The BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) ( cy, Cerddorfa Genedlaethol Gymreig y BBC) is a Welsh

symphony orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

and one of the BBC's five professional radio orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisation in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

, occupying a dual role as both a broadcasting orchestra and national orchestra. The BBC NOW has its administrative base in Cardiff, at the BBC Hoddinott Hall on the site of the

Wales Millennium Centre Wales Millennium Centre ( cy, Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru) is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 an ...

, since January 2009. The BBC NOW is the orchestra-in-residence at

St David's Hall St David's Hall (Welsh: ''Neuadd Dewi Sant'') is a performing arts and conference venue in the heart of Cardiff, Wales. St David's Hall is the National Concert Hall and Conference Centre of Wales. It hosts the annual Welsh Proms and the biennia ...

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...

, and also performs regularly throughout Wales and beyond, including international tours and annual appearances at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

in London at the

BBC Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...

. Broadcasting work includes studio sessions for

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...

and television, although the orchestra's concerts form the bulk of its broadcasts, transmitted primarily on

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

but also on

BBC Radio Wales BBC Radio Wales is a Welsh radio station owned and operated by BBC Cymru Wales, a division of the BBC. It began broadcasting on 13 November 1978, replacing the 'Radio 4 Wales' opt-out service (previously the Welsh Home Service). Radio Wales b ...

BBC Radio Cymru BBC Radio Cymru is a Welsh language radio network owned and operated by BBC Cymru Wales, a division of the BBC. It broadcasts on two stations across Wales on FM, DAB, digital TV and online. The main network broadcasts for hours a day from ...

and

BBC television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 193 ...

. The orchestra records many soundtracks for BBC television, including ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'', ''

Torchwood ''Torchwood'' is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'', it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing ...

'', ''

Human Planet ''Human Planet'' is an 8-part British television documentary series. It is produced by the BBC with co-production from Discovery and BBC Worldwide. It describes the human species and its relationship with the natural world by showing the remar ...

'', and ''

Earthflight ''Earthflight'' is a British nature documentary that shows a flight from the view of the wings of birds across six continents, showing some of the world's greatest natural spectacles from a bird's-eye view. The BBC series was created by John Dow ...

''.

History

The precursor ensemble of the BBC NOW was the Cardiff Station Orchestra, which was founded in 1924 and had developed into the National Orchestra of Wales by 1928. Funding problems resulted in the disbandment of this orchestra in 1931. In 1935, the BBC Welsh Orchestra was established as a 20-member ensemble, but the orchestra was dissolved with the advent of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

in 1939. After the war, the BBC Welsh Orchestra was revived as a 31-member ensemble, with

Mansel Thomas Mansel Treharne Thomas, (12 June 1909 – 8 January 1986) was a Welsh composer and conductor, who worked mainly in South Wales. He was one of the most influential musicians of his generation, known as a composer, conductor and adjudicator. He ...

as its first principal conductor. In 1947, the BBC Welsh Chorus was founded as the affiliate chorus of the orchestra. The orchestra's ensemble size increased steadily, reaching 44 musicians in the 1960–1961 season, 60 musicians in 1974, and 66 musicians in 1976, when the orchestra's name was changed to the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra. It reached a full symphonic complement of 88 players in 1987 before being reduced to its current level of 78 players in 2014 as part of BBC savings delivered by Director at the time, Michael Garvey, who also made reductions to the administrative and management team through redundancies. In the 1970s, a new chorus to supplant the former BBC Welsh Chorus, the BBC Welsh Choral Society, was established. In 1993, the orchestra was renamed the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, to reflect more suitably its special role as both a national orchestra and a BBC Performing Group. In parallel, the chorus was renamed the BBC National Chorus of Wales. Both the orchestra and the chorus engage in outreach work through their Education and Community Outreach department, which creates access to the players and singers for Welsh schools, groups, communities and musicians of all abilities. Hoddinott Hall WMC

Tadaaki Otaka is a Japanese conductor. Biography Otaka studied composition, theory, and French horn, at the Toho Gakuen School of Music. He was subsequently a conducting student of Hideo Saito. Otaka has served as conductor of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orch ...

, principal conductor from 1987 to 1995, is currently the BBC NOW's conductor laureate.

Richard Hickox Richard Sidney Hickox (5 March 1948 – 23 November 2008) was an English conductor of choral, orchestral and operatic music. Early life Hickox was born in Stokenchurch in Buckinghamshire into a musical family. After attending the Royal Gram ...

, principal conductor from 2000 to 2006, was the orchestra's conductor emeritus until his death in November 2008. In July 2011, the BBC NOW announced the appointment of

Thomas Søndergård Thomas Søndergård (born 4 October 1969 in Holstebro, Denmark) is a Danish conductor and percussionist. Biography EUYO Søndergård studied percussion at the Royal Danish Academy of Music from 1989 to 1992, where his teachers included Gert Mor ...

as its 14th principal conductor, effective with the 2012–2013 season, for an initial contract of 4 years. In February 2016, the BBC NOW announced the further extension of Søndergård's contract as principal conductor through "at least 2018". Søndergård formally concluded his tenure as principal conductor in July 2018. Past principal guest conductors have included

Mariss Jansons Mariss Ivars Georgs Jansons (14 January 1943 – 1 December 2019) was a Latvian conductor best known for his interpretations of Mahler, Strauss and Russian composers such as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich. During his lifetime he w ...

James Loughran James Loughran CBE, DMus., FRNCM, FRSAMD (born 30 June 1931, Glasgow, Scotland) is a conductor. Early life Educated at St Aloysius' College in Glasgow, Loughran conducted at school and afterwards, while studying economics and law. When he ...

and

Jac van Steen Jac van Steen (born 1956 in Eindhoven) is a Dutch conductor. He studied music theory, as well as orchestral and choral conducting, at the . In the Netherlands, van Steen was conductor and music director of the Nijmegen Bach Choir from 1986 to 1 ...

François-Xavier Roth François-Xavier Paul Roth (born 6 November 1971) is a French conductor, who founded Les Siècles, an orchestra which performs on instruments appropriate to the period of composition of each piece, from the late Baroque and Classical eras to 20t ...

was the past associate guest conductor of the BBC NOW. In December 2015, the BBC NOW announced the appointment of Xian Zhang as its next principal guest conductor, effective with the 2016–2017 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. She is the first female conductor named to a titled post with any BBC orchestra. Past Composers-in-Association have included B Tommy Andersson. Huw Watkins became the BBC NOW's Composer-in-Association, beginning in 2015. In September 2020, Gavin Higgins was announced as the BBC NOW's new composer-in-association.

Adrian Partington Adrian Frederick Partington (born 1 October 1958) is an English conductor, chorus master, organist and pianist. He is director of music at Gloucester Cathedral, joint conductor of the Three Choirs Festival and artistic director for the Glouceste ...

is the current artistic director of the BBC National Chorus of Wales. In November 2018,

Ryan Bancroft Ryan Bancroft (born 1989) is an American conductor. Biography Bancroft grew up in Lakewood, California, from a working-class background, where his father was a housepainter and his mother worked at a grocery. He attended the California Instit ...

first guest-conducted the BBC NOW, as an emergency substitute for Xian Zhang. He returned as guest conductor to the BBC NOW in May 2019. In September 2019, the BBC NOW announced the appointment of Bancroft as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2020–2021 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. Previous Directors of the BBC NOW and the BBC National Chorus of Wales have included Huw Tregelles-Williams, David Murray (responsible for the building of Hoddinott Hall) and Michael Garvey. In September 2019, the BBC announced the appointment of Lisa Tregale as the new Director of the BBC NOW and the BBC National Chorus of Wales, effective in 2020. Tregale is the first woman to be named to the post.

Discography

In addition to its recording work for the BBC, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales has an extensive commercial discography with such labels as Chandos, Hyperion and Linn. These include recorded cycles of music of

Lennox Berkeley Sir Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley (12 May 190326 December 1989) was an English composer. Biography Berkeley was born on 12 May 1903 in Oxford, England, the younger child and only son of Aline Carla (1863–1935), daughter of Sir James Char ...

and

Michael Berkeley Michael Fitzhardinge Berkeley, Baron Berkeley of Knighton, (born 29 May 1948) is an English composer, broadcaster on music and member of the House of Lords. Early life Berkeley is the eldest of the three sons of Elizabeth Freda (née Bernstein ...

Frank Bridge Frank Bridge (26 February 187910 January 1941) was an English composer, violist and conductor. Life Bridge was born in Brighton, the ninth child of William Henry Bridge (1845-1928), a violin teacher and variety theatre conductor, formerly a m ...

, and

Edmund Rubbra Edmund Rubbra (; 23 May 190114 February 1986) was a British composer. He composed both instrumental and vocal works for soloists, chamber groups and full choruses and orchestras. He was greatly esteemed by fellow musicians and was at the peak o ...

. The BBC NOW discography includes: * Tippett: ''The Rose Lake''; Ritual Dances from ''The Midsummer Marriage'' HSA 5039* Elgar: Symphony No 2; ''In The South'' (''Alassio'') HSA 5038* Sullivan: ''Trial by Jury''; ''Cox and Box'' HSA 10321* Bridge: Orchestral Works, Vol. 6

HAN 10310 Han may refer to: Ethnic groups * Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group. ** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese ...

* Walton: ''Christopher Columbus''; ''Hamlet and Ophelia'' HSA 5034* Parry: ''Works for Chorus and Orchestra'' HAN 10740– nominated for Best Choral Performance at the 2014 Grammy Awards * Stravinsky: ''Ballet Russes'' * Holst: Orchestral Works, Vol. 1 HSA 5069

World Premieres

Works premiered by the orchestra include: * 1936 –

Grace Williams Grace Mary Williams (19 February 1906 – 10 February 1977) was a Welsh composer, generally regarded as Wales's most notable female composer, and the first British woman to score a feature film. Early life Williams was born in Barry, Vale ...

: Elegy for String Orchestra * 1936 – Arwel Hughes: Fantasia for Strings * 1947 – Grace Williams: "Sea Sketches" * 1950 – Grace Williams: Violin Concerto, soloist Granville Jones * 1950 – David Wynne: Rhapsody Concerto for Violin & Orchestra, soloist Jan Sedivka * 1950 – Alun Hoddinott: Concerto for Clarinet & String Orchestra, soloist Fred Clements * 1953 – David Wynne: Elegy for Solo Violin & Strings, soloist Jan Sedivka * 1955 – David Wynne: Prelude, Air & Dance * 1961 – David Wynne: A Welsh Suite * 1962 – Alun Hoddinott: "Job" * 1964 – David Wynne: Fantasia Concerto for Viola & Orchestra, soloist Geoffrey York * 1965 – David Wynne: Cymric Rhapsody No.1 * 1967 – Grace Williams: Carillons, Concertino for Oboe & Orchestra, soloist Philip Jones (oboe) * 1967 – David Wynne: "Octad" * 1968 – David Wynne: Prelude for Orchestra * 1969 – Alun Hoddinott: "Nocturnes & Cadenzas", soloist Raphael Sommer (cello) * 1972 – Alun Hoddinott: "The Hawk Is Set Free" * 1975 – Alun Hoddinott: "Landscapes" * 1978 – Alun Hoddinott: "Voyagers" * 1980 – Alun Hoddinott: "The Heaventree of Stars", soloist Christopher Warren-Green (violin) * 1981 – Alun Hoddinott: "Lanternes Des Morts" * 1984 – Alun Hoddinott: Symphony No.6 * 1988 – Alun Hoddinott: "Tarantella", soloist Ieuan Jones (harp) * 1989 – Alun Hoddinott: "Songs of Exile", soloist Robert Tear (tenor) * 1989 – Alun Hoddinott: "Star Children" * 1989 – Alun Hoddinott: Symphony No.7 * 1990 – Alun Hoddinott: "Emynau Pantycelyn" * 1993 – Alun Hoddinott: Symphony No.9 * 1995 – Alun Hoddinott: Concerto No.2 for Violin & Orchestra, soloist Dong-Suk Kang (violin) * 1996 –

Anthony Powers Anthony Powers (born 13 March 1953) is a British composer of classical music. He has received a number of commissions, including the BBC and the Three Choirs Festival Society and a number of individuals, while his works have been performed bo ...

: Symphony No. 1 * 1997 –

Unsuk Chin Unsuk Chin ( ko, 진은숙 ; born July 14, 1961) is a South Korean composer of contemporary classical music, who is based in Berlin, Germany. Chin was self-taught piano from a young age and studied composition at Seoul National University as w ...

Piano Concerto A piano concerto is a type of concerto, a solo composition in the classical music genre which is composed for a piano player, which is typically accompanied by an orchestra or other large ensemble. Piano concertos are typically virtuoso showpiec ...

* 1999 – Alun Hoddinott: Symphony No.10 * 2002 – Alun Hoddinott: "Lizard" * 2004 – Alun Hoddinott: "Badger in the Bag" roch Ynghod* 2004 – Alun Hoddinott: Trombone Concerto, soloist Mark Eager * 2007 – Giles Swayne: Symphony No.1 - a small world * 2007 – Alun Hoddinott: "Images of Venice", soloists Helen Field (soprano), Jeremy Huw Williams (baritone) * 2007 – John McCabe: Horn Concerto (Rainforest IV), soloist David Pyatt * 2009 – Alun Hoddinott: "Taliesin" * 2010 –

Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt (; born 11 September 1935) is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs tintinnabuli, a compositional technique he invented. Pärt's music is in pa ...

: ''In spe'' * 2010 –

Arlene Sierra Arlene Sierra is an American composer of contemporary classical music, working in London, United Kingdom. Education Sierra studied at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, Yale University School of Music and the University of Michigan, Ann A ...

: Piano Concerto (''Art of War'') * 2010 –

Simon Holt Simon Holt (born 21 February 1958) is an English composer. Biography Simon Holt was born in Bolton, Lancashire on 21 February 1958. Educated at Bolton School, Holt immersed himself in organ, piano and visual art during his sixth form years. ...

: ''Centauromachy'', soloists Philippe Schartz (flugelhorn) and Robert Plane (clarinet) * 2011 – Christopher Painter: Furnace of Colours, soloist Claire Booth (soprano) * 2011 –

Mark Bowden Mark Robert Bowden (; born July 17, 1951) is an American journalist and writer. He is a national correspondent for ''The Atlantic''. He is best known for his book '' Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War'' (1999) about the 1993 U.S. military r ...

: ''lyra'' * 2013 –

: ''The Yellow Wallpaper'' * 2015 – B Tommy Andersson: ''Pan'' * 2016 – John Pickard: Symphony No 5 * 2018 – Huw Watkins: ''Spring''

Principal conductors

Warwick Braithwaite Henry Warwick Braithwaite (9 January 1896 – 19 January 1971) was a New Zealand-born orchestral Conducting, conductor. He worked mostly in Great Britain and was especially known for his work in opera. Early life and family Braithwaite was one of ...

(1928–1931) * Reginald Redman (1931–1935) *

Idris Lewis Idris Lewis (21 November 1889 – 15 April 1952) was a Welsh conducting, conductor and composer. He worked on the film scores of a number of productions during the 1930s, when he was employed by British International Pictures. He was the Direc ...

(1935–1939) *

(1946–1950) *

Rae Jenkins Rae Jenkins , born Henry Horatio Jenkins (19 April 1903 – 29 March 1985) was a Welsh violinist and later conductor of light music, notably with the BBC Midland Light Orchestra (1942–1946), the BBC Variety Orchestra (from 1946), and as pr ...

(1950–1965) *

John Carewe John Carewe (born 24 January 1933) is a British conductor. Very early in his student career at the Guildhall School of Music, Carewe gave up his original intention of being a composer and turned to conducting. His teachers, nevertheless, were al ...

(1966–1971) *

Boris Brott Boris Brott, (March 14, 1944 – April 5, 2022) was a Canadian conductor and motivational speaker. He was one of the most internationally recognized Canadian conductors, having conducted on stages around the world, including Carnegie Hall and ...

(1972–1978) *

Bryden Thomson Bryden Thomson (16 July 1928 – 14 November 1991) was a Scottish conductor remembered especially for his championship of British and Scandinavian composers. His recordings include influential surveys of the orchestral music of Hamilton Harty a ...

(1979–1982) * Erich Bergel (1983–1985) *

(1987–1995) *

Mark Wigglesworth Mark Wigglesworth (born 19 July 1964) is a British conductor. Biography Born in Sussex, Wigglesworth attended Bryanston School, Manchester University, and the Royal Academy of Music in London. He won the Kondrashin Conducting Competition in ...

(1996–2000) *

(2000–2006) *

Thierry Fischer Thierry Fischer (born 28 September 1957) is a Swiss orchestra conductor and flutist. Early life and education Fischer was born in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (Zambia) to Swiss parents. He studied flute with Aurèle Nicolet and began h ...

(2006–2012) *

(2012–2018) *

(2020–present)

Composers in association

(2001–2008) *

(2008–2014) * B. Tommy Andersson (2014–2015) * Huw Watkins (2015–2020) * Gavin Higgins (2020–present)

Resident composers

* Guto Puw (2006-2010) *

(2011-2015) * Sarah Lianne Lewis (Composer Affiliate, 2020–present)

References

Sources

* "The BBC National Orchestra of Wales: A Celebration", Peter Reynolds (BBC, 2009)

External links

BBC NOW official home page

BBC NOW page on the history of the orchestra

BBC review of its performing groups - June 2012
{{DEFAULTSORT:BBC National Orchestra Of Wales National Orchestra of Wales British symphony orchestras Musical groups established in 1928 Music in Cardiff Radio and television orchestras Welsh orchestras