Robert Baxter

A trumpeter and conductor who has worked with Scotland’s leading orchestras, Robert Baxter has led the Band as Musical Director since 2000.

Quick facts

Role: Musical Director
With the band since: 2000
Instrument: Trumpet
Also: http://robertbaxter.org.uk/

About Robert

Since graduating as a trumpet player from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), Robert has worked extensively with all of the professional orchestras in Scotland. Further afield he has performed with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Singapore Symphony, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, Bruckner Orchester Linz, and the New London Consort to mention a few. He studied conducting with Ilan Volkov and Kristian Kluttig.

Robert Baxter is a regular guest conductor for Scottish Ballet and has conducted The Nutcracker, Coppélia, The Scandal at Mayerling, Dextera, Cinderella, The Snow Queen and A Streetcar Named Desire at theatres throughout the UK – including Sadler’s Wells, London. His debut with the RSNO was to conduct the British premiere of Gavin Bryars’ viola concerto with Morgan Goff at Glasgow’s Tramway and he has also conducted the premiere of the animated film Yoyo and the Little Auk with subsequent performances across Scotland. Robert has conducted the RSNO for various Netflix and other film sessions in the studio, and in early 2023, conducted a week of concerts entitled John Williams at the Oscars with sold out performances in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Robert has conducted the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra and has been Musical Director for Colours Classical and for Belle and Sebastian at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow and for Goodgreef Classical in England. He conducted for Celtic Connections for a BBC TV broadcast from the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall with The Chieftains, Kris Kristofferson and Eddie Reader.

Robert has led hundreds of youth and community music projects and is currently the creative lead for the RSNO’s community orchestra, All Together Now. He has been course director for NYOS Spring Academy and conducted the Gadfly Project with Dance House. In 2021 he was delighted to receive the award from Making Music for the Best Instrumental Music Director in recognition for his pioneering work involving online music making during the pandemic, including commissioning a new work for online orchestra composed by Peter Longworth, Mosaic.

Robert is Artistic Director of St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh, and is founder and artistic director of DCB Kessington, the home of DCB, and is currently chair of the trustees of the Scottish Schools Orchestra Trust.

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