As well as being Principal First Violin with the London Sinfonietta, in which capacity he has worked with composers such as Steve Reich, Harrison Birtwistle, Mica Levi and Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood,  Jonathan Morton is artistic director and leader of the 12-strong Scottish Ensemble.

In recent years the Ensemble has collaborated with artist Toby Paterson (on 20th Century Perspectives), Stockholm-based dance company Andersson Dance, and Edinburgh-born composer Anna Meredith, winner of the Scottish Album of the Year award in 2016. Following a recent Celtic Connections performance the Ensemble will soon take a new project on road.

Featuring works by Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich, Impulse: Music And Motion is a blend of music and movement which sees the Ensemble perform choreographed ‘dances’ as they play. It tours to Glasgow, Dundee, Inverness and Perth from Friday March 8.

What’s the last book you read?

The Years by Annie Ernaux. A narrative of the period in France between the 1940s and the early Noughties, told through the lens of memory, impressions past and present, songs, films, cultural habits, TV and radio. I found her dream-like yet precise writing overwhelming. 

What music are you currently listening to a lot?

I’m currently listening to this new recording of Robert Schumann’s song cycle Dichterliebe (A Poet’s Love) performed by Neal Peres Da Costa and Koen Van Stade. I have been struck by the feeling that these two musicians have been digging deep and experimenting with the poetic/musical fabric of the work, and what they have found is unexpected and beautiful. 

Blur or Oasis?

Oasis 

Brass or strings?

Brass

Read more: Bill Butt on working with the KLF - and his love of Croissant Corner

What has been your most formative cultural experience, how did it affect you and what did it make you want to do?

Music has been the most important cultural force in my life, and if I had to pick one formative experience I would chose the chamber music coaching I was lucky to receive from the composer Gyorgy Kurtag when I was a teenager.  For the first time I felt connected to this incredibly powerful,  beautiful, living tradition, and in that moment I knew music would be my vocation. 

What haven’t you managed to get around to yet but will when you have the time?

The Matter With Things, the latest two volume opus by the philosopher, scientist, literary scholar and generally awesome polymath Iain McGilchrist. His previous book had a big impact on me – he invites you to look at the world in new ways and I’m a huge fan. 

Favourite piece of music?

One of my favourites is Gyorgy Ligeti’s Chamber Concerto. It is simultaneously new and ancient, classical and pioneering. Visceral, iridescent stuff.

What was the most memorable recent theatre show you saw?

I went to see Chris Thile doing a solo gig in London last year, and it was mind blowingly good. What this man can express with his mandolin and his voice is just incredible, whichever wave he rides –  blues, rock, folk, or classical. Truly a mesmerising performer. 

Recommend a piece of music...

Tehillim by Steve Reich. Virtuosic singing, timeless percussion, electronic organs, and brass-like strings combine to create an ecstatic ride. 

Favourite composer?

Johann Sebastian Bach, because he is what my teenage kids would call ‘the GOAT’.

Favourite actor?

Fiona Shaw, she is always fabulous and I particularly loved her performance in Killing Eve. 

What’s the last film you saw in a cinema?

Beyond Utopia, the extraordinary account of a family escaping from North Korea with the help of a South Korean pastor. Nail-biting, heroic, at times almost unbelievable, it’s a film that confronts you with the fact  that, right now, there are millions of people in this world that live in conditions that are scarcely imaginable. 

Recommend a podcast …

The Rest Is History. Hugely compelling deep-dive into a myriad of histories, by two people whose love and enthusiasm for their subject is addictive.  

Favourite musician and why?

It’s impossible to home in on one artist … but I’ve recently had the opportunity to record and perform with Marius Neset, whose energy and creativity on stage is something I’ve never experienced before. It’s like being sucked into a musical vortex, where time bends and warps in the most joyous way. 

Taylor or Beyoncé?

Beyoncé 

John Coltrane or Alice Coltrane?

John Coltrane  

Favourite film?

I’m very fond of The Shining. The way director Stanley Kubrick uses music (by Gyorgy Ligeti, Bela Bartok, Krysztof Penderecki amongst others) to heighten emotions is unerring, and still makes my hair stand on end even though I’ve watched it many times. 

Recommend a TV box-set...

Schitt’s Creek. Original, life-affirming, very funny, stunning performances by the cast (and short episodes!)

Vinyl or MP3?

Vinyl 

Recommend a book and say why it’s so good …

A Swim In A Pond In The Rain. Using iconic short stories by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy and Gogol, George Saunders explores how great writing works, how it affects our minds, and how human connections are created through stories.