Â鶹Éç

Founded: 1935 (as Â鶹Éç Scottish Orchestra)

The Â鶹Éç Scottish Symphony Orchestra appears in venues throughout Scotland, is a core part of the Â鶹Éç Proms, performs regularly at the Edinburgh International Festival and is in demand at major festivals and venues worldwide. It became the first Scottish orchestra to tour China and the first western orchestra to perform in Beijing's Great Hall of the People in 2001.

As befits its busy broadcast schedule on Radio 3, Radio Scotland and Â鶹Éç Television, the orchestra has an unusually wide repertoire.

The only Scottish orchestra to win the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for best orchestra, its commercial recordings have received several prizes – including four Gramophone awards.

Since 2006, the Â鶹Éç SSO has greatly expanded its programme of concerts and recordings from its permanent home at Glasgow City Halls, and each season it continues to appear in other Scottish towns and cities. As Scotland's leading supporter of new music, the orchestra has established strong links with local communities through its innovative learning programme.

Edinburgh-born Donald Runnicles became the Â鶹Éç SSO's chief conductor in September 2009, his appointment running concurrently with his position as general music director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin. He succeeded IlanVolkov (the youngest ever chief conductor of a Â鶹Éç orchestra at the time of his appointment in January 2003), who now holds the post of principal guest conductor.

Violinist and conductor Andrew Manze and dynamic German composer Matthias Pintscher join the artistic team in 2011 as associate guest conductor and artist in association respectively.

Donald Runnicles
Chief Conductor

Donald Runnicles (b. 1954, UK) became the Â鶹Éç Scottish Symphony Orchestra's chief conductor in September 2009, a post which runs concurrently with his position as general music director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and music director of the Grand Teton Festival. He has held important posts with such prestigious organisations as the San Francisco Opera, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra of St Luke's, NewYork, and has made particular impact with opera and choral music, including Wagner, Britten and John Adams.

Andrew Manze
Associate Guest Conductor

Andrew Manze (b. 1965, UK) draws upon a particularly wide range of musical expertise, ranging from the baroque through to classical, and is regarded as one of the most stimulating and energetic musicians of his generation. He begins his tenure as the associate guest conductor of the Â鶹Éç SSO in September 2010.

Ilan Volkov
Principal Guest Conductor

IlanVolkov (b. 1976, Israel) is the Â鶹Éç Scottish Symphony Orchestra's principal guest conductor, having previously held the post of chief conductor from January 2003 to September 2009 – the youngest principal conductor in the Â鶹Éç's history.