About The Wagner Society of Scotland
Richard Wagner (1813-1883) was the dominant figure of German opera in the 19th century. His art and writings had enormous impact on music, opera, theatre, design, painting, literature, politics and philosophy that still reverberates today. There's an annual festival at Bayreuth in Bavaria in the Festival Theatre designed by Wagner for the premiere of his cycle of music dramas Der Ring des Nibelungen.
The Wagner Society of Scotland began as the 'Scottish branch' of the London-based Wagner Society in 1984, under the chairmanship of composer and Wagner-biographer Derek Watson. Our aim is to promote knowledge and appreciation of the life and works of Richard Wagner.
You can read about some of our activities since 1984 in a new section entitled Selected Events 1984 - 2006.
Since 1996 the Society has been independent, holding monthly meetings mainly in Edinburgh and Glasgow, organising study weekends at universities and colleges, films, and excursions to opera performances worldwide. We issue around six Newsletters per year, a scholarly Journal, and hold an annual ballot of Bayreuth Festival tickets for members. Currently we have just over 300 members, the majority in Scotland, but many living 'south of the border', and several international friends.
Our patron is Edinburgh-born, internationally renowned conductor Donald Runnicles; honorary members are Sir Richard Armstrong CBE, Lady Veronica Gibson, Linda Esther Gray, Sir Brian McMaster CBE and John Wallace, OBE.
The Wagner Society of Scotland is one of over 140 societies worldwide affiliated to the International Richard Wagner Society. You can visit their website at: www.richard-wagner-verband.de
Over the years we have built up a Scholarship Fund to enable a young student of music or theatre studies to attend the Bayreuth Festival.
Past guest speakers and artists who have taken part in Wagner Society of Scotland events include Tim Albery, Anthony Arblaster, Sir Richard Armstrong, Mike Ashman, Rosamund Bartlett, Hildegard Bechtler, John Calder, John Cox, John Deathridge, Dame Anne Evans, Christopher Fifield, Linda Finnie, Raymond Furness, Linda Esther Gray, Kenneth Hamilton, Kathryn Harries, Raimund Herincx, Margaret Inwood, Stephen Johnson, David Kimbell, Jeffrey Lawton, Erik Levi, Hugh MacDonald, Malcolm MacDonald, Sir Donald McIntyre, James MacMillan, Bryan Magee, Sir Brian McMaster, Gian Carlo Menotti, Barry Millington, Rodney Milnes, John Mitchinson, Tony Palmer, Ian Parrott, Sir Peter Pears, Alberto Remedios, Donald Runnicles, Roger Scruton, Anthony Stanforth, Ronald Stevenson, Michael Tanner, Pauline Tinsley, Penelope Turing, John Warrack, John Williamson, and many artists of the 2003 Scottish Opera Ring cycle.
