How the RSNO Makes Music for All
By James Dixon
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) has been a cornerstone of Scotland’s superlative classical music scene for well over a century now. Founded in 1891 and latterly granted Royal status, nowadays the RSNO is an ensemble shaped in many ways as much by its adventurous spirit as by its deep cultural roots.
It’s one of Europe’s leading symphony orchestras, renowned around the world for its distinctive sound and award-winning recordings (a mainstay of any Classic FM listener’s regular intake). And, importantly, it shows an unwavering commitment to diverse audiences across Scotland, from hardened musos to complete first-timers.
And it’s arguably in the festive season that this really shines through. I was reminded of all of this recently when I took my four-year-old daughter to the RSNO’s festive brass celebration.
Inspiring Children
It was, quite simply, fantastic. It’s just about the most festive I felt over the whole holiday period, and my daughter was fully engaged (it helped that Mummy was on stage — full disclosure, my wife is a soprano in the RSNO Chorus). It was festive without being cloying, joyful without ever feeling simplified — which, really, is one of their main strengths. They will play Elgar, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninov; they will also lead film nights with celebrations of John Williams and an entire upcoming concert devoted to Gladiator. And they will play for the masses, and then some, every Christmas.
For an orchestra of this stature to make space so confidently for young or new listeners is no small thing; it speaks to a deeper philosophy about who classical music is for.
That philosophy was even more apparent last Christmas, when I took my daughter to the RSNO’s Christmas Concert. As the opening bars of The Snowman began and the film flickered into life above the orchestra, she gasped as if something magical had just entered the room (I suppose it had, in a way). And when Father Christmas appeared amidst the dancing snowmen, she couldn’t help herself. ‘It’s Father Christmas!’ she called out, delighted and unembarrassed, to a great many smiles from people all around.
This is what orchestral music is meant to do, after all: astonish, move, and make room for wonder.
The Chorus
The RSNO Chorus (about whom I’m completely biased — see above), who have long been recognised as one of the finest symphonic choirs in the UK, are a big part of this. Chorus Director Stephen Doughty has maintained them as a bit of a powerhouse since he took the reins at the start of the 2022-23 season, helping the Chorus to retain their well-deserved reputation for clarity, power, and emotional range. They’ve not just performed with the RSNO, either, but often collaborate with leading orchestras across Europe. They even helped to sing Happy Birthday to Karl Jenkins at the Albert Hall a while back, when he turned 80.
The current season will showcase some major artistic partnerships. Anthony Parnther joins as Featured Artist, bringing his distinctive versatility across classical, film, and family programmes. Patrick Hahn, Principal Guest Conductor, brings kinetic energy and curiosity to concerts including Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances and a jazz-inflected collaboration with the Frank Dupree Trio.
As well as all of this, the RSNO remains committed to home-grown talent (of which there is plenty in Scotland). Nicola Benedetti will join them in May to perform Elgar’s Violin Concerto, whilst pianist Ethan Loch takes on Gershwin in March, and mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill sees the season off in style with Ode to Joy in June.
Inclusivity
New music thrives too, with a commission by Cheryl Frances-Hoad for RSNO Changed Voices and the recent UK premiere of James Newton Howard’s Second Violin Concerto. Meanwhile, they are going as hard on movie music as ever, with their ever-popular RSNO at the Movies series including classics like Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Ghostbusters, How to Train Your Dragon, and, as above, Gladiator.
Events like these dissolve the artificial boundaries between ‘serious’ music and shared cultural memory; they make the concert hall feel genuinely open to all-comers. It’s where the RSNO has always excelled: they open up spaces for joy and curiosity, for the new and the old. Crucially, this openness never compromises artistic standards, as the same care and musicianship underpin a festive concert as a Mahler symphony (albeit with potentially very different vibes at play — I can’t imagine too many festive jumpers for Mahler). Rather than diluting the music, the RSNO invites audiences to rise to it, making world-class performance feel shared, human, and profoundly inclusive.
My daughter, for one, was a fan. We’ll be going back next year.
For more information on the RSNO concerts in Glasgow, visit –
