Glasgow was named UNESCO City of Music by the UN cultural body in August 2008, an accolade that acknowledges Glasgow's rich and varied musical heritage, its vibrancy and its role as a world player in music.

 

Glasgow’s legendary music scene stretches across the whole spectrum from contemporary and classical to Celtic and Country. Its venues are equally varied and include King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut (consistently voted the top live music venue in the UK), the Barrowlands, O2 Academy, the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow Royal Concert Halls and many pubs and clubs throughout the city.

 

Glasgow is home to five of Scotland’s six National Companies (including Scottish Opera and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra) alongside other national organisations including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) and the Scottish Ensemble.

 

Among the musicians/bands hailing from the city are: Franz Ferdinand, the Fratellis, Snow Patrol, Travis, Teenage Fanclub, Belle and Sebastian and Glasvegas.

 

DJs such as Naeem, Paul N’Jie, Ray Woods, Kash and Gavin Sommerville meanwhile have pushed the urban sound for years and opened Glaswegian ears to the possibilities of the genre.

 

Now one year on from the prestigious award, Glasgow City of Music – an organisation that is unique in the UK – has been launched, which will aim to:

·         Use the UNESCO status as a catalyst to create more musical opportunities for Glaswegians, both as participants and audiences.

·         Unite the various areas of musical interest to work together for the common good.

·         Provide coherent and comprehensive information about Glasgow’s musical life.

·         Work to enhance and promote the image of Glasgow as a vibrant part of the Creative Cities Network.

 

The city hosts an average of 130 music events each week (more than any other Scottish city) and it is estimated that music businesses generated some £75 million a year for Glasgow’s economy.

 

To ensure that visitors and residents alike can get easy access to music events across the city of every size and genre www.glasgowcityofmusic.com has been developed in conjunction with Glasgow City Marketing Bureau.

 

Glasgow Lord Provost, Bob Winter, who is an active member of the City of Music Board and warmly endorses the UNESCO accolade, said:

 

“I believe that Glasgow’s place as a UNESCO City of Music reflects the character of the city and its people.  In Glasgow, there are buskers on the streets; there are singer songwriters and folk and jazz performers in the cafés and karaoke in the pubs; there are chamber and symphony orchestras in the concert halls; and in the theatres, there are musicals and opera. I am delighted with the initiatives being developed by Glasgow City of Music to promote Glasgow’s music scene and I am confident that this is the beginning of great things for the city.”

 

Also helping spread the word will be special Music Ambassadors Glasgow born composer, Craig Armstrong – famed for his work on films such as Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet  - and Stéphane Denéve, the Music Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

  

To find out what will be music to your ears visit www.glasgowcityofmusic.com

 

 

For further information, please contact: Louise Mitchell, Director, Glasgow UNESCO City of Music.  Tel: 0141 287 8910 or email: Louise.Mitchell@glasgowcityofmusic.com