BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra was formed in December 1935 and is a key contributor to the BBC’s broadcasting and cultural role. In a unique effort and one of the most ambitious programs of cultural exchange ever undertaken by a UK orchestra in India, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and British Council in partnership with Seher presented the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in Siri Fort Auditorium, New Delhi in 2014.

The enthralling event witnessed legends like Nicola Benedetti and James MacMillan as part of the BBC SSO tour of India to mark the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Presented in partnership with Seher, the 65-member orchestra- one of the largest to tour India, held a two-hour concert at the Siri Fort Auditorium, New Delhi.

Going beyond performances, the event was a cultural exchange with music education expert Paul Rissman in two- one hour-long special concerts and workshops for students on the 1st of April at the Siri Fort Auditorium.

India and Britain have a shared history and the commonwealth games are a significant part of this history. This concert, therefore, holds a special place in our hearts. The event nurtured British-India ties promoting a harmonious exchange of music and art.

Producer’s Note-

“For us, it is exceptionally important to help our audience imbibe the cultural beauty from around the world and music is one of the best ways to do this. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra concert in Delhi in a magnanimous space like Siri Fort Auditorium was nothing less than a dream come true. It was thronged by people looking for rich experiences and an appetite for diverse music! The icing on the cake was two iconic and first ever student interaction sessions. Two shows of 1800 students each were done before the mega show for the audience and two workshops were done for NDMC schools where children from underprivileged backgrounds were exposed to western classical music perhaps for the first time in their lives. It was one of the highlights of the event. In addition to this the workshops were designed in a way that the children from Hindi medium schools could understand through animation.”