BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Across the 2025/26 Season, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra celebrates 90 years as Scotland’s national broadcasting orchestra. From Oban to Osaka (as part of BBC Proms Japan), it has performed across Scotland and around the world, with concerts regularly featured on BBC Radio 3, Radio Scotland, Sounds, and BBC TV and iPlayer.

Opening eyes and ears with ambitious repertoire beyond any benchmark, the BBC SSO is Scotland’s leading champion of new music. Across nine decades, it has commissioned orchestral music by the most original voices of its time and presents its annual Tectonics Festival of new and experimental music — “an invigorating adrenaline rush” (The Scotsman)—alongside its Creative Partner Ilan Volkov.

BBC SSO_Thomas Dausgaard_credit John Wood copyright BBC — ©John Wood

With Associate Artist Lucy Drever, the orchestra runs projects that inspire creativity and connection with families, schools and communities across Scotland. And through a close association with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the orchestra mentors the next generation of conductors, composers and instrumentalists. The orchestra also supports young musical talent in BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Classical Musician competition.

Ryan Wigglesworth began his tenure as Chief Conductor in September 2022. One of the foremost composer-conductors of his generation, he has directed a wide range of repertoire including the ballets of Stravinsky, major works of Elgar, and UK premieres by György Kurtág and Hans Abrahamsen. Following her BBC Proms debut in September 2025, Delyana Lazarova took up the role of Principal Guest Conductor. A regular presence at the Proms and Edinburgh International Festival, the orchestra has received a Royal Philharmonic Society Award, four Gramophone Awards, and in 2025 was named one of the UK’s 10 Greatest Orchestras (The Telegraph).