Associate Principal Second Violin Jacqueline Speirs

When did you join the RSNO?
I joined the RSNO in January 1995.

Where are you from?
I am from Glasgow.

Where did you study?
I went to St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh, then went on to study at the RSAMD in Glasgow (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) and the Juilliard in New York.

What do you enjoy most about being in the RSNO?
I enjoy the concerts, the repertoire and the good working conditions.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not playing with the Orchestra?
When I’m not playing with the RSNO, I enjoy family life, walking, running, theatre group, gardening and holidays.

If you could have dinner with anyone (alive or dead) who would it be, and why?
The violinist David Oistrakh – I listened to him on records every single day when I was growing up. Also Stevie Wonder – he is a genius and we share the same birthday!

You’re stranded on a desert island. You’re allowed 3 CDs and 1 book. What would they be, and why?
I’d take David Oistrakh – Prokofiev Violin Concerto in D minor, Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life and Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben. My book would be Eva Luna by Isabel Allende.