The Ensemble regularly commissions new work and has an enviable reputation for innovative programming, performing rare and unusual pieces, alongside more well-known music. Composers who have written for the Scottish Ensemble include John Tavener, David Horne, John Woolrich, Craig Armstrong and Steve Martland.

As one of Scotland’s flagship performing groups, the Scottish Ensemble receives invitations to perform throughout the UK and internationally. It is an important musical ambassador, and in recent seasons has toured to China (Shanghai Spring International Festival), Germany and France. In the UK, it performs regularly at the Wigmore Hall in London, and at a wide range of festivals including the BBC Proms; City of London Festival; Aldeburgh Festival; Edinburgh International Festival; and the St Magnus Festival, Orkney. Concerts are regularly broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and Radio Scotland, and there is an ever-growing collection of recordings available.

The Scottish Ensemble is committed to Scotland and its audiences, and from its Glasgow base performs some 50 concerts a year. It travels the length and breadth of Scotland, appearing in all major towns and cities, as well as in more remote areas. Each year, the Scottish Ensemble promotes a 30-concert series in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Perth, and each summer promotes concerts in venues across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

The dynamic and passionate nature of the Ensemble’s performances is translated into captivating learning experiences for those who take part in the programme of education and community work. There are many strands to the Ensemble’s Lifelong Learning programme, including large scale creative projects for children, instrumental coaching, professional development seminars for workplaces and interactive concert opportunities.