Scottish mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow, the University of Toronto and the National Opera Studio in London. She was joint winner of the 2002 Kathleen Ferrier Award.

Edinburgh-born Donald Runnicles is Chief Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, having taken up the post on 20 September 2009. He began his career in Mannheim, before making his US debut in 1988 conducting Berg’s Lulu for the Metropolitan Opera New York, and becoming General Music Director of the City of Freiburg in 1989. After two Ring cycles at San Francisco Opera in 1990, he was invited to become Music Director. He is now Music Director of the Grand Teton Music Festival in Wyoming and Principal Guest Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and recently assumed the post of General Music Director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin.