As a world leading musical centre of excellence the Dunard Centre will both inspire existing music lovers and ignite others to start their own playing adventures.
In fact, the music making has already begun, with Su-a Lee from the internationally celebrated Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) playing out the decommissioned office building on the very first day of clearance works, celebrating the final transition of the site from private land to public realm.
The unique collection of talented musicians who make up the SCO will move into the Dunard Centre when it is completed, using this new year-round home to support their mission to inspire and connect with people of all ages.
The Dunard Centre will also host the Edinburgh International Festival every year, providing a stunning showcase for an unparalleled celebration of the performing arts for three weeks every August. Festivals rely on an ecosystem of spaces that can accommodate bold programming: this new 1,000 seater hall will become a hero venue for EIF, supplying a long-unmet need in the city’s cultural infrastructure.
State-of-the art digital facilities will allow both resident organisations to reimagine the performance experience, collaborate with more world-renowned artists and enhance their already-excellent audience engagement and education programmes.
Beyond these two companies, a year-round programme will support live performance of all genres: rock and choral, classical and jazz, folk and blues, traditional and world music.
