Ian Scott is the Principal Clarinet of the Royal Ballet Sinfonia and a regular guest principal with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.

He was born in Perth, Scotland where he first began lessons with Charles Maynes. He studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama with Henry Morrison and at the University of Arizona with John Denman winning major prizes at both establishments. From 1980-1986 he was Principal Clarinet with the Gulbenkian Orchestra in Lisbon.

He has appeared as soloist with  I Solisti Veneti and the Orchestra da Camera di Padova in Italy, the Gulbenkian Orchestra in Portugal and on tour to the Far East, and with numerous orchestras in Britain, including the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, London Musici, the City of Oxford Orchestra, the Northern Sinfonia and the Guildford Philharmonic.

He is a founder member of London's leading clarinet sextet, The Clarinet Section which records for the label Clarinet Classics. His recording for ASV White Line of British Clarinet Concertos with the Royal Ballet Sinfonia conducted by Gavin Sutherland was released in April 2003. His latest recording for the Dutton Epoch label is called English Clarinet Concertos and includes world premiere recordings of the concertos by Leighton Lucas and Humphrey Procter-Gregg with Barry Wordsworth conducting the Royal Ballet Sinfonia.