Colin receives critical acclaim for performances with Scottish Chamber Orchestra

© Andy Catlin

Last week, Colin made his conducting debut to lead the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in sold-out concerts at Glasgow’s City Hall, and The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh.

Colin built his programme around the music of Steve Reich, branching out to connected works by Louis Andriessen, Arvo Pärt and Julia Wolfe. The electrifying performance from the orchestra, under Colin’s direction, received a rapturous response from both audiences, which was matched by unanimous critical acclaim:

”Currie took on an astonishing range of roles, from informed and articulate compère to fluent, perceptive conductor, as well as ensemble player and even concerto soloist. Indeed, it was a remarkable achievement from Currie to both play and direct Louis Andriessen’s percussion concerto Tapdance, and Currie’s switching between roles laid bare the piece’s mechanics to revelatory effect.”
The Scotsman ★★★★★ - Read the full review.

”The American composer has been a mainstay of the Scottish musician’s work with his own percussion group. The second half of this programme presented another side of his work with two more recent pieces for small ensembles, which Currie directed with the sort of rhythmic clarity you might expect, cueing the players with precision.”
The Herald ★★★★★ - Read the full review.

© Andy Catlin

Colin appointed as new Visiting Professor at the Royal Academy of Music

Announced today, Colin has been appointed as a new Visiting Professor of Modern Ensembles at the Royal Academy of Music, London.

Colin is an alumnus of the Academy, and has previously served as professor of solo percussion, as well as collaborating on and leading many projects.

He said: ‘As I begin my third professorial decade for my Alma Mater I am delighted with this new and enriched role, curating ensemble projects for and with the students. Nothing is more crucial than performance experience, and this area will engender maximum diversity of contemporary repertoire and broad stylistic versatility.’

Colin will begin his role in September 2024, when he will also direct his first concert for the Academy. Read more.

Scottish Chamber Orchestra - Conducting Debut

Next week, Colin takes on a new joint role with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, performing as both conductor and concerto soloist.

Colin built his programme around the music of Steve Reich, branching out to connected works by Louis Andriessen, Arvo Pärt and Julia Wolfe.  

The concert opens with Arvo Pärt’s chamber work Frartres for winds and percussion, before he assumes the role of soloist/director in Andriessen’s Tapdance concerto, which was written for Colin and premiered by him in 2014. After the percussion concerto, Currie will conduct Julia Wolfe’s Fuel followed by two works of Steve Reich - the warmly lyrical Pulse and the extraordinary Radio Re-write, which took inspiration from songs by British rock band, Radiohead.

Colin has enjoyed a long and fruitful collaboration with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, having performed with them many times and premiered several new concertos together.

Find out more and book tickets

Dessner, Reich / Asko|Schönberg / Colin Currie - conductor

"Colin Currie, who earlier laid down a mesmerizing introduction with Bryce Dessner's Tromp Miniature, led Reich with a steady hand. The smooth music seemed to encourage the patterns to multiply kaleidoscopically, and could sound intensely red or pale blue, à la Richter's brush. Beautiful."
Het Parool, April 2023

"Things get more intense when Currie takes a seat behind keyboards with three more pianists (Saskia Lankhoorn, Pauline Post and Tim Sabel) for Steve Reich's Four Organs (1970)… the musicians stop playing at exactly the same time and that one second of spectacular silence only commands great admiration for their concentration and stamina."
de Volkskrant, April 2023

"…the ASKO ensemble produced a warm, swirling symphonic sound, taking full advantage of the Muziekgebouw's acoustics."
Basia Con Fuoco, April 2023

"A stage-wide screen starts full of coloured lines, one thinner than the other, blending into each other. Slowly, the lines develop into brightly coloured patterns that flow across the screen (with breathtakingly deep colour contrast for a projection, it looks like stained glass)… Behind that screen are fourteen musicians from Asko|Schönberg, who can very occasionally be seen through the images."
NRC, April 2023