Red Note Ensemble
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Scotland's New Music Ensemble Red Note Ensemble is Scotland’s contemporary music ensemble. https://youtu.be/CKx2Xdstz9Y
We develop, perform, present and find new audiences for new music within Scotland, the UK and internationally. The ensemble was founded in 2008 by Scottish cellist Robert Irvine, and is directed by John Harris (Chief Executive and Artistic Co-Director) and Robert Irvine (Artistic Co-Director). The Ensemble performs the established classics of contemporary music, commissions new music, develops the
CALL FOR SCORES – NOISY NIGHTS
Noisy Nights returns in September.
Are you interested in writing new music? Apply to our Noisy Nights call for scores – everyone is welcome to apply.
Noisy Nights are informal new music nights that provide an outlet to hear emerging new musical ideas and voices. Our players, Fiona (viola), Tom (percussion) and Martin (cello) will perform up to 8 short new 5-minute works selected from the open call.
Deadline for submissions: Wednesday 26th August
The Noisy Nights concert will take place on Tuesday 29th September at Drygate in Glasgow.
More info on our link in bio.
Red Note is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner supported by PPL.
04/06/2026
One week left until we come to Boat of Garten Community Hall and RSPB Loch Garten, Abernethy for an afternoon of music and nature 🎻 🍃
Premiering ALMANAC: Emergence on Saturday 13th June — a new live performance by Glasgow composer Tom Butler, inspired by the transformation of dragonflies from water to air.
Performed by our amazing ensemble Ruth Morley (flute), Gareth Brady (clarinet), Fiona Winning (viola) and Tom Hunter (percussion)
Featuring live music, a guided dragonfly visit with an RSPB ranger, and a post concert Q&A, this intimate event will blend landscape, sound and ecology in a unique afternoon experience.
Boat of Garten Community Hall
Saturday 13 June
£15 / £10 U26
Only 20 places per performance
Book now: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/almanac-part-1-emergence-tickets-1987491156551?
The Almanac cycle is kindly supported by the Vaughan Williams Foundation.
Sound Festival RSPB Scottish Music Centre New Music Scotland Cairngorms Connect Speysound Radio The Strathy
Almanac: Part 1 (Emergence) A live musical performance tracing the emergence of dragonflies from water to air — including a guided RSPB site visit.
27/05/2026
CALL FOR TUBA PLAYERS
Red Note Ensemble is looking for 100 tuba players to take part in a rare performance of Anthony Braxton’s legendary Composition No. 19 (For 100 Tubas) as part of Lammermuir Festival 2026.
We’re inviting tuba, sousaphone, euphonium, baritone, Wagner tuba and tenor horn players of all experience levels (amateur, student or professional) to join us for this extraordinary outdoor performance at Amisfield Walled Garden, East Lothian.
Please note that this is an unpaid opportunity, and unfortunately we cannot provide travel support to participants, so we encourage local players to apply.
Originally written in the 1970s and only very rarely performed, Braxton’s remarkable work brings together four marching brass bands moving through the space to create an immersive and unforgettable sound world as twilight falls.
Amisfield Walled Garden
Saturday 19 September 2026
13:00–19:30
Ages 16+
Registration deadline: 2 August
Come and be part of something unique.
Register via the link in bio / website
19/05/2026
Scotland’s contemporary music ensemble comes to Boat of Garten.
Red Note Ensemble presents ALMANAC: Emergence — a new live performance inspired by the transformation of dragonflies from water to air.
Featuring live music, field recordings and an optional guided dragonfly visit with an RSPB ranger, this intimate new work blends landscape, sound and ecology in a unique afternoon experience.
Performed by musicians from Red Note Ensemble, internationally recognised for creating and touring ambitious new music across the UK and beyond.
Boat of Garten Community Hall
Saturday 13 June
£15
Only 20 places per performance
Book now: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/almanac-part-1-emergence-tickets-1987491156551?
The Almanac cycle is kindly supported by the Vaughan Williams Foundation.
30/04/2026
Red Note Ensemble is pleased to be part of the Cultural Bridge 2026–27 programme, supporting international collaboration between Scotland and Germany.
Through the Re:Found partnership with Elbland Kunsthalle in Riesa, the project connects two post-industrial communities — Methil and Riesa — through shared artistic practice, exchange and new music. The collaboration will explore how place-based and community-led approaches can inform new ways of working, particularly in reimagining underused industrial spaces as sites for creative and communal activity.
The project will involve reciprocal visits, shared learning and the development of a pilot project, with a focus on increasing cultural participation and building long-term international collaboration.
Last week we held our 3rd Red Note Solos project
Guitarist Sasha Savaloni worked with composers from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, developing five new and distinctive works for classical guitar. These were performed at the Scottish Music Centre in Glasgow, before being recorded at RCS later in the week. Recordings coming soon ...
Huge thanks to Oli Searle and the RCS Composition department, Bekah Simms, Oscar Dash, our brilliant composers; Gemma Docherty, Sandy Mooney, Dharma Damvelt Madrigal, Ian Alexander, Danny Riley and thanks to Scottish Music Centre for hosting.
Earth Day
Our work often begins with listening — to landscapes, ecosystems, and the shifting rhythms of the natural world.
Projects like Almanac reflect on these changes through sound, performance and collaboration.
Today is a reminder of the environments we’re part of, and the responsibility we share.
21/04/2026
We’re delighted to welcome two new members to the Red Note Board.
Please join us in welcoming Peter Nelson as Chair of the Board, and Katie Rawson as Trustee in Training.
Peter brings a remarkable breadth of experience across contemporary music, research, technology and cultural leadership, alongside a long-standing commitment to new music in Scotland.
Katie joins with a passion for accessibility, representation and community music, and brings a valuable emerging voice to the board.
We’re excited to have them both with us as we look ahead.
ALMANAC: Part 1 (Emergence)
Boat of Garten, June 2026
The first chapter of Thomas Butler’s Almanac marks the emergence of dragonflies and damselflies as they transition from water to air.
Combining live performance and field recordings, Emergence traces this moment of transformation through sound, image and movement. Shaped by ecological research and set within the landscape that inspires it, the work invites audiences to experience this fragile and vital process up close.
The performance includes a guided visit to observe dragonflies and damselflies in partnership with RSPB, followed by a Q&A with composer Thomas Butler.
The Almanac cycle is kindly supported by the Vaughan Williams Foundation.
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1 Summerhall Place
Edinburgh
EH91PL