Ryan Wigglesworth appointed Chief Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
08.02.22It has been announced today that Ryan Wigglesworth will take up the position of Chief Conductr of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra with effect from the 2022/23 season.
He has worked with the orchestra in past seasons at their home at City Halls Glasgow as well as in the Royal Concert Hall and at the Aldeburgh Festival.
He will conduct the BBCSSO this Sunday (13th February) in a live broadcast from City Halls during a weekend on BBC Radio 3 featuring all the BBC orchestras as part of the centenary celebrations of the BBC and will return in May for a concert in which he will play/direct Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 12 K414.
As a world renowned conductor, composer and pianist, Wigglesworth is one of the foremost musicians of his generation.
Ryan Wigglesworth said:
I feel immensely privileged to be starting this journey with the wonderful and uniquely versatile musicians of the BBC SSO, a journey which I hope will prove to be long, fruitful and ever adventurous. I look forward to making this beautiful and vibrant city my musical home, and to connecting with all of our audiences across Scotland in the coming seasons.
Dominic Parker, Director, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, said:
Ryan Wigglesworth is an exceptionally fine musician whose creativity and musical responsiveness is already hugely admired by the players in the BBC SSO. As a conductor who is also a leading composer and a brilliant pianist, he brings a level of musical versatility, range and eloquence that I think our audiences will really enjoy. I am incredibly excited about working with him as we plan future seasons.
Alan Davey, Controller, BBC Radio 3, said:
This is a great new relationship – the BBC SSO is a fantastic orchestra with great traditions of excellence and deep strengths. I know Ryan will build on those strengths and allow it to grow to even greater heights and to explore what glorious music, played with authentic knowledge and depth of feeling, can do. I am really looking forward to seeing the work he and the orchestra produce over future seasons for our live audiences in Scotland, around the UK and at the BBC Proms, and for all our audiences the world over on the BBC.
In previous years, Wigglesworth has appeared with the BBC SSO in concert at its home in City Halls and at the Aldeburgh Festival. Together they have recorded a broad range of repertoire including works by Bach, Mozart, Berlioz, Brahms, Tippett, Knussen, Betsy Jolas, Rebecca Saunders and Elliot Carter. His relationship with the orchestra blossomed during a number of recording sessions last year, including a performance of Elgar’s Symphony No.1 at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall, the orchestra’s first public appearance with an audience since the start of the pandemic.
Laura Samuel, leader of the BBC SSO, said:
In Ryan the BBC SSO has found a very special conductor. It is such a joy to see him embrace the orchestra with such generosity and sincerity. His inclusive approach to every aspect of music making is refreshing and hugely inspiring for us all. I am so excited about our future collaborations and look forward to welcoming Ryan to the BBC SSO family.