Red Note at sound festival - Spotlight Gig
2025-11-01 12:00 - 13:00 (Europe/London) | St Andrew’s Cathedral, Aberdeen, 28 King Street, Aberdeen, AB24 5AX, United Kingdom
St Andrew’s Cathedral, Saturday 1st November 12:00pm
Katherine Bryer (oboe) and Cerys Ambrose-Evans (bassoon) perform new works by emerging Scottish-based composers Olivia McLean, Finn O’Hare, David Ford, Alison Beattie and Ewa Adamiec resulting from a 3-month composer development opportunity supported by composer Anna Appleby.
In association with Red Note Ensemble and St Andrew’s Cathedral at Noon series. Part of the soundcreators programme.

Join the Red Note Ensemble Board
2025-11-02
Be part of something amazing – Scotland’s new music ensemble is looking for a new Chair of the Board along with a new trustee with legal expertise and a new Trustee in Training.
As one of the UK’s most exciting and innovative makers and commissioners of new music, the role of trustee means you will become part of a vanguard developing new works for the national and international stage, supporting and developing young composers and musicians and working closely with communities.
Always forward-thinking and dynamic, the company plays a leadership role nationally and internationally in the development of new music and the engagement of new audiences through its busy, annual schedule of events. Our current Board members have expertise and experience at a senior level in arts, marketing, education, finance, and community work.
See details for each role and how to apply below.

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CHAIR OF THE BOARD
For this role, we invite interest from suitably experienced individuals at a Chief Executive level and would particularly welcome those with a background in the UK public sector and/or experience of a previous board membership and a genuine interest in music and the arts. The ideal candidate would contribute their knowledge and strong industry contacts and commit to actively support the ensemble by promoting and supporting the organisation externally.
Candidates should share our values, have experience in leadership or governance and have time to invest in supporting Red Note’s work and strategy. Previous Chair experience is not required but a plus, though we do require strong leadership experience in a public sector setting.
Board meetings are held quarterly online, and the Board meet once a year in person in Glasgow or Edinburgh for the annual Board Away Day.
The Chair is responsible for ensuring the Board works effectively, leading the Board team and meetings and overseeing decisions taken.
In addition, the Chair gives informal advice by phone or 1:1 meeting with the executive team as required and line-manages the CEO.
If you would like to have an informal discussion with the current Chair of the Board, Ian Smith, you can get in touch with him via email at ian65smith@icloud.com or call +353 87 442 2654
Alternatively, please write to us explaining why you are interested in becoming Red Note’s Chair of the Board (no more than an A4 page, single sided) and attach your CV.
Please send this to Red Note’s General Manager, Flore Ducasse, on flore@rednoteensemble.com.
The deadline to submit interest is Sunday 2nd November 2025.
If you have any questions that aren’t covered here, if you have technical difficulties or have any access requirements, we can support you with the application process. Please contact Ian Smith, Chair of the Board at ian65smith@icloud.com with your question and he will reply to you with the required information.
If there is another format that would support you to do your best application then please get in touch via flore@rednoteensemble.com and we will work with you to try and make it possible.
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TRUSTEE WITH LEGAL EXPERTISE
For this role, we invite interest from candidates with experience in the legal sector, and a genuine interest in music and the arts.
We particularly welcome applications from candidates with experience in contract or IP law.
You don’t have to love contemporary music to be part of the story, but you do need to believe that music makes a real difference to life and provides significant access to participation at every level.
You don’t have to have experience of being on a Board, one of our core areas of focus is developing talent, and that applies to our trustees too.
You don’t need to be based in Scotland (or the UK), we value expertise and insight wherever you are based.
What you do need, is enthusiasm, affinity with Red Note’s ethos and some time to dedicate to quarterly meetings on Zoom, with some work in between and to attend our annual Board Away Day in person in Glasgow or Edinburgh.
Before each board meeting, papers are circulated for the board to read in advance. Board meetings are usually on a Monday evening between 6-8pm UK time.
In return, you’ll learn new things, stretch your thinking, and meet some genuinely lovely folk.
If you’ve never considered being on a Board but you would like to discuss the opportunity with any of us – get in touch. We’d love to hear from you. If you’ve got oodles of experience and have time to spare, we’d love to hear from you too.
To find out more about why Red Note Ensemble is so exciting, and to discover more about what it means to be a Director and Trustee please check out Red Note’s website, and the Board Director handbook.
If you are interested in finding out more, please contact Ian Smith, Chair of the Board at ian65smith@icloud.com.
Alternatively, please write to us explaining why you are interested in joining the Board of Red Note Ensemble (no more than an A4 page, single sided) and attach your CV. Please send this to Red Note’s General Manager, Flore Ducasse, on flore@rednoteensemble.com.
The deadline to submit interest is Sunday 2nd November 2025.
If you have any questions that aren’t covered here, if you have technical difficulties or have any access requirements, we can support you with the application process. Please contact Ian Smith, Chair of the Board at ian65smith@icloud.com
with your question and he will reply to you with the required information.
If there is another format that would support you to do your best application then please get in touch via flore@rednoteensemble.com and we will work with you to try and make it possible.
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TRUSTEE IN TRAINING
This is an opportunity for a student or emerging professional aged 18-28 to take part in a 2-year board trustee in training role. This opportunity will allow a student or emerging professional to get first-hand experience sitting on a board and develop their skills.
Please note this is a voluntary role.
What To Expect
You don’t have to have experience of being on a Board. This role is specifically catered towards developing talent and potential. Learning in this role is expected. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to shadow other board members, as well as a one-to-one mentor with a current Red Note trustee.
What you do need, is enthusiasm, affinity with Red Note’s ethos and some time to dedicate to quarterly meetings on Zoom, with some work in between and to attend our annual Board Away Day in person in Glasgow or Edinburgh.
Before each board meeting, papers are circulated for the board to read in advance. Board meetings are usually on a Monday evening between 6-8pm UK time.
The board aims to have one in person meeting or training day each year. Travel expenses will be covered by Red Note for this.
This traineeship is for 2 years. We would like to hear from applicants that can commit to this tenure. You don’t need to be based in Scotland, we value insight from anywhere. Red Note currently has 2 board members who are based in Europe.
Benefits
In return, you’ll learn new things, stretch your thinking, and meet some genuinely lovely folk.
The role of a trustee is an incredible experience that will boost your career and give the opportunity to develop a range of skills:

Develop skills
Grow your network
Learn about governance and understand how the arts sector works
Make a difference

It is also worth noting that our former Trustee in Training; Mareike Ohl has now been elected to serve as a full Red Note Ensemble trustee demonstrating the significant benefit of this initiative to the successful applicant.
Contact
If you’ve never considered being on a Board but fancy a chat – get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.
For an informal chat with the Chair, CEO or any of the Board, contact Ian Smith, Chair of the Board at ian65smith@icloud.com or call +353 87 442 2654
How To Apply
Please write to us explaining why you are interested in becoming Red Note’s next Trustee in Training (no more than an A4 page, single sided) and attach your CV. Please send this to Red Note’s General Manager, Flore Ducasse, on flore@rednoteensemble.com.
The deadline to submit interest is Sunday 2nd November 2025.
If you have any questions that aren’t covered here, if you have technical difficulties or have any access requirements, we can support you with the application process. Please contact Ian Smith, Chair of the Board at ian65smith@icloud.com
with your question and he will reply to you with the required information.
If there is another format that would support you to do your best application then please get in touch via flore@rednoteensemble.com and we will work with you to try and make it possible.

Chair Of The Board
2026-01-04
Be part of something amazing – Scotland’s new music ensemble is looking for a new Chair of the Board.
As one of the UK’s most exciting and innovative makers and commissioners of new music, the role of trustee means you will become part of a vanguard developing new works for the national and international stage, supporting and developing young composers and musicians and working closely with communities.
Always forward-thinking and dynamic, the company plays a leadership role nationally and internationally in the development of new music and the engagement of new audiences through its busy, annual schedule of events. Our current Board members have expertise and experience at a senior level in arts, marketing, education, finance, and community work.
CHAIR OF THE BOARD
For this role, we invite interest from suitably experienced individuals at a Chief Executive level and would particularly welcome those with a background in the UK public sector and/or experience of a previous board membership and a genuine interest in music and the arts. The ideal candidate would contribute their knowledge and strong industry contacts and commit to actively support the ensemble by promoting and supporting the organisation externally.
Candidates should share our values, have experience in leadership or governance and have time to invest in supporting Red Note’s work and strategy. Previous Chair experience is not required but a plus, though we do require strong leadership experience in a public sector setting.
Board meetings are held quarterly online, and the Board meet once a year in person in Glasgow or Edinburgh for the annual Board Away Day.
The Chair is responsible for ensuring the Board works effectively, leading the Board team and meetings and overseeing decisions taken.
In addition, the Chair gives informal advice by phone or 1:1 meeting with the executive team as required and line-manages the CEO.
If you would like to have an informal discussion with the current Chair of the Board, Ian Smith, you can get in touch with him via email at ian65smith@icloud.com or call +353 87 442 2654
Alternatively, please write to us explaining why you are interested in becoming Red Note’s Chair of the Board (no more than an A4 page, single sided) and attach your CV.
Please send this to Red Note’s General Manager, Flore Ducasse, on flore@rednoteensemble.com.
The deadline to apply is Sunday 4th January 2026.
If you have any questions that aren’t covered here, if you have technical difficulties or have any access requirements, we can support you with the application process. Please contact Ian Smith, Chair of the Board at ian65smith@icloud.com with your question and he will reply to you with the required information.

Noisy Nights in Glasgow - Call for Scores
2026-01-21
Noisy Nights are informal new music nights that provide an outlet to hear emerging new musical ideas and voices. Three Red Note musicians will perform up to 8 short new 5-minute works selected from the open call.
The concert will take place on Monday 23rd February 2026, 19:30 at Drygate in Glasgow.
The deadline for submissions is Wednesday 21st January 2026, 23:59.
CALL FOR SCORES
• Maximum length: 5 minutes
• Instrumentation: Flute*, Bassoon, Classical Guitar
• Only new works composed for this call and including all three instruments will be accepted
• Deadline: Wednesday 21st January 2026 (23:59 – UK time)
Please note the scores should not include electronics or any pre-recorded parts, and when writing please consider that these concerts are rehearsed in a short time frame.
*concert flute without doublings.
If you’ve got any questions regarding the instruments list, please email admin@rednoteensemble.com.

HOW TO APPLY
To apply please please fill in the form HERE
If you have any questions or encountering any issues with the form or uploading your score to the form please contact us on admin@rednoteensemble.com.

SUPPORT:
We encourage those local to the area to apply. There are limited options to apply for a travel bursary if you are selected and based outside of Glasgow, and reside within the UK.
Please note that our travel bursary funds are limited, so we may not be able to fully cover your travel expenses. We will strive to offer as much support as possible. However if travel is not possible, selected composers will have the option to join the rehearsal and concert online.
Unfortunately we are not able to offer travel support for composers based outside of the UK.
If you have any questions or access requirements, please contact Dawn Coulshed at admin@rednoteensemble.com

Red Note is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner supported by PPL

Red Note Ensemble and Laura Bowler: Deconstructing Pierrot
2026-02-07 19:30 - 20:30 | Joan Knight Studio, Perth Theatre, Perth Theatre, Perth, PH1 5HZ
What happens when you take a so-called classical masterpiece, smash it open, and rebuild it for the world we actually live in?
Laura Bowler dives head-first into Pierrot Lunaire, dragging Schoenberg’s iconic outsider into an age of clicks, feeds, and digital self-performance. Glitched, remixed, questioned and reclaimed, Deconstructing Pierrot dismantles the myth of the tortured clown and rebuilds it through contemporary sound, text and image.
Bold, unsettling and darkly playful, this visceral music-theatre work speaks directly to a new generation while sharply re-examining a canonical work.
Come get your expectations, and your attention span, rewired.
Deconstructing Pierrot
Red Note Ensemble with Laura Bowler (voice)
Joan Knight Studio, Perth Theatre
Saturday 7 February 2026, 7:30pm
Under 18s go free

Red Note Ensemble
Ruth Morley, Flute
Tim Lines, Clarinet
Tom Hunter, Percussion
Siwan Rhys, Piano
Jackie Shave, Violin
Naomi Pavri, Cello
Laura Bowler, Voice
Matthew Swan, Electronics

Co-commissioned by Red Note Ensemble, Music on Main, and Ensemble Offspring
Image: © Robin Clewley

Apply For Red Note FACTORY (DEVISING) WEEKEND
2026-02-11 17:00 - 2026-02-12 17:00 | The Pearce Institute, 840-860 Govan Road, Glasgow, G51 3UU
RED NOTE FACTORY (DEVISING) WEEKEND
14–15 March 2026
Pearce Institute, Glasgow
A free weekend course for classical performers aged 18–28 who want to explore contemporary music, devising, and creative collaboration.
Led by Laura Bowler and Ruth Morley, you’ll work together to create a brand-new group piece through guided devising, improvisation, and material-making — and perform it at the end of the weekend. There’s also the option to propose a solo or small ensemble work for the final concert.
• Open to orchestral instruments, plus classical guitar & saxophone (unfortunately we can’t accept applications from pianists or singers this time)
• Fully funded, lunch provided
• Limited travel bursaries available
Come and make something new — and meet future collaborators along the way.
How to apply
To apply, fill out the application form via this link before Wednesday 11th February 2026
If you have any questions or need any further information, please contact us at admin@rednoteensemble.com.
Red Note is funded by Creative Scotland and is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Partner.

Noisy Nights At Drygate Glasgow
2026-02-23 19:30 - 21:00 | Drygate Brewery, 85 Drygate, Glasgow, G4 0UT
Shake off your winter hibernation and come thaw your ears with bold, unpredictable, and never-before-heard music. Noisy Nights champions fresh sounds and emerging voices, bringing together composers, performers, and curious listeners in an informal setting where anything can happen.
Ruth (flute), Cerys (bassoon) and Sasha (classical guitar) perform eight brand-new five-minute works, selected from the open call:
Colin Riley ‘Rollick’
Jamie Mackenzie ‘gluasadan’
Darlene Zarabozo ‘you deserve good things’
Colin Donati ‘Reckless (fragment)’
Scott Wearing ’Three Responses’
Abbey Felton ‘running joke’
Daniel Abrahams ’The Road to Applecross’
Craig Morrison ’The Sound of Wood’
Got a musical idea of your own? Step up for the 10-Minute Composer Challenge. Create a quick sketch on the night, and our musicians might bring it to life before the evening’s out.
Yes, it’s a Monday night in February but it’s FREE!
Drygate, Glasgow
Monday 23rd February
7:30pm
FREE entry – booking essential
Red Note Ensemble
Ruth Morley, Flute
Cerys Ambrose Evans, Bassoon
Sasha Savaloni, Classical Guitar
John Harris, Conductor
Red Note is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner supported by PPL.

Red Note Annual Report 2024-25
2026-02-28
Covering the period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025, you can read or download a copy of our Annual Report here.

Red Note Factory (Devising) Weekend Concert
2026-03-15 17:00 - 18:00 | The Pearce Institute, 840-860 Govan Road, Glasgow, G51 3UU
Red Note Factory participants present solos and a new small-ensemble work devised with Laura Bowler and Ruth Morley.
Expect experiments, surprises and first-time performance.
FREE but booking required!
Sunday 15th March 2026, 5pm
McLeod Hall, Pearce Institute, Glasgow
Red Note is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner supported by PPL.
