Click the tartan to view its entry in The Scottish Registers of Tartans which includes registration details, restrictions, and registrant information.
Unregistered tartans may link to one of the web's online design environments for similar information.
For any questions about reproduction of designs or weaving of these tartans, please contact the registrant directly or via this website.
Classical Music Month
“United by Passion for Music"
~ Capella Edina motto
Founded in late 2024, Capella Edina was created with the ambition of becoming Edinburgh’s first resident professional symphony orchestra since 1937. The orchestra's mission to making orchestral music more accessible through the shared experience of live performance.
The founding of Capella Edina is especially significant given the history of symphonic life in Edinburgh. The city last had its own resident professional symphony orchestra in 1937, when the Edinburgh Symphony Orchestra was established. That ensemble, however, struggled with financial sustainability and was further disrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War, leading to its eventual disbandment.
The ensemble gave its inaugural concert at Usher Hall on 16 January 2025, presenting a bold program that included
* Erich Korngold’s King’s Row film score
* Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6
* John Williams’ Star Wars Suite
* Orbit/Adrift, a newly commissioned work by composer-in-residence James Clay.
This new tartan takes inspiration from elements of the City of Edinburgh district tartan and uses shades from Capella Edina’s brand colour palette. 💚 💙 💛 🎼 🎶 🎻 📯
Scotland’s orchestral landscape is remarkably diverse for a country of its size, with a blend of long-established national ensembles and new ventures that aim to redefine how audiences experience symphonic music. Each orchestra has developed its own artistic identity, repertoire focus, and relationship with the public, creating a vibrant network of music-making that extends well beyond the central belt.
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO), founded in 1891, is the country’s oldest and most internationally renowned symphony orchestra. It is based at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, a venue it helped inaugurate in 1990, and tours extensively both at home and abroad. The RSNO has a strong recording history and plays to large, mainstream audiences who value the orchestra’s wide repertoire, from classical masterworks to film music collaborations. Its education programmes extend across Scotland, making it a cultural cornerstone for both traditional and younger audiences.
In Edinburgh, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) has long held pride of place. Founded in 1974, the SCO performs primarily in the Queen’s Hall but also appears regularly at the Usher Hall and during the Edinburgh International Festival. The SCO is celebrated for its versatility—excelling in both Classical-era repertoire and contemporary commissions—and has cultivated an audience that is adventurous, loyal, and particularly attuned to the intimacy of chamber-orchestral performance. Its smaller scale allows for nimble touring, and it frequently reaches communities across the Highlands and Islands.
Adding a new layer to Edinburgh’s orchestral life is Capella Edina, founded in 2024 by the young conductor Luis Schmidt. It became the first resident professional symphony orchestra in the city since 1937, debuting at the Usher Hall in early 2025. Capella Edina’s freelance structure allows it to gather top musicians from around Scotland for large-scale concerts, such as programmes blending Bruckner and John Williams or special celebrations like the Edinburgh 900 concert. While its first season drew modest audiences compared to more established ensembles, its mission of inclusivity and its ambition to make orchestral music accessible mark it as a bold experiment in attracting new listeners.
Beyond these central institutions, orchestral activity flourishes elsewhere in Scotland. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBC SSO), founded in 1935, is based at Glasgow’s City Halls and occupies a unique space as both a broadcasting and concert orchestra. Its concerts are often recorded for BBC Radio 3 and BBC Scotland, reaching far wider audiences than those physically present in the hall. The BBC SSO is known for championing 20th- and 21st-century repertoire, and it attracts audiences who are curious about modern and innovative works.
For more on Capella Edina, click the performance!