Jim Gilchrist

Three Edinburgh International Festival concerts receive strong reviews. The Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, conducted by Rafael Payare, is praised for powerful performances of contemporary Canadian works—including Ana Sokolović’s response to the residential-school tragedy—alongside Gabriela Ortiz’s vivid Dzonot and Richard Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben. Maxim Emelyanychev and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s wind soloists deliver an elegant and finely balanced programme of Poulenc, Ravel and chamber works. Derya Türkan’s quintet, completed by singer Dilek Türkan, receives four stars for its expressive fusion of 17th-century Constantinopolitan musical traditions with contemporary instrumental colours, though the lack of spoken introductions and limited programme explanation are criticized.

The opening day of Glasgow’s Piping Live! festival ranged from traditional piobaireachd and young piper competitions to Portuguese gaita music and highly experimental performances. Bruce Gandy delivered a relaxed and accomplished recital of original compositions, while Alma Menor combined Portuguese bagpipes and accordion with energetic effect. The festival’s Ceol Nua strand pushed further into electronic and extended techniques through performances by Flynn Butler Fraser, Erwan Keravec and Harry Gorski-Brown. The reviewer concludes that the programme offered an extraordinary exploration of the bagpipe’s sonic possibilities, although it may not suit audiences seeking only conventional tunes.

A profile of Mark O'Connor examines his career across bluegrass, jazz, country and classical music, including his collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis and Aly Bain. O'Connor argues that American music cannot be separated from politics because its blues, hoedown, spiritual and ragtime traditions emerged from social movements. He discusses using his public platform to support political change, withdrawing from Trump-endorsed 250th-anniversary celebrations, and performing with his wife Maggie O'Connor at the Edinburgh International Festival.

Jim Gilchrist selects highlights from the 2026 Edinburgh International Festival’s contemporary music programme, spanning Scottish traditional music, jazz, electronica, Afrofuturism, Celtic mythology and African, Middle Eastern and Latin American influences. Featured performances include Wynton Marsalis’s Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Dàna with Ellie Beaton, corto.alto, Derya Türkan, Brìghde Chaimbeul with the Scottish Ensemble, Camilla George, Orchestra Baobab and Donald Shaw’s closing folk showcase.

Jim Gilchrist selects highlights from the 2026 Edinburgh International Festival’s contemporary music programme, spanning Scottish traditional music, jazz, world music, electronica and cross-cultural collaborations. Featured performers include Dàna with Ellie Beaton, Wynton Marsalis’s Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, corto.alto, Derya Türkan, Brìghde Chaimbeul, Camilla George, Orchestra Baobab and Donald Shaw. Venues include The Hub, Usher Hall and Queen’s Hall, with performances scheduled throughout August.

A warmly received farewell tour performance by The Bad Plus at the Edinburgh Jazz Festival showcased the quartet’s energetic interplay, featuring dynamic sax, guitar, bass and drum work across a set mixing originals with an Ornette Coleman piece. The band reflected on Edinburgh’s long-standing significance to their career, and a vigorous encore capped an affectionate send-off.