RSNO will make début appearance at Orkney’s St Magnus Festival in 2009 PDF Print E-mail


The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) will make its first appearance at Orkney’s midsummer celebration of the arts, the St Magnus Festival, in June 2009.  The Orchestra will perform three public programmes during its residency. 

On Saturday 20 June RSNO Assistant Conductor David Danzmayr will lead the Orchestra in the Scottish première of contemporary American composer Jennifer Higdon’s Percussion Concerto with prominent Scottish percussionist Colin Currie.  The programme will include Dvořák’s Symphony No9 From the New World.

On Sunday 21 June Martyn Brabbins will join the RSNO for a programme featuring Sally Beamish’s Accordion Concerto with celebrated classical accordionist James Crabb, and a major choral work with the St Magnus Festival Chorus.

On Tuesday 23 June RSNO Music Director Stéphane Denève will conduct the final concert of the residency, a French programme including Fauré’s Pelléas et Mélisande and contrasting Piano Concertos from contemporary composer Guillaume Connesson and Maurice Ravel - both featuring pianist Eric Le Sage.

All of the RSNO’s public performances will be held at the Pickaquoy Centre, Kirkwall.

The RSNO will also be participating in the seventh Orkney Conducting Course (OCC) in 2009.  OCC is directed by Martyn Brabbins and, as part of the St Magnus Festival, OCC gives emerging conductors the opportunity to work with professional orchestras, ensembles, conductors and soloists.

RSNO Chief Executive Simon Woods:  “It is very surprising that in the thirty-one year history of Orkney's wonderful St Magnus Festival, Scotland's national orchestra has never appeared there. So I am absolutely delighted that we are finally putting this to rights, and that we are giving the northern isles a chance to hear the RSNO/Stéphane Denève partnership in the French repertoire that it has been so acclaimed for."

Glenys Hughes, Festival Director:  “I have long wanted to invite the RSNO to the St Magnus Festival and am delighted that at last there is an opportunity for this to happen.  With three acclaimed conductors and three exciting young soloists, the Orchestra’s residency will undoubtedly be a highlight of our 2009 programme.”


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