Disappointing ticket sales take shine off local maestro's triumphant return to the capital

Published on Sunday 11 October 2009 22:24

FEWER than half the tickets were expected to be sold for the triumphant return to the capital of Edinburgh-born music maestro Donald Runnicles last night.

Only about 1,000 seats had been sold for the first show in the city by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra with its new chief conductor.

However, sales for the 2,200-capacity Usher Hall concert had picked up dramatically over the weekend, with about 500 snapped up since Friday morning. Ticket sales are thought to have been given a boost by a BBC documentary about Mr Runnicles taking the helm of the famous orchestra.

Mr Runnicles, a former choirboy who sang at the Usher Hall as an 11-year-old, cut his teeth as a conductor in Germany's opera houses and went on to carve out a hugely successful career, including a spell with San Francisco Opera.

He told The Scotsman of his dismay at reports of poor ticket sales for last night's concert – the first staged by the BBC SSO at the Usher Hall outwith the Edinburgh International Festival season for five years.

An orchestra spokesman said before last night's show: "Sales have been pretty buoyant over the last couple of days and we had sold 1,000 by the afternoon. We're also expecting good walk-up figures on the night."