Finde Artikel | David Smythe

The Celtic Connections festival showcases Górecki’s Sorrowful Songs, the BBC Scottish with soprano Francesca Chiejina conducted by Pawel Kapula with a thoughtful introductory song set from Alice Zawadzki.

The Dunedin Messiah, a speciality with Baroque instruments, is given with soloists Nardus Williams, Lotte Betts-Dean, Joshua Ellicott and Dingle Yandell in Perth, directed by John Butt.

Andrew Manze conducts an all-Adams programme in Glasgow, Maximiliano Martín the fearless soloist in Gnarly Buttons, bookended by mesmerising Shaker Loops and exuberant Fearful Symmetries. 

Martyn Brabbins conducts MacMillan’s Confession of Isobel Gowdie, BBCSSO founder Ian Whyte’s forgotten Violin Concerto with Stephanie Gonley, and a memorable Rachmaninov 2.

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra with Colin Currie fizz with energy in Duddell, Grime and Steve Reich.

Jonathan Morton leads the Scottish Ensemble in Górecki’s extraordinary Quasi una fantasia, before diving headlong into seven Anna Meredith tracks, featuring visuals by Ewan Jones Morris.

Hye-Youn Lee and Mario Chang head a strong cast in Barbe and Doucet’s revival of La bohème, which marks the retirement of veteran lighting designer, Guy Simard.

The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Tõnu Kaljuste, present an Arvo Pärt portrait concert in Glasgow. 

Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony is a highlight of the  London Symphony Orchestra’ s programme which also includes Vilde Frang excelling in Korngold. 

Yehudi Menuhin’s former pupils, Nicola Benedetti and Alexander Sitkovetsky celebrate his musical legacy with the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra with Rising Stars side-by-side. 

John Tavener's epic, eight-hour all-night vigil opens the festival in monumental style, directed by Thomas Guthrie. 

Thomas Søndergård conducts thrilling Shostakovich to close to the RSNO Season: lively Festive Overture, introspective Second Cello Concerto  with Daniel Müller-Schott, and an epic Eleventh Symphony.

Scottish Opera’s double bill of Trial by Jury and the world premiere of Toby Hession’s fun-packed A Matter of Misconduct! features an ensemble cast, mostly of Emerging Artists. 

With misplaced horse heads, violin case guns and as many mafia gags as you could hope for, Scottish Opera’s Merry Widow may not be subtle but it looks and sounds gorgeous. 

The RSNO adult and youth choruses head a vibrant community of singers in Jonathan Dove’s energetic and moving protest drama. 

Pekka Kuusisto and Simon Crawford-Phillips lead the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in a musical arc featuring works by Britten, Adès, Andres, Beamish and Haydn. 

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra perform Fauré moving Requiem and Vaughan Williams Mystical Songs with the SCO Chorus and Roderick Williams. 

Sir James MacMillan conducts the BBC Scottish SO in the Scottish premiere of his Concerto for Orchestra, “Ghosts”. 

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland perform Haydn’s seldom heard opera in a lively and finely sung ensemble production, directed by Jamie Manton. 

Joseph Swensen conducts a soul-searching, introspective programme of Sibelius and Bacewicz at Queen's Hall, Edinburgh. 

Ellington’s take on Tchaikovsky, Barber’s Violin Concerto with Randall Goosby and Dvořák’s New World Symphony introduced Patrick Hahn as the RSNO’s Principal Guest Conductor. 

The Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra with Riccardo Frizza conducting mix homeland sounds of Liszt and Kodály with Beethoven and Rachmaninov. 

A month early, perhaps, but Václav Luks conducts the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Chorus in Bach's joyful celebration of the Christmas story. 

A terrific Carmina Burana from the RSNO and choruses conducted by Marzena Diakun conducting. Elena Langer’s The Dong with a Luminous Nose was a perfect opener. 

Scottish Opera’s Albert Herring is updated to 1990 in Daisy Evans' likeable production, finely sung with a tight ensemble. 

Barbe and Doucet’s witty 1960s Don Pasquale is revived for Scottish Opera, with Stuart Stratford conducting a fine cast. 

Capriccio proves a fitting end to the Philharmonia’s EIF residency, with Alexander Soddy conducting a fine cast headed by Swedish soprano Malin Byström. 

Whelan conducts the lively Irish Baroque Orchestra in a recreation of Mr Charles’ 1742 Dublin concert showcasing horns and introducing the oboe d’amore and the chalumeau.

At the Edinburgh International Festival, Alison Balsom plays Wynton Marsalis's Trumpet Concerto, Pierre-Laurent plays Schoenberg's Piano Concerto before the RSNO plays Lutosławski's lively Concerto for Orchestra to finish.

Komische Oper Berlin's The Marriage of Figaro is staged at the Edinburgh International Festival with a strong cast headed by Penny Sofroniadou and Peter Kellner. 

Scottish Opera brings an immersive community production to the Edinburgh Festival directed by Roxana Haines, performed in the National Museum of Scotland.

Filmic Grażyna Bacewicz, virtuosic Saint-Saëns with Simon Trpčeski, intruiging Lutosławski and a freshly minted Ravel’s Boléro are expertly conducted by Thomas Søndergård. 

On a short UK tour, players from Juilliard415 and the Yale Schola Cantorum perform Bach’s Mass in B minor for the first time, conducted by David Hill.

An outstanding Elijah from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Chorus with Maxim Emelyanychev, headed up by Roderick Williams, with Carolyn Sampson, Rowan Pierce, Anna Stéphany and Thomas Walker.

Pekka Kuusisto and the SCO burst with energy in UK premieres from Anna Clyne and Helen Grime with soprano Ruby Hughes.

Marx in London! receives its UK premiere in Glasgow, with David Parry conducting the colourful score, and Stephen Barlow directing. 

Vox Luminis, directed by Lionel Meunier and his dozen hand-picked singers, delight with a virtuosic performance of Purcell’s King Arthur at the Valletta Baroque Festival.

Holland Baroque brings Silk Baroque to the Valletta Baroque Festival showcasing Wu Wei on sheng and erhu with music from traditional Chinese through Bach arranged with a modern twist.

The St John Passion with period instruments is a huge undertaking, but this performance marks a strong start to this year’s Valetta Baroque Festival.

A delightful seasonal showcase from the SCO Chorus, directed and conducted by Gregory Batsleer, in a programme of ancient and modern music and texts in the historic setting of Greyfriars Kirk.

The composer conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Chorus with Roderick Williams and Rhian Lois in Edinburgh's Usher Hall.