10 Years of the RSNO Centre: The John Clark Bass Studio Posted Wed 24 September 2025
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the RSNO Centre. Right in the heart of Glasgow, Scotland’s UNESCO City of Music, the RSNO rehearses, records and performs in this purpose-built space. Housed within the RSNO Centre are dedicated practice spaces, meeting rooms, state-of-the-art recording facilities, a library, and plenty of storage rooms for all the RSNO’s instruments, including a cello store, percussion store and special timpani workshop.
Keeping all the double basses safe and stored at optimal temperatures is The John Clark Bass Studio. Having these dedicated spaces for the basses allows our players a place to practise within the walls of the RSNO Centre. Back in the previous RSNO Centre at Henry Wood Hall, players were limited in where they could practise, sharing meeting rooms come practice rooms come control rooms with other musicians, staff teams and visiting sound engineers. Double basses are a rather cumbersome instrument to carry around a city, so the new RSNO Centre was a game changer for staff and musicians alike.
The John Clark Bass Studio is named after our late Tutti Double Bass who passed away in 2022. Another homage to our dear friend John is the Gregor Forbes John Clark Chair which supports Principal Double Bass Nikita Naumov and is sponsored by Maureen Michie. The RSNO Chair Patron programme supports the vital and wide-reaching work of the RSNO and allows individuals, trusts and corporate organisations to build meaningful and impactful relationships with RSNO musicians. Previously Chair Patron to John Clark himself, Maureen considers herself to be ‘a champion of the double bass’ and her support of the section is greatly appreciated by all at the RSNO. You can find out more about our Chair Patron programme here.
Nikita Naumov is performing Koussevitsky’s Concerto for Double Bass as part of the Scottish Bass Trust Festival in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall’s New Auditorium on Sunday 28 September at 2.30pm. Book your tickets today at rsno.org.uk/rsno-plays-mozart/
