Profiles
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Jiří Bělohlávek Chief Conductor David Robertson Principal Guest Conductor Sir Andrew Davis Conductor Laureate Oliver Knussen Artist in Association
The BBC Symphony Orchestra has played a central role at the heart of British musical life since its inception in 1930; and (as the flagship orchestra of the BBC) it provides the backbone of the BBC Proms with at least a dozen concerts each year including the First and Last Nights. The BBC SO has a strong commitment to 20th-century and contemporary music – recently it has given world premieres of BBC commissions by leading composers such as John Adams, Elliott Carter, Brian Elias, Vic Hoyland, Matthias Pintscher, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Judith Weir. The 2009-10 season includes commissions and premieres from Ian McQueen, Bill Frisell/Mike Gibbs, Ryan Wigglesworth and Peter Eötvös.
The BBC Symphony Orchestra is Associate Orchestra of the Barbican, where it performs an annual season of concerts.
Jiří Bĕlohlávek took up the post of Chief Conductor in 2006 and he and the BBC SO perform together frequently across the season both in the UK and internationally. The Orchestra also works regularly with Principal Guest Conductor David Robertson, Artist in Association, Oliver Knussen, and Conductor Laureate Sir Andrew Davis.
All concerts are broadcast on BBC Radio 3, streamed (live) online and available for 7 days on the BBC iPlayer, and a number are televised, giving the BBC Symphony Orchestra the highest broadcast profile of any UK orchestra. Central to its life are studio recordings for BBC Radio 3 at the Orchestra’s Maida Vale home, some of which are free for the public to attend. In addition the Orchestra records for several commercial labels. Performing throughout the world, the BBC SO has recently given concerts in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, and Switzerland.
The Orchestra is committed to innovative education work and recent projects have included a day of free music for communities across West London, as part of Proms Out+About. Among ongoing projects are the Family Music Intro scheme, introducing families to live classical music, BBC SO Student Zone and the highly successful BBC SO Family Orchestra. Total Immersion composer events also provide rich material for education work with wide audiences, and extensive plans are underway in partnership with the Barbican, Westminster and Hammersmith & Fulham music services, the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.