Category: Scotland; Orchestras
Date: 09.11.2005
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Gavin Reid, General Manager of Manchester Camerata, the leading chamber orchestra in the north-west of England, has been appointed the new Director of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
Born and educated in Edinburgh, Gavin has led Manchester Camerata through an important period of development since he took up his post in 2002.
During the last three years the orchestra has broadcast for the first time on BBC Radio 3, given its debut performance at the BBC Proms and launched its own series of live CD recordings.
Gavin becomes BBC SSO Director as the orchestra reaches one of the most significant milestones in its history - the move from BBC Scotland's premises in the West End of Glasgow into the £13m City Halls complex.
He takes over as Director from Hugh Macdonald who is retiring in January 2006 after a 20 year career at BBC Scotland.
Gavin said: "I am looking forward enormously to returning to Scotland to take on such a prestigious role.
"It will be a great privilege to lead the orchestra through a new and exciting chapter in its illustrious history."
Ken MacQuarrie, Controller, BBC Scotland, said: "Gavin Reid has already established a reputation as an outstanding orchestral manager and I am delighted that he will be taking the Scottish Symphony Orchestra forward into a new era."
Following school, Gavin spent two years at Napier College before moving to Manchester to study the trumpet at the Royal Northern College of Music.
He then spent a postgraduate year at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama before returning to Manchester in 1991.
Whilst at college, he was a member of the European Community Youth Orchestra.
As a freelance musician, Gavin performed with a variety of orchestras and ensembles, including the Halle, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and City of Birmingham Symphony, as well as the BBC Scottish Symphony.
Gavin has been heavily involved in orchestral education programmes throughout his career.
From 1996 to 2002, he was responsible for developing Manchester Camerata's programme working particularly with primary school children in Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Lancashire and North Wales.
Gavin is England's Northwest Fellow on the Clore Leadership Programme - an initiative of the Clore Duffield Foundation, which aims to develop the next generation of cultural leaders - and is currently seconded to the Royal Opera House.
Hugh Macdonald will step down following after a series of high-profile events to mark the opening of the BBC SSO's new home.
These will include the first performance of a specially commissioned piece from the BBC SSO's young Resident Composer Anna Meredith, combining the members of the orchestra with children and community groups from Glasgow's East End.
