Live Music Now was founded by legendary violinist Yehudi Menuhin in 1977, along with his close friend and philanthropist, Sir Ian Stoutzker. During the Second World War, Yehudi Menuhin played for the Allied Forces, often in the most challenging of circumstances, and directly experienced how music could benefit those who were sick, lonely, traumatised and reconcile differences between people and na
tions. Live Music Now was born out of these wartime experiences. No matter where Live Music Now operates, it continues to keep alive Yehudi Menuhin’s vision of music being accessible to all members of society, regardless of their circumstances, while simultaneously developing the skills of young, talented musicians.
Live Music Now extended to Scotland in 1984, putting on 60 concerts in its first year with a handful of classical ensembles. Almost 40 years later, that number has increased 10-fold to over 600, with an ever-evolving pool of around 120 musicians, covering a diverse range of musical genres, delivering work in all of Scotland’s 32 local authorities. Initially a branch of Live Music Now Ltd, the organisation devolved in 2013 to have its own charitable status and Board of trustees, bringing governance closer to home as activity continued to grow.
Hundreds of musicians have come through Live Music Now Scotland, and can now be seen in orchestras, ensembles, choirs, opera companies, recording studies and educational institutions, pursuing successful careers in the music profession. Alongside this, our expertise and understanding of how music is vital to emotional, physical and social well-being have grown over the years, and the organisation is well established and highly respected in this field.
