RSNO Leader to depart after 34 years service PDF Print E-mail
Edwin PalingEdwin Paling, Leader of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO), is to retire his position at the end of the current Season, having been a member of the Orchestra for 34 years.

His musical career began as a member of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, after which he played in both the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Midland Light Orchestra before joining the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in 1973 as Assistant Leader.  After one year with the RSNO he became Associate Leader and in 1976, at the age of twenty-six, was appointed Leader of the RSNO.
Paling joined the RSNO during Sir Alexander Gibson’s tenure as Music Director, and has worked with five successive Music Directors and Principal Conductors.  During that time, he has appeared with the Orchestra on over 100 recordings and performed live over 4000 times.  He led the Orchestra on its debut appearance at the Carnegie Hall, New York with Sir Alexander Gibson in1975, performed in front of The Queen at the opening ceremony of The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in 1990, and again at the opening ceremony of the new Scottish Parliament building in October 2004.

On announcing his departure, Paling said: “It has been a privilege to perform with this great Orchestra for so many years, and to have had the pleasure of working with so many distinguished Principal Conductors.  I shall be eternally grateful to Sir Alexander Gibson for having had the confidence to appoint me at such a young age.  I wish the Orchestra every success for the future and have no doubt that it will achieve even greater artistic success in the supremely capable hands of Stéphane Denève.”

RSNO Music Director Stéphane Denève praised the departing Leader, commenting:”I will miss Edwin Paling tremendously. It has been a great pleasure these last two years to benefit from his huge talent, his vast experience, not to forget his fantastic sense of humour!  I enjoyed every concert we did together, and I have appreciated his very open minded and collaborative personality during the rehearsal process.  I did learn a lot from him. Thank you Edwin, and good luck with your exciting new pedagogical projects!”

Paling’s final series of concerts as Leader of the RSNO will be at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh on Friday 27 April 2007 and at The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Saturday 28 April. The programme, conducted by Stéphane Denève, includes Richard Strauss’ tone poem Ein Heldenleben. which features some of the most significant solo passages for violin in the orchestral repertoire, to be performed by the departing Leader.

He will continue to work in the field of music, taking up the position of Associate Professor of Strings at The University of Tasmania commencing on 1 July 2007.

The recruitment process for a successor has started and will continue through the 07:08 Season.


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