Scottish Ensemble is a professional string orchestra based in Glasgow, Scotland and led by Artistic Director and violinist Jonathan Morton. Scottish Ensemble also collaborates with soloists. Recently guest artists have included trumpeter Alison Balsom, tenor Toby Spence, violinist Anthony Marwood, cellist Pieter Wispelwey and violist Lawrence Power. The group also seeks out collaborations with musicians from different traditions, and has recently performed alongside Scottish folk musicians Catriona McKay, Chris Stout and Aly Bain, DJ Alex Smoke, Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto and American bassist Edgar Meyer. As well as touring across Scotland, Scottish Ensemble perform in the UK and internationally. Alongside performances at venues across London including Kings Place, The Barbican Centre and Wigmore Hall, Scottish Ensemble receives regular invitations to tour abroad and in recent years the group has performed in Sweden, Norway, Germany, France, Istanbul, China, Japan, Brazil and North America. Scottish Ensemble has produced a number of recordings on labels including Linn Records and EMI. Its most recent release, Anno, is a recording of its 2016 production with Anna Meredith which was released on the Moshi Moshi imprint in August 2018. Founded in 1969 by violinist Leonard Friedman, in 2019 Scottish Ensemble celebrates its 50th anniversary. The group is a registered charity. Programming style Formed in 1969 as the Scottish Baroque Ensemble, by the violinist Leonard Friedman, Scottish Ensemble's extensive repertoire spans from the Baroque to the present day. The group is known for its distinctive programming style, which blends music from different centuries, musical periods, genres and styles, often linked together thematically. It is also known for its presentation of more unusual or rarely performed pieces. Committed to expanding the string repertoire, Scottish Ensemble also regularly commissions new works. In recent years, these have included new pieces by composers including Sir John Tavener, James MacMillan, Sally Beamish, Martin Suckling, John Woolrich, Craig Armstrong, Luke Bedford, Thea Musgrave, Anna Meredith and, most recently, Ailie Robertson. Events Scottish Ensemble regularly tours across Scotland, the UK and the world. In Scotland, as well as its regular touring cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth, Aberdeen, Inverness and Dumfries, the group performs in smaller towns and more remote locations across the country. Scottish Ensemble has presented an annual series of concerts at London’s Wigmore Hall and, more recently, performed at Kings Place and The Barbican Centre. The group has also appeared at the BBC Proms and at festivals including Edinburgh International, Edinburgh