Formed in 1974 with a commitment to serve the Scottish community, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) is one of the country’s foremost cultural ambassadors, touring regularly in Europe, the Far East and the USA. Internationally recognised for its innovative approach to music-making and programme planning, the orchestra performs throughout Scotland and appears regularly at the Edinburgh, St Magnus (Orkney) and Aldeburgh Festivals and the BBC Proms.

The SCO is widely regarded as a leader in the field of orchestral music education and it was one of the first UK orchestras to establish an education programme. With 28 years of experience the SCO has a mature and considered approach to this work, which is reflected in the scale and breadth of its education activities. Projects are developed in partnership with other arts organisations, communities, festivals and local authorities on an ongoing basis to meet with local, regional and national strategies.

Recent projects for children and young people include Railway Mania, a new piece commissioned from composer Huw Warren for 200 upper primary school pupils in East Ayrshire and nine SCO musicians, and Composer Laureate for Schools which is supporting the teaching of composition in secondary schools.