Classical music in the city
Classical music in the city
Glasgow is home to Scotland’s national orchestra, one of the world's top performing arts schools, and several iconic venues. The city is brimming with talent, here's where you can find it.
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Home of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO), Glasgow Royal Concert Hall is a must-visit for classical music lovers. Playing everything from Shostakovich to John Williams, the RSNO perform here on most Saturday evenings. The venue also hosts tours from some of Europe's biggest orchestras.
Look out for performances taking place in the venue’s New Auditorium, with it’s state-of-the-art acoustics. Visit glasgowconcerthalls.com for what’s on.
City Halls
Praised for its excellent sound quality, City Halls is a hive of activity. Residents BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBC SSO) perform on Thursday evenings, while the Scottish Chamber Orchestra performs on most Fridays. The beautiful venue also hosts concerts by Scottish Ensemble, a cutting-edge string orchestra. Visit glasgowconcerthalls.com for more details.
The BBC SSO also presents Tectonics, a festival of new and experimental music curated by Ilan Volkov & Alasdair Campbell. Follow Tectonics on Instagram for more info.
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS)
Being one of the top 3 places to study performing arts in the world, it’s no surprise that the RCS has an outstanding and varied programme of music. As well as regular performances from students, you can also see stars such as Nicola Benedetti and BBC Radio 3 recordings.
If you prefer a relaxing afternoon concert, pop along on Mondays and Fridays at 1pm. Visit rcs.ac.uk for full listings.
The University of Glasgow
Listen to classical music in the stunning historic grounds of Glasgow’s oldest university. Concerts take place during the academic year in afternoons and evenings and feature a wide array of genres. Expect to see established Scottish musicians as well as emerging young artists. While many of the events are free, booking is recommended. Visit gla.ac.uk for more info.
Secret venues in Glasgow
For something a bit different, Fever presents concerts by candlelight at some of Glasgow’s iconic venues including Òran Mór, Trades Hall and the Tall Ship. Experience everything from Chopin and Vivaldi to classical tributes to Taylor Swift and Queen. Visit feverup.com for what's on.
Did you know that Glasgow's status as a UNESCO City of Music makes it one of 13 UNESCO sites in Scotland? In a world first Scotland's UNESCO sites have been brought together to form a trail - discover more about each of these 13 wonders and the UNESCO trail at visitscotland.com.
Article last updated: March 2022
