Since his triumph as winner of the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition, pianist Garrick Ohlsson has established himself worldwide as a musician of magisterial interpretive and technical prowess. Although he has long been regarded as one of the world's leading exponents of the music of Frédéric Chopin, Mr. Ohlsson commands an enormous repertoire, which ranges over the entire piano literature. A student of the late Claudio Arrau, Mr. Ohlsson has come to be noted for his masterly performances of the works of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, as well as the Romantic repertoire. His concerto repertoire alone is unusually wide and eclectic - ranging from Haydn and Mozart to works of the 21st century - and to date he has at his command some 80 concertos.

Ilan Volkov is the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Guest Conductor having previously held the post of Chief Conductor from January 2003-September 2009. At the time of his appointment, he became the youngest person to hold such a position with a BBC orchestra, having made his debut in 1998. As Chief Conductor he conducted more than 25 concerts each season, including the BBC Proms, Edinburgh and Huddersfield festivals, and he led the orchestra on tours including South America and the Netherlands. Through his programming, he plays a vital role in the orchestra’s commitment to contemporary music.

Formed in December 1935 by Scottish composer and conductor Ian Whyte, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is recognised as one of the UK’s leading orchestras. The winner of several awards, including a Royal Philharmonic Society Award (the only Scottish orchestra to do so) and four Gramophone Awards, its wide repertoire and flexible approach to format means it can perform a complex contemporary piece as a specialist ensemble alongside a major symphonic work. It has a busy broadcasting schedule on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Television and also records commercially.