BBC SSO 2026/27 Season - Aberdeen, Edinburgh & Glasgow

The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBC SSO) has announced its new season of concerts across Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow from September 2026 to May 2027.

From Beethoven 200 to the revival of a radical British opera, bold orchestral commissions and the electrifying power of classic film scores, the 2026/27 season reaffirms the BBC SSO’s commitment to musical daring, discovery and the visceral thrill of live performance and broadcast.

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2026/27 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

• In his fifth year as Chief Conductor, Ryan Wigglesworth champions innovators and iconoclasts, from Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony and Wagner’s The Valkyrie (Act I) to Holst’s visionary The Planets, alongside BBC commissions from today’s most original voices
• Beethoven 200 is celebrated in a season‑long tribute, including the Violin Concerto with Bomsori, the ‘Choral’ Symphony with Hallé Choir, and Symphonies Nos 7 and 8
• A rare revival of Harrison Birtwistle’s opera The Second Mrs Kong is conducted by Martyn Brabbins and features an all-star cast alongside the BBC Singers
• Radical new music and BBC commissions from Matthew Kaner and Laila Arafah, as well Enrico Chapela’s Concerto for Electric Violin and Orchestra
• Principal Guest Conductor Delyana Lazarova makes her debut at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall with a richly expressive programme including Korngold’s Violin Concerto with Bulgarian star Liya Petrova
• Major choral collaborations include two appearances by the BBC Singers across Paisley, Glasgow and Edinburgh, alongside the National Youth Choir of Scotland and Edinburgh Festival Chorus (EIF 2026)
• Classic Film Double Bill: Film score specialist Ben Palmer conducts Hitchcock’s Psycho on Halloween weekend, followed by a centenary celebration for Fritz Lang’s Metropolis
• Erland Cooper’s Dawn Chorus: Violinist Freya Goldmark is soloist in a musical tribute to the natural world, inspired by Sir David Attenborough’s extraordinary legacy in his 100th birthday year
• BBC Radio 3’s Friday Night is Music Nightrecords a live public event in January, celebrating Scotland’s distinctive musical heritage and dramatic landscapes
• The BBC’s Music & Meditation Podcast returns by popular demand to Glasgow’s Old Fruitmarket for a live, immersive experience of calming music, breathwork and guided meditation
• Upcoming festival appearances in 2026 include four BBC Proms at London’s Royal Albert Hall (Jul & Sep), a residency at Aldeburgh Festival (Jun), three concerts at Edinburgh International Festival (Aug), The Cumnock Tryst (Oct) and Steve Reich at 90 at The Glasshouse, Gateshead(Oct)

Dominic Parker, BBC SSO Director, says: “This season brings together everything that makes the BBC SSO distinctive: musical adventure, curiosity and an unwavering belief in the power of live music‑making to bring people together, whether that’s in concert halls, across the airwaves or online. From bold BBC commissions and the revival of a radical British opera to the thrilling impact of live-to-picture film music, meditative experiences and plenty of enduring orchestral classics, this is a season that only the BBC could present.”

BEETHOVEN 200

To mark the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s death, Scotland’s orchestras unite for an extraordinary season‑long tribute to one of music’s greatest visionaries. Beethoven’s life-affirming ‘Choral’ Symphony will be a beacon of light in a Scottish December, as Delyana Lazarova assembles four outstanding soloists and the Hallé Choir from Manchester (where she made her professional breakthrough). Ryan Wigglesworth conducts Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony and welcomes back Korean violinist Bomsori for the composer’s masterful Violin Concerto. Meanwhile, Creative Partner Ilan Volkov pairs Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony with music by Japanese visionaries Takemitsu and Dai Fujikura, featuring violinist Akiko Suwanai and flautist Adam Walker.

POPULAR CLASSICS & DISCOVERIES

Highlights across the series include Mahler’s Tenth Symphony with Dutch guest conductor Antony Hermus (Glasgow), Holst’s The Planets (Glasgow & Edinburgh), Mozart’s Requiem with the BBC Singers and Grammy Award-winning composer/conductor Eric Whitacre (Paisley & Edinburgh) and Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony (Edinburgh & Glasgow). Plus, guest conductor Mihhail Gerts brings music from his homeland, introducing two of Estonia’s most distinctive musical voices: Arvo Pärt and Eduard Tubin.

Many of the world’s greatest soloists perform across Scotland, including Chloë Hanslip in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto (Aberdeen) and Chapela’s Electric Violin Concerto (Glasgow); Elisabeth Brauss in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.9 (Glasgow); former BBC Young Musician winner Laura van der Heijden in Walton’s Cello Concerto (Edinburgh & Glasgow); Liya Petrova in Korngold’s Violin Concerto (Edinburgh & Glasgow); Denis Kozhukhin in Brahms’ First Piano Concerto (Aberdeen & Glasgow); violinist Akiko Suwanai and flautist Adam Walker in Dai Fujikura’s ‘Double Concerto’ (Aberdeen & Glasgow); and Benjamin Baker in the world premiere of Matthew Kaner’s Violin Concerto (Glasgow).

AFTERNOON PERFORMANCES (Glasgow)

Six Afternoon Performances — three Thursdays and three Sundays at 2.00pm — pair inspiring soloists with uplifting orchestral classics, with the Sunday series featuring three BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists: clarinettist Oleg Shebata‑Dragan, soprano Erika Baikoff and baritone Andrew Hamilton. Conductors include Ryan Wigglesworth alongside Michael Sanderling, Emilia Hoving and debut conductor Kalena Bovell.

OPERA & CHORAL

Choral collaborations remain central to the BBC SSO’s season, including a celebration of the National Youth Choir of Scotland’s 30th anniversary (Edinburgh), Delyana Lazarova conducting the Hallé Choir in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (Glasgow), and two appearances by the BBC Singers: a semi-staged concert performance of Harrison Birtwistle’s The Second Mrs Kong, and Eric Whitacre conducting Mozart’s Requiem in the magnificent settings of Paisley Abbey and Edinburgh’s Usher Hall. The season culminates in a powerful closing night with Act I of The Valkyrie, conducted by Ryan Wigglesworth and sung by three leading Wagnerian voices – tenor Brenden Gunnell, soprano Katherine Broderick and bass James Platt.

Other leading vocalists in the season include soprano Miah Persson and baritone James Atkinson (Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony), mezzo-soprano Marta Fontanals-Simmons, soprano Francesca Chiejina, tenor Santiago Sanchez and bass Barnaby Rea (Beethoven Nine), soprano Sophie Bevan (Mussorgsky), as well as BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists, soprano Erika Baikoff (Britten) and baritone Andrew Hamilton (Chausson).

THE SECOND MRS KONG

The BBC SSO presents a rare revival of Harrison Birtwistle’s two‑act opera The Second Mrs Kong on Saturday 17 April 2027, conducted by Martyn Brabbins. Set in the surreal “World of Shadows”, the opera has been described as “hypnotically beautiful” but has rarely been staged since its 1994 premiere. Directed by Victoria Newlyn, this semi‑staged concert performance features an all‑star cast, among them Sir John Tomlinson, Roderick Williams, Susan Bickley, Claire Booth and the BBC Singers. Free tickets are available for the public from 14 May. The performance will be recorded for Radio 3 and will received its first ever commercial release on NMC Recordings.

CLASSIC FILM SCORES

Following an electrifying Bride of Frankenstein in 2025, the BBC SSO expands its popular live‑to‑picture collaborations with film music specialist Ben Palmer, presenting two landmark classics with their iconic scores at Glasgow City Halls. On Sunday 1 November 2026, Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) willsend shivers down the spine with Bernard Herrmann’s razor‑sharp score — a chilling night out on Halloween weekend! Then on Sunday 17 January 2027, the orchestra marks the centenary of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927), performing Gottfried Huppertz’s bold, sumptuous score live for what is widely regarded as the most influential sci‑fi film ever made.

ERLAND COOPER’S DAWN CHORUS

Dawn Chorus is a breathtaking new concerto by Emmy‑nominated Scottish composer Erland Cooper, performed by violinist Freya Goldmark. Inspired by Sir David Attenborough’s extraordinary legacy in his centenary year, Cooper — hailed by The Guardian as “nature’s songwriter” — weaves birdsong and the rhythms of life into a poetic musical tribute to the natural world. The concert also features a selection of classical works curated by Cooper, heard alongside his own original compositions.

FRIDAY NIGHT IS MUSIC NIGHT

The world’s longest-running live orchestral radio programme will broadcast on BBC Radio 3 from Glasgow City Halls on 22 January 2027, just days before Burns Night. Hosted by Jamie MacDougall and conducted by Derrick Morgan, the public concert will celebrate Scotland’s rich musical heritage, featuring distinctive Scottish voices past and present, as well as a poignant arrangement of Auld Lang Syne by BBC SSO fiddle player Alastair Savage.

THE MUSIC & MEDITATION PODCAST: LIVE

Back by popular demand after a sold‑out first event, Izzy Judd — host of the BBC’s The Music & Meditation Podcast — returns on Sunday 7 June 2027 with a special guest and the BBC SSO to create a uniquely immersive experience. Beneath the softly glowing lights of the Old Fruitmarket, audiences are invited to take a seat (or stretch out on the floor with a yoga mat!) and be enveloped in peaceful melodies, gentle breathwork and a calming guided meditation. The event will be recorded for Radio 3 Unwind and BBC Sounds.

CHRISTMAS CONCERTS ACROSS SCOTLAND

The BBC SSO’s annual festive feast of movie music, Christmas at The Movies, is back by popular demand just a few days before Christmas. Singer Jamie MacDougall hosts performances at Glasgow’s City Halls (20 Dec) and Edinburgh’s Usher Hall (21 Dec). And Christmas Classics is a heartwarming evening filled with yuletide carols, timeless orchestral pieces and festive classics. Singer Jamie MacDougall also brings a sparkle to these festivities in Aberdeen (18 Dec) and Glasgow (19 Dec).

The majority of concerts across the season will be recorded for BBC Radio 3 with many broadcast live, and select concerts filmed to watch for free on BBC iPlayer.

2026/27 DIGITAL SEASON BROCHURES

Glasgow brochure is available HERE
Aberdeen brochure is available HERE
Edinburgh brochure is available HERE

Browse concerts online via "Tickets & Concerts" at the top of this webpage.

BOOKING INFORMATION

Multibuy and Single ticket booking is open in Aberdeen and Edinburgh from Thursday 16 April, 10am.

Multibuy booking for the Glasgow Thursday Night Series opened to the general public on Tuesday 22 April 2025, 10am

Booking for current Glasgow subscribers opens Thursday 16 April, 10am. On the morning of 16 April, current subscribers will receive an email with a booking link. If it doesn’t arrive, please email bbcsso@bbc.co.uk and check your junk folder.

General booking for Glasgow (including Afternoon Performances) opens Thursday 14 May, 10am