Festival Opening Concert - Scottish Ensemble

Broadcast on Thursday 20 May at 7:30pm and available to view on demand for a further 9 days.

This special concert filmed at the Byre at Inchyra, a beautifully restored rustic barn in Perthshire, is a celebration of the arrival of summer with uplifting and joyful music. Fall under the spell of the orchestra and be taken on a journey through the Balkans, Central Europe, the Americas, Scandinavia and back to Scotland once more. The concert will finish with Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings; a poignant work that was due to close the Festival’s May 2020 programme before COVID took effect.

A constellation of exceptional musicians led by Artistic Director Jonathan Morton, SE champions music for strings, promoting the diversity of the string repertoire and seeking out thoughtful and adventurous ways of connecting classical music to contemporary life.

SE inspires audiences in the UK and beyond with vibrant performances which are powerful, challenging and rewarding experiences, crossing genres, styles, musical periods and artistic forms to offer fresh perspectives on classical music. SE regularly collaborates with high-profile guest artists and is also becoming increasingly known for its international collaborations with artists from other disciplines, from dance and theatre companies to visual artists.

The orchestra are delighted to open the festival, with Perth being one of their regular concert stages and much-loved places to perform.