Perth Concert Hall And Scotland's National Orchestras Launch 'strongest Ever' Perth Concert Series

The 2023/24 Perth Concert Series launches to subscribers at 10:00 on Monday 1 May 2023 with general tickets on sale from Monday 5 June.

• The six-concert residency from Scotland’s national orchestras is enhanced with international orchestras, special performances, world and Scottish premieres and schools concerts.
• The Royal Scottish National Orchestra will combine with Dunedin Consort to perform the Scottish premiere of Heiner Goebbels’s Songs of Wars I Have Seen in a special additional concert.
• National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine visits as part of its extensive fundraising tour and the China Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra appears in Perth as part of its first ever UK tour.
• Nicola Benedetti is both soloist and director in a performance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
• Scottish Chamber Orchestra performs the world premiere of Jay Capperauld’s The Origin of Colour as part of its 50^th birthday celebrations.
• The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra celebrates 20 years of music-making with charismatic Principal Guest Conductor Ilan Volkov in a concert featuring pianist Joanna MacGregor.

Every year, Scotland’s national orchestras combine to present a series of outstanding performances from world-class musicians in the celebrated acoustics of Perth Concert Hall’s Gannochy auditorium.

Just announced, the 2023/24 Perth Concert Series goes on a journey through some of the most rousing and passionate symphonies and concertos, to more tender, delicate and playful pieces in the company of musicians of true global renown.

This year, the six-concert orchestra series from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra will be enhanced by concerts from two outstanding international orchestras – the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine and the China Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra; the RSNO and Dunedin Consort will present a staging of Heiner Goebbels’s theatrical Songs of Wars I Have Seen, and Nicola Benedetti directs the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and displays her own virtuosity in a performance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto.

The series opens with a birthday celebration on Wednesday 27 September as Maxim Emelyanychev opens the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s 50^th season. Powerful Russian American pianist Kirill Gerstein plays Tchaikovsky’s soaringly romantic First Piano Concerto, SCO Associate Composer Jay Capperauld unveils a specially written piece The Origin of Colour, and Beethoven’s majestic Eroica symphony brings the festivities to a rousing conclusion.

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra is joined by guest conductor Anja Bihlmaier, the young musicians of Big Noise Raploch and pianist Nelson Goerner on Thursday 9 November for a concert that includes Dvořák’s Eighth Symphony, Rachmaninov’s passionate Second Piano Concerto and Anna Clyne’s rollocking Stride.

The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra celebrates 20 years of music-making in Perth Concert Hall on Friday 26 January, with its charismatic Principal Guest Conductor Ilan Volkov. The driving rhythms and fairground puppets of Stravinsky’s popular Petrushka are paired with the composer’s less familiar Scènes de ballet. And the energising, genre-busting British pianist Joanna MacGregor performs Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 9 in E flat; Jeunehomme.

The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra returns on Friday 23 February for Tchaikovsky’s roof-raising Fifth Symphony with conductor Tabita Berglund and Dvořák’s Cello Concerto with soloist Truls Mørk.

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra’s concert on Thursday 7 March is an all-French evening inspired by the sea. Conductor Thomas Søndergård and Scotland’s international award-winning mezzo-soprano Catriona Morison unleash floodtides of passion with works by Chausson, Ravel, and Bonis and concluding with Debussy’s fabulous La Mer.

Performing on the Steinway he chose for Perth Concert Hall, Scotland’s international piano virtuoso Steven Osborne is just the musician to convey the wit and sparkle of Ravel’s Piano Concerto with Scottish Chamber Orchestra on Wednesday 24 April. Conductor Andrew Manze’s programme of poetry and playfulness continues with Ravel’s Pavane, Honegger’s Pastorale d’été and Haydn’s last Paris symphony.

Perth Concert Hall shows its support for the people of Ukraine by welcoming the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine to the Hall on Saturday 28 October. Part of an extensive UK tour to raise funds for its musicians, the programme of works by Ukrainian composter Lyatoshynsky, Beethoven and Sibelius promises a beautiful romantic evening to demonstrate international solidarity through music.

Young conductor DaYe Lin leads China Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra through Tan Dun’s music from Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Chausson’s gorgeous Poème and Mahler’s stunning first symphony in the company of violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen and cellist Jiapeng Nie on Monday 18 March in a fantastic opportunity to hear a major orchestra from China. 

In the first of this season’s special concerts, the period instrumentalists of Dunedin Consort join forces with players from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra on Friday 13 October for the Scottish premiere of Heiner Goebbels’s Songs of Wars I Have Seen. On a stage illuminated as a living room with tabletop and standard lamps and a score that mixes 17^th century and contemporary music and readings from Gertrude Stein’s wartime diaries, this promises to be an unforgettable and emotional evening in the crystal-clear acoustics of the Hall.

The second special concert sees Scottish superstar violinist Nicola Benedetti take the lead as she discovers new depths in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with Scottish Chamber Orchestra on Wednesday 13 December. Orchestra leader Benjamin Marquise Gilmore directs the orchestra in Mozart’s thrilling Symphony No 34 and Jessie Montgomery’s rhythmic and fiery Strum.

Brilliant British soprano Jennifer France brings her silvery vocal sparkle to the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s Viennese New Year Concert on Thursday 4 January. Vibrant young Prague-born conductor Jiři Rožeň conducts a tempting selection of musical confections to get 2024 off on a celebratory note.

A comprehensive schools offering will include two schools’ concerts from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra including SCO Immerse for secondary school pupils and the world premiere of The Great Grumpy Gaboon for primary school pupils, as well as a further concert for secondary school pupils in March from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Commenting on the new season, James Waters, Creative Director for Classical Music at Perth Concert Hall said:

“The 23-24 orchestral season is quite simply the strongest ever! Six fantastic concerts from our resident orchestras combine with two major visiting symphony orchestras and our usual Viennese New Year celebration. In addition, this year we have two wonderful bonuses in a performance of the Beethoven Violin Concerto from Nicola Benedetti and a visit by the extraordinary visionary that is Heiner Goebbels who will work with the RSNO and Dunedin Consort in combination to bring us his compelling and theatrical Songs of Wars I have Seen.”

Alistair Mackie, RSNO Chief Executive, said:

“We’re really looking forward to returning to Perth Concert Hall next season for the 2023/24 Concert Series alongside the BBCSSO and the SCO. The RSNO is bringing a selection of concerts featuring Scottish talent, highlighting contemporary composers and sharing beloved classics with audiences in Perth.

We’re delighted to be working with two of our partner organisations, as we perform side-by-side with young musicians from Big Noise Raploch and collaborate with the Dunedin Consort for the Scottish premiere of Heiner Goebbels’, Songs of Wars I Have Seen. One of my personal highlights of the Season, it’s a theatrical and hugely impactful piece that I urge you not to miss.”

Dominic Parker, BBC SSO Director said:

“We are thrilled to return as part of the 2023/24 Perth Concert Series with two wonderfully contrasting programmes, packed full of fantastic orchestral music: familiar audience favourites such as Tchaikovsky’s Fifth and Dvořák’s Cello Concerto, as well as rarely performed musical gems including Norwegian composer Geirr Tveitt’s Welcome with Honour. We also look forward to celebrating 20 years of extraordinary music-making with Principal Guest Conductor Ilan Volkov. I hope that new and loyal audiences in Perth will enjoy unforgettable live performances that will stay with them for a very long time.”

Gavin Reid, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra said:

“I’m delighted that the SCO will be bringing six exciting performances to Perth Concert Hall in the Orchestra’s 50th Anniversary Season, and thrilled that we can kick off our birthday celebrations in Perth this September with our Principal Conductor, Maxim Emelyanychev, who performs Beethoven’s majestic Eroica as part of a two-week national tour.”

Subscribers to the Perth Concert Series can save 25% when booking six resident orchestra concerts and benefit from a dedicated booking window plus discounts to the exciting programme of add-on concerts.

Priority subscription booking opens at 10:00 on Monday 1 May 2023 with general tickets on sale from Monday 5 June.

For tickets and information about the Perth Concert Series, including the international and special concerts visit perththeatreandconcerthall.com, call the Box Office on 01738 621031, or visit in-person at Perth Theatre (10am – 4pm, Monday to Saturday).

Monday 1 May 2023