The orchestra's longest-serving principal conductor was Sir Alexander Gibson, the first Scot to be its principal conductor and musical director, from 1959 to 1984, who is also the founder of Scottish Opera. He pioneered overseas tours by the Orchestra, the SNO Junior Chorus and by Scottish Opera. He also became Hon President of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. During Gibson's tenure, beginning in 1979, the RSNO's base was at Henry Wood Hall in Glasgow and this space was also used as its recording venue. Gibson was particularly noted for his interpretations of Scandinavian composers, notably Jean Sibelius and Carl Nielsen. His successor, Neeme Järvi, continued this tradition, and also led the orchestra through its first complete Gustav Mahler cycle. Principal conductor from 1984 to 1988, Järvi currently has the title of conductor laureate with the RSNO. Bryden Thomson, the orchestra's second Scottish principal conductor, maintained the Nordic link with a cycle of Nielsen symphonies.