Glasgow Studio Orchestra – Biography

The Glasgow Studio Orchestra was born out of the BA in Applied Music Orchestra, which enjoyed more than 8 years of performing success and excellence, showcasing the talents of the full time undergraduate students of the degree between 1995 and 2003. The orchestra had a regular series of concerts throughout each academic session and covered standard orchestral classical repertoire, including regular concertos featuring students as soloists.

When the orchestra was reinstated, still as part of the BA in Applied Music, in 2008, its new remit was to perform two distinct functions, firstly to act as an orchestral ensemble for students to practice their recording techniques and also to provide a large ensemble performance platform for the student body.

Due to the initial remit as a recording ensemble, the term “Studio Orchestra” was coined. Early performances included arrangements of Motown classics and a significant amount of songs from musicals from Broadway and the West End. An end of session performance of predominantly film music with accompanying synchronized film clips proved very popular, so this became our pattern. Coupled with the factor that the great film orchestras of the film industry are referred to as “studio” orchestras, we have settled nicely into this niche.

With the demise of the BA in Applied Music, it became obvious that the orchestra would need an influx of new blood to sustain numbers. The orchestra recently had a recruitment drive and has taken on a number of students from throughout the University and other institutions. Additional new players came in the form of past students – now young professional performers, teachers and academics – who were looking for a creative output for their talents.