RCS’s Fridays at One lunchtime series.