Double bassist Nikita Naumov joins the RSNO from his previous post at the Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Nikita Naumov. Credit - Marco Borggreve

Nikita Naumov © Marco Borggreve

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The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) has announced the appointment of Nikita Naumov to the position of principal double bass with immediate effect. Naumov joins from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, where he has been section principal since 2010.

Naumov said: ‘After 15 happy years with Scottish Chamber Orchestra it is an honour to be joining the RSNO as its principal bass. I’m looking forward to playing the wide range of repertoire in the season and working with this fantastic group of musicians.’

Naumov was appointed to the RSNO following a successful audition and trial period as guest principal double bass. During this period, he performed with the RSNO at the Edinburgh International Festival with Elim Chan and Alison Balsom, Classic FM Live at the Royal Albert Hall and a host of classical and pops concerts. He makes his final Scottish Chamber Orchestra appearance in March 2025 for Peter Eötvös’ Aurora for Double Bass and string orchestra with accordion.

Naumov regularly performs as a soloist and was the winner of the 2012 Koussevitzky double bass competition in St Petersburg. His solo performances include solos with the Reykjavik Chamber Orchestra, the St Petersburg Camerata, Karaganda Symphony Orchestra and appearances at the  Pärnu Music Festival and Heimbach ’Spannungen’ Kammermusik Festival.

He performs recitals for the Scottish Bass Trust, which partly commissioned the work Sonnambulo. Naumov is a member of the London Concord Ensemble chamber group which has featured at the BBC lunchtime series at Wigmore Hall.

As an educator, Naumov teaches at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and has led masterclasses at the Royal College of Music in London and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

Naumov’s first performances in his new role at the RSNO will be of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Suite with music director Thomas Søndergård in Edinburgh and Glasgow this weekend.

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