On Wednesday 22 April, something genuinely unusual is happening in Glasgow. A Mercury Prize-shortlisted Scottish jazz pianist, a London cellist who won Amateur Night at the Apollo, and one of the country's finest symphony orchestras are all converging on an industrial warehouse in Finnieston. If that sounds like it shouldn't work, that's exactly why you should go.
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra's latest event at SWG3's Galvanizers brings together Fergus McCreadie and Ayanna Witter-Johnson with players from the BBC SSO for a concert celebrating Scottish jazz legends past and present — while creating something entirely new.
The pianist who nearly played the bagpipes
Fergus McCreadie might be the most exciting musician to come out of Scotland in years. Born in Easter Ross and raised in Dollar, Clackmannanshire, McCreadie's first instrument was actually the bagpipes — by his own admission, he wasn't very good. Then, aged 12, he saw a jazz piano performance and everything changed. "It looked so fun, so free and so creative," he has said.
His parents bought him a broken-down piano for £20. He practised on a Yamaha electric keyboard through headphones to avoid disturbing the neighbours. From those modest beginnings, McCreadie went on to study under the legendary Tommy Smith at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and has since become one of jazz's most distinctive voices.
His album Forest Floor was shortlisted for the 2022 Mercury Prize and won the Scottish Album of the Year — the first time a jazz record had ever taken that prize. His music blends contemporary jazz with Scottish folk, inspired by the landscapes he grew up in. The Times called it "a giddying fusion of Scottish culture and jazz history." His latest album, The Shieling, was recorded in a remote cottage in North Uist in the Outer Hebrides, and he recently contributed to the soundtrack of Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest.
The cellist who conquered the Apollo
Ayanna Witter-Johnson is equally remarkable. A London-born cellist, vocalist and composer of Jamaican heritage, she trained at Trinity Laban Conservatoire and the Manhattan School of Music. In 2010, she became the first non-American to win Amateur Night at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater — following in the footsteps of Ella Fitzgerald and Jimi Hendrix.
Witter-Johnson sings while she plays the cello, drawing on soul, hip-hop, reggae and classical composition. She has toured with everyone from Andrea Bocelli to Peter Gabriel and composed for the London Symphony Orchestra. For this concert, she will explore the deep connections between jazz and classical music, weaving her own distinctive artistry into a celebration of Scotland's jazz heritage.
Why SWG3?
The BBC SSO taking this concert to SWG3's Galvanizers rather than a traditional concert hall is itself a statement. The Galvanizers is a raw, atmospheric industrial space in the heart of Finnieston — all exposed steel and warehouse energy. It's the kind of venue where music feels immediate and alive. For a concert about breaking boundaries between genres, it's the perfect setting.
What you need to know
Date: Wednesday 22 April 2026, doors at 7:30pm
Venue: SWG3 Galvanizers, 100 Eastvale Place, Glasgow G3 8QG
Tickets: £22.50 general admission; £11.50 for under-26s and students (half price)
Getting there: Partick Interchange is a 10-minute walk away
Ages: All ages welcome
Accessibility: Accessible viewing platform with wheelchair spaces available — book through Ticketmaster or contact SWG3 directly
Tickets are available now via Ticketmaster. If you've ever been curious about jazz but never quite found your way in, or if you think orchestral music isn't for you — this is the night that might change your mind.
