BBC NOW - SEASON BROCHURE 2023/24 - ENGLISH

BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS OF WALES

23-24 SEASON

HOW TO BOOK

Aberystwyth Arts Centre

Aberystwyth University

Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth SY23 3DE

Tickets: 01970 623232

aberystwythartscentre.co.uk

BBC Hoddinott Hall

Level 2, Wales Millennium Centre

Bute Place, Cardiff, CF10 5AL

Tickets: 02920 878444

stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

Brangwyn Hall

The Guildhall, Swansea, SA1 4PE

Tickets: 01792 475715

brangwyn.co.uk

Pontio, Bangor

Bangor University, Pontio

Deiniol Rd, Bangor LL57 2TQ

Tickets: 01248 382828

pontio.co.uk

Prichard-Jones Hall, Bangor

56 College Rd, Bangor LL57 2AP

Tickets: 01248 351151

pontio.co.uk

St David’s Hall

The Hayes, Cardiff, CF10 1AH

Tickets: 02920 878444

stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

Theatr Brycheiniog

Canal Wharf, Brecon, LD3 7EW

Tickets: 01874 611622

brycheiniog.co.uk

Theatre Hafren, Newtown

Llanidloes Road, Newtown Powys SY16 4HU

Tickets: 01686 948100

thehafren.co.uk

The Riverfront, Newport

Kingsway, Newport NP20 1HG

Tickets: 01633 656757

newportlive.co.uk

Find out more about BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales at bbc.co.uk/now or through our social media channels:

Twitter: @BBCNOW @BBCNOWCYMRAEG

Facebook: BBC National Orchestra of Wales

Instagram: @_bbcnow – –

Don’t forget to give us a follow for all your latest BBC NOW news and content, and we’re always delighted to hear from you so please do get in touch via any of the above, or via email at now@bbc.co.uk

– –

Photography: Yusef Bastawy, James Fear and Kirsten McTernan

Design: BBC Wales Graphics

Copy: Amy Campbell

A WARM WELCOME FROM OUR DIRECTOR

Immerse yourself in a captivating musical world with BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales this season and join us for an extraordinary range of music at venues across Wales, and online.

We’re thrilled to continue collaborating with our Principal Conductor, Ryan Bancroft, whose artistic leadership brings a unique and captivating energy to our performances. In addition, BBC NOW is delighted to welcome a distinguished array of guest conductors and soloists who will grace our stages throughout the year.

So what can music lovers across Wales and beyond expect to enjoy?

From the timeless masterpieces that have shaped our cultural and orchestral heritage, to vibrant and innovative creations by contemporary artists; the sounds of the golden jazz age, through to classical and world music fusion; our repertoire this season spans diverse genres.

We launch our a new series of concerts dedicated to the life and remarkable musical contributions of esteemed Welsh composer, Grace Williams, celebrating her inspiring legacy and showcasing the depth of her musical brilliance. Plus a new series dedicated to the best new music being written today makes its debut!

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2023, join us for the classic Hollywood dinosaur blockbuster, Jurassic Park, performed live to the film – a treat for all ages!

We will once again embrace the festive season with our cherished carols concert, joining forces with the BBC National Chorus of Wales and massed children’s choir from across Wales, we’ll come together to celebrate the spirit of Christmas through timeless melodies and heart-warming performances.

Make sure not to miss our St. David’s Day celebration, featuring the highly anticipated UK premiere of Sir Karl Jenkins’ saxophone concerto in his 80th birthday year alongside his captivating Dewi Sant, a rare gem by William Mathias and a medley of your favourite Welsh tunes. The exceptionally talented and mesmerising Jess Gillam takes centre stage alongside the wonderful Nil Venditti in this celebration of our national day. Beyond the stage, we are dedicated to presenting new and captivating initiatives for young people and Welsh communities. Through innovative digital content, including livestreamed concerts from our home at BBC Hoddinott Hall, we aim to ensure that everyone in Wales feels involved in our musical story.

All our work is made possible through strong partnerships that inspire and challenge us, allowing us to fulfil the BBC’s fundamental mission of informing, educating, and entertaining.

We eagerly anticipate welcoming you to our performances throughout the season.

Director

AT A GLANCE

SDH ST DAVID’S HALL, CARDIFF

BHH BBC HODDINOTT HALL, CARDIFF

BHS BRANGWYN HALL, SWANSEA

TH THEATRE HAFREN, NEWTOWN

TR

NEWPORT

ARTS

SEASON OVERVIEW WITH MATTHEW WOOD, HEAD OF ARTISTIC PRODUCTION

Helo a chroeso to our 2023-24 Season.

BBC NOW’s chief conductor, Ryan Bancroft, gets our main season launched and immediately into top gear with one of the repertoire’s biggest works, Mahler’s epic 3rd Symphony. It’s his longest symphony and possibly the work that gives us the best overall understanding of Mahler’s view of the world in both its natural and divine states. Joining us on this monumental journey is the glorious mezzo soprano Christianne Stotijn, the women of the National Chorus of Wales and Gloucester Cathedral Choristers. Lionel Bringuier makes his BBC NOW debut alongside the electrifying pianist Zee Zee in what is sure to be one of our most popular programmes of the year, including Grieg’s ever pleasing Piano Concerto and Rimsky-Korsakov’s entrancing Scheherazade. Jaime Martín returns to the orchestra with horn player Ben Goldscheider in a world premiere by BBC NOW’s Composer-in-Association Gavin Higgins before Ryan is back conducting Shostakovich’s harrowing 13th Symphony ‘Babi Yar’ along with Beethoven’s 1st Piano Concerto with the outstanding Jonathan Biss. Martyn Brabbins returns to conduct with Inmo Yang, winner of the 2022 Sibelius Violin Competition, performing Sibelius’ masterpiece. Much loved Conductor Laureate Tadaaki Otaka will return with Bruckner’s 9th Symphony in the composer’s 200th birthday anniversary year. A long overdue welcome back to conductor Giancarlo Guerrero with Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra alongside Abel Selaocoe, BBC NOW’s Artist in Association, in his very own concerto for cello and Ryan closes the main season conducting Dvořák’s Cello Concerto performed by the mesmerising Alisa Weilerstein and William Dawson’s spiritual infused Negro Folk Symphony

Our studio home, BBC Hoddinott Hall in the Wales Millennium Centre is where the orchestra showcases the breadth of its diversity, and is a wonderful place to experience the orchestra up close and personal. There is a cornucopia of musical delights in this series starting with the return of Fiona Monbet and her jazz trio in an intimate showcase of 1920s and 30s French burlesque classics along with the world premiere of her jazz suite. Our inaugural ‘Grace’ series is where we will showcase the works of Wales’ very own master-composer, Grace Williams, alongside other female and Welsh composing talent. This is followed by the first of our ‘NOW!’ concerts where we showcase new compositions and living composers from across Wales and the world, and are joined by trombone virtuoso Jörgen van Rijen for the UK premiere of Tan Dun’s Three Muses in Video Game. In the 50 year anniversary of his death we acknowledge Picasso’s significant contribution to the set design and costumes of ballet in our ‘Playing Picasso’ concert and debut the conductor Nodoka Okisawa in a concert that includes music by To¯ru Takemitsu and Kikuko Kanai. Harry Bicket returns to the orchestra and chorus with our Easter offering of stunning music that includes Bach’s Ich habe genung and Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs, and we welcome back Sofi Jeannin to take us through two world premieres: Alexander Campkin’s Sounds of Stardust and Dani Howard’s concerto for the extraordinary percussionist, Dame Evelyn Glennie. Another world premiere is delivered with Joana Carneiro at the helm of Stephen McNeff’s The Celestial Stanger before we immerse in Schoenberg’s shimmering Verklarte Nacht (Transfigured Night) – the work that heralded in a new dawn of tonal awareness.

In its 30th year, Jurassic Park, one of the biggest movies and film franchises of all time comes to the orchestra as we perform John Williams’ score live to the film. We head to the Cardiff warehouse DEPOT where we experience “storytelling through the vessel of South African culture and ancestral memory that speaks to the fabric of humanity” in a not to be missed CoLaboratory with Abel Selaocoe and Nduduzo Makathini. Our annual St David’s Day offering is also not to be missed with the UK premiere of Sir Karl Jenkins’ saxophone concerto performed by the brilliant Jess Gillam amongst other rousing Welsh treasures, and Christmas is celebrated with our traditional carols concert with the National Chorus of Wales and massed children’s choir.

On the road we head to Mid and North Wales with Ryan Bancroft conducting Dvořák’s joyous 8th Symphony and Glazunov’s Violin Concerto with the prodigiously gifted Benjamin Beilman, and have a night out with Welsh singer-songwriter Elin Fflur in Pontio. We head back to Brecon and Newport with the effervescent conductor Nil Venditti in a showcase of Italian masterpieces alongside Grace Williams’ Violin Concerto, performed by BBC New Generation Artist Geneva Lewis. In Newtown we are joined by the conductor Antony Hermus for Sibelius’ glorious 2nd Symphony alongside Mozart’s Oboe Concerto performed by our very own Section Principal Oboe, Steven Hudson. We head back to Newport for Ryan Bancroft’s continued exploration of the music of Charles Ives in his 2nd Symphony, along with Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto, performed by Benjamin Baker, and probably his most loved work, his Adagio for Strings

Over the border we continue our residency with the Lichfield Festival and, of course, head back to the biggest festival of them all for four concerts at the BBC Proms.

Meanwhile, our commitment to our young audiences continues with our schools and family shows and numerous other community projects with our wonderful partner organisations. We also continue our recording work for BBC Radio 3, Radio Cymru and commercial partners, whilst maintaining a busy schedule of film and television soundtracks.

It is an endless delight and privilege to work alongside such talented musicians and dedicated staff to bring you the broadest of musical offerings. Season 23-24 promises something for everyone and I can’t wait to share it with you.

WELCOME TO OUR HOME…

Step through the iconic metal doors, take a seat and make yourself at home for a new season of concerts in BBC Hoddinott Hall.

With comfortable seating for up to 350 people, BBC Hoddinott Hall acts as an easily accessible concert venue for all performances, be that as part of the BBC NOW Concert Series or external performances. It is also BBC NOW’s main rehearsal and recording studio where we record and perform TV soundtracks, radio concerts and other recordings.

Named after the famed Welsh composer, Alun Hoddinott, you’re sure to find a very warm welcome and some of the finest music in Wales, and this season we will also be livestreaming more concerts directly from BBC Hoddinott Hall across the whole of Wales, so if you don’t live locally you can still feel at home with us!

To find out which broadcasts are taking place in BBC Hoddinott Hall just follow us on social media or take a look on our website homepage.

BBC HODDINOTT HALL

Level 2, Wales Millennium Centre, Bute Place, Cardiff, CF10 5AL

GET IN TOUCH: now@bbc.co.uk

“I’m really excited about the variety of music-making that our new season holds. Symphonic masterpieces await in the form of Mahler’s Third, Dvořák’s Eighth, Brahms’ Second, Bruckner’s Ninth and Shostakovich’s Thirteenth. Fiona Monbet’s CoLaboratory concert in October will bring together a colourful programme of theatrical treats with a work of her own, and in December we have a trip to the ballet with ‘Pulcinella’ and a ‘Three Cornered Hat’. I’m also looking forward to more of Abel Selaocoe’s unique virtuosic fusion of Western and African genres.”

Lesley Hatfield, Leader

“I’m really excited to be growing the work we’ve been doing within hospitals and care settings. The impact that this work can have is life changing for everyone involved. I’m also looking forward to our yearly primary schools concert. The excitement in the room is immense!”

Bea Carey, Education Producer

BBC NOW CONNECT is BBC NOW’s Education and Community initiative, dedicated to taking the world of orchestral and choral music beyond the confines of traditional concert halls and into the lives of people in schools, healthcare settings, workplaces and communities throughout Wales.

Our core principle is the firm belief that everyone should have equal opportunities to engage with the arts. To ensure our education and community programmes have a meaningful and far-reaching impact and provide the opportunity for lifelong learning and enjoyment of music for all ages, we collaborate closely with community-based partners who possess valuable local insights and knowledge to benefit all involved.

We strive to foster a sense of inclusivity and accessibility, breaking down barriers to participation in music. By delivering enriching musical experiences and interactive workshops and concerts, we aim to ignite creativity, inspire a lifelong appreciation for music, and promote social cohesion across Wales.

Our main goals are to create inclusive, socially impactful music making experiences and offer innovative programmes designed to improve health and wellbeing, contribute to the National Plan for Music Education by supporting Schools and the National Music Service in Wales, promote and nurture diverse Welsh talent and build professional pathways in the industry.

To sign up to our updates or to find out more, please email nowconnect@bbc.co.uk

“I can’t wait to return to West Wales, working with our partner Dyfed Young Composers and their Resident Composer, Lynne Plowman, inspiring students to compose. The skill and creativity these young people show is inspiring! I’m especially looking forward to working with talented young musicians from across Wales in our concert with the National Youth Orchestra of Wales in November – it will be an exciting concert, don’t

miss it!”

Rhonwen Jones, Education Producer

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bbc.co.uk/tours

CONCERT PROGRAMMES

In our commitment to environmental sustainability, we are pleased to announce that all BBC NOW concert programmes for this season will be available exclusively in digital format. By eliminating the need for printed materials, we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint and prevent approximately 1 metric ton of paper from ending up in landfill each year.

Offering digital concert programmes has several advantages. Each digital concert programme will be available via the BBC NOW website a few days before each event, allowing you to familiarise yourself with the music ahead of time. You’ll be able to access comprehensive information about the repertoire, conductor and soloists, as well as a list of our talented BBC NOW musicians who will be performing in the concert. Whether you are attending in person, listening on BBC Radio 3 or enjoying our livestreamed concerts from the comfort of your home, you can conveniently follow along with the digital programme.

Look out for our digital programme leaflets, printed on wildflower seed paper, at each venue we perform at. By scanning the QR code on the leaflet with your phone, you will be directed directly to the Digital Concert Programmes website. Feel free to take the leaflet home and plant it in your garden or window box, where it will decompose and bloom into beautiful flowers the following spring!

We are pleased to offer this bilingual season brochure digitally on the BBC NOW website. We’d love you to share the website URL with your friends and family, embracing a more sustainable and eco-friendly approach to accessing concert information.

DIGITAL CONCERT SERIES

Embark on a musical exploration through BBC NOW’s Digital Concert Series and delve into a diverse range of orchestral repertoire, all from the convenience of your phone, television, or computer. Whether you’re at home or on the move, this extraordinary collection awaits!

Designed to be accessible and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of location, why not get stuck in and watch renowned masterpieces by luminaries such as Stravinsky and Ravel, as well as discovering new works by living composers.

Filmed at BBC Hoddinott Hall, these concerts bring you an up-close and personal experience with the orchestra. Feel the music resonate through your screen as you watch our musicians in action. To further enrich your understanding and appreciation of the music and its historical significance, each performance is also accompanied by programme notes, specially written for this series so you can immerse yourself in the narrative.

“It’s always exciting to see what repertoire will appear each season and I’m thrilled that the opening concert features Mahler’s epic Third Symphony with our wonderful Principal Conductor Ryan Bancroft. In this, his longest symphony, Mahler encompasses the whole gamut of human emotions from deep despair to a spiritual longing for heavenly love and it ends with a powerfully uplifting benediction. The orchestration for this work is enormous and he includes both ladies’ and children’s choirs, a mystical solo contralto and even an off-stage post horn! I’m really looking forward to hearing Donal’s dramatic trombone solo in the 1st movement. I expect this will be an evening that will stay in one’s memory for a long, long time.”

Valerie Aldrich-Smith, Principal Harp

At BBC NOW, we want you to enjoy our concerts without breaking the bank. That’s why BBC NOW offers £5 tickets at all of our concerts and at all our venues!

Whether you’re an orchestral music expert, or completely new to our music, you’re sure to enjoy the thrill and power of your national symphony orchestra up close and live – so come along!

There’s no promo code needed, simply book online, on the phone or in person at your chosen venue choosing the student ticket option.

BBC NATIONAL CHORUS OF WALES

Passionate about singing and want to get involved with our Chorus? Well, it’s never been easier… simply email us on bbcncw@bbc.co.uk to express your interest and arrange an audition.

One of the leading mixed choruses in the UK, BBC National Chorus of Wales, with its Artistic Director Adrian Partington, are based in BBC Hoddinott Hall and work regularly with BBC National Orchestra of Wales as well as giving performances in its own right. Highlights of the 23/24 Season included a concert of iconic video games music with gaming music legend Eimear Noone, Haydn’s Nelson Mass with early music specialist Christian Curnyn and John Adams’ Harmonium at the BBC Proms.

This autumn sees 40 years since the chorus was formed, so keep an eye out for bespoke Chorus content on our website and social media to celebrate!

NATIONAL ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS OF WALES

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BBC MUSIC FOR EVERYONE: OUR WORK IN THE COMMUNITY

Making our music accessible to everyone in Wales is important to us here at BBC NOW, and this season we are dedicated to expanding our reach and engaging with different communities, voluntary groups, and charitable organisations throughout the nation. By collaborating with these partners, we aim to introduce our music to new audiences and foster meaningful connections.

We have been cultivating long-term and impactful partnerships to support future opportunities for all and as we embark on the upcoming season, we eagerly anticipate strengthening and celebrating these partnerships even further.

We are enthusiastic about the prospect of working together to promote the power of music and its positive impact within communities throughout Wales.

If you would like to learn more about our community initiatives or explore possibilities for collaboration with your organisation, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. You can contact us via email at now@bbc.co.uk

“Over the past year Ukrainian Refugees have been treated to a wonderful diverse range of incredible concerts through a collaboration between BBC NOW, Cardiff For Ukraine and Sunflowers Wales. Hundreds of traumatised displaced Ukrainians were offered the opportunity to escape their problems through the power of music, experience the joy of live music that surpasses any language barrier. The impact of these concert visits have been huge, some saying that those moments in music was the first time they felt alive again; that connected them to their previous life and feel an optimism for the future. The gratitude these people feel for these experiences has been overwhelming. Dyakuyu! BBC National Orchestra of

“Race Council Cymru and the 29 diverse ethnic communities in the Swansea Multicultural Hub have benefited tremendously from working with BBC NOW. The complimentary tickets given to our diverse ethnic community members, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, who may never have the opportunity or resources to attend concerts of this nature were given a number of opportunities to attend the concert and watch a variety of concerts. They have been superb, uplifting and entertaining. We are thrilled our diverse ethnic elders in particular had an opportunity to participate and attend the concerts. We can't wait to work with you all some more.”

Professor Uzo Iwobi CBE FLSW, Former Specialist Policy Adviser on Equalities to Welsh Govt, Vice President Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Founder & CEO Race Council Cymru, Founder African Community Centre Wales

VISIONS OF ITALY

BBC National Orchestra of Wales and conductor Nil Venditti return to Brecon and Newport this September with a programme of Busoni, Bellini, Mendelssohn and Grace Williams’ rhapsodic Violin Concerto with Geneva Lewis.

In a homage to Mozart’s comic operas, Busoni’s Lustspiel Overture is perhaps his best-loved work. This fantastic little piece fuses Mozartian drama and overflowing melody with a sunny highromantic orchestration. Set in Roman Gaul, Bellini’s Bel Canto opera Norma was first staged at Milan’s La Scala in 1831, the same year a young Mendelssohn was travelling through Italy. Mediterranean sunshine, art and architecture, religious devotion and vast landscapes form the vessel for his Italian Symphony, all wonders he witnessed first hand during his travels.

ROMANTIC DEPICTIVE ITALIANATE

FRIDAY 15/9/23 7.30PM

Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon

SATURDAY 16/9/23 7.30PM

The Riverfront, Newport

BUSONI

Lustspiel Overture (Comedy Overture)

G. WILLIAMS

Violin Concerto

BELLINI

Norma Overture

MENDELSSOHN

Symphony No. 4 ‘Italian’

NIL VENDITTI Conductor

GENEVA LEWIS

Violin

PORTMEIRION, NORTH WALES. DESIGNED AND BUILT BY SIR CLOUGH WILLIAMS-ELLIS BETWEEN 1925 AND 1975 IN THE STYLE OF AN ITALIAN VILLAGE.

AND CHORUS OF WALES

ANTONY HERMUS CONDUCTS…

Vibrant, charismatic and energetic Dutch conductor Antony Hermus joins BBC NOW in Cardiff and Newtown this September with a varied programme of Wagenaar, Mozart and Sibelius.

A particular favourite of Hermus, Johan Wagenaar’s musical portrait, Cyrano de Bergerac, was written in 1905 and is deeply romantic in style. Heroism, elegant yearning and astonishing harmony meld with joy, humour and satire in this depiction of Bergerac, and displays a direct and endlessly tuneful spirit. BBC NOW’s Section Principal Oboe, Steven Hudson, steps out of the orchestra and into the solo spot in Mozart’s Oboe Concerto, before we explore a symphony popular the world over, Sibelius’ true work of art, his Second Symphony.

MELLIFLUOUS JOYOUS VIVACIOUS

FRIDAY 22/9/23 7PM

BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff

SATURDAY 23/9/23 3PM

Hafren, Newtown

WAGENAAR

Cyrano de Bergerac

MOZART

Oboe Concerto

SIBELIUS

Symphony No. 2

–

ANTONY HERMUS Conductor

STEVEN HUDSON

Oboe

LAKE VYRNWY, POWYS. A RESERVOIR BUILT IN THE 1880S TO SUPPLY LIVERPOOL WITH FRESH WATER. THE STRAINING TOWER IS AN INTAKE BUILT TO EXTRACT WATER FROM THE LAKE.

MAHLER 3

Mahler’s sunny and extrovert Third Symphony opens our 2023-24 Season in resplendent style. Nature was never far from the forefront of Mahler’s mind, and this all-encompassing musical portrait is possibly the most direct outpouring of his worldly views. From its opening military marches, through effervescent twilight depictions, from birdcall to rustic dance, this work displays some of Mahler’s most emotionally intense, stoically powerful and profoundly beautiful music.

Join BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales alongside Principal Conductor Ryan Bancroft, mezzo soprano Christianne Stotijn and the choristers of Gloucester Cathedral for this symphonic epic.

EXPANSIVE RADIANT EMOTIVE

THURSDAY 5/10/23 7.30PM St David’s Hall, Cardiff

MAHLER Symphony No. 3

RYAN BANCROFT Conductor

CHRISTIANNE STOTIJN

Mezzo soprano

BBC NATIONAL CHORUS OF WALES

GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL CHORISTERS

Filmed by BBC Studios Music for a future episode of Inside Classical on BBC Four.

MONMOUTH VIADUCT, RIVER WYE. THE DERELICT RAILWAY VIADUCT AND BEAUTIFUL FARMLAND ON THE RIVER WYE.

COLABORATORY: FIONA MONBET

Fusing American jazz and traditional folk with her trademark French flair, violinist and composer Fiona Monbet joins BBC NOW in our first CoLaboratory of the 23-24 season. Opening with a programme inspired by French Burlesque of the 20s and 30s, the composers Jacques Ibert, Erik Satie, Germaine Tailleferre and Darius Milhaud all had one thing in common, alongside their more traditional compositions, they were all great early film music writers, so it is no wonder their music is so roaringly vivid and pleasantly picturesque.

For the second half we leave France and voyage to the jazz drenched streets of New York, and another glittering film composer, Leonard Bernstein, with his Three Dance Episodes from On the Town, before experiencing the world premiere of Fiona Monbet’s new work for violin, double bass, piano, drum kit and orchestra.

With BBC Hoddinott Hall set up in cabaret style, bring your drink in and enjoy this concert up close and personal.

VIBRANT INTIMATE ENTRANCING

THURSDAY 19/10/23 7.30PM

BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff

IBERT

Divertissement

SATIE

La Belle Excentrique

TAILLEFERRE

Petite Suite

MILHAUD

Le boeuf sur le toit

BERNSTEIN

On the Town: Three Dance Episodes

FIONA MONBET

Faubourg 23

FIONA MONBET

Violin/director

ZACHARIE ABRAHAM

Double bass

AUXANE CARTIGNY

Piano

PHILIPPE MANIEZ

Drum kit

‘Grace’ is a new BBC NOW series dedicated to championing the works of one of Wales’ greatest composers – Grace Williams.

An outstanding talent, Williams was one of the first Welsh composers of the 20th century to gain significant recognition throughout the world. A student of Vaughan Williams and contemporary of an impressive circle of other female composers, including Dorothy Gow, Imogen Holst, Elizabeth Maconchy and Elisabeth Lutyens, Williams would go on to develop a distinctive voice that would help champion orchestral music throughout her beloved Wales. In this series we look at her most celebrated works alongside those that have been neglected, and take a closer look at her struggles with crippling self-criticism and what it was and what it is to be a female composer in a male dominated field. Alongside works by Williams this series will also champion other works by female composers and Welsh talent.

“I’ve grown to believe that it’s against nature for a woman to have talent for anything except what’s set down in the last chapter of the Book of Proverb.”

Grace Williams to Gerald Cockshott 5 December 1948

‘GRACE’

‘Grace’ is our new series showcasing female composers and emerging Welsh talent, and in the inaugural concert of the series we’re delighted to welcome BBC NOW violinist, turned conductor, Emilie Godden to conduct the opening work.

Mentored by Martyn Brabbins, Emilie is currently the Leverhulme Conducting Fellow at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, in association with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and will conduct the world premiere of our Composer Affiliate, Sarah Lianne Lewis’ The Sky Didn’t Fall. BBC NOW favourite Martyn Brabbins will then take to the podium for the UK premiere of, and tribute to the recently passed Finnish composer, Kaija Saariaho’s Suite from Emilie, before we explore Grace Williams’ rarely performed masterpiece, her Second Symphony.

ELEGANT PIONEERING INSPIRING

THURSDAY 2/11/23 7.30PM

BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff

SARAH LIANNE LEWIS

*The Sky Didn’t Fall [World Premiere]

SAARIAHO

Suite from Emilie [UK Premiere]

G. WILLIAMS

Symphony No. 2

MARTYN BRABBINS Conductor

EMILIE GODDEN* Conductor

EMMA TRING

Soprano

WHITMORE BAY BEACH, BARRY ISLAND. SUNSET; THE GOLDEN HOUR ACROSS THE BAY.

SCHEHERAZADE

An air of magic imbues this concert, kicking off with Dukas’ Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Remarkable musical storytelling depicts an enchanted broom and the chaos that ensues. Truly spellbinding! From the unmistakable introduction to the original quality of its writing, it’s easy to understand why Grieg’s Piano Concerto is considered such a masterpiece; with a dazzling layer of virtuosity and a solid Norwegian identity, the composer’s strong affinity with folk songs is ever-present. Then Rimsky-Korsakov takes up the mantle with music of seduction and adventure in his version of A Thousand and One Nights, Scheherazade. This dazzlingly opulent work is full of colour, rhythmic vitality and flavours of the Orient.

MAGICAL CAPTIVATING DAZZLING

SATURDAY 11/11/23 7.30PM

St David’s Hall, Cardiff

DUKAS

Sorcerer’s Apprentice

GRIEG

Piano Concerto

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV

Scheherazade

LIONEL BRINGUIER

Conductor

ZEE ZEE

Piano

CONWY CASTLE, NORTH WALES. A PANORAMA OF THE CASTLE LIT UP AT NIGHT.

RYAN BANCROFT

Principal Conductor Ryan Bancroft joins us on the road again this autumn, kicking off the programme with Hannah Kendall’s The Spark Catchers. From its vigorous liveliness and rhythmic drive to its brooding melodies and distinguished gleaming delicacy, the work is based on Lemn Sissay’s wonderfully dynamic and vibrant poem of the same name.

Glazunov’s Violin Concerto, although written over a century before Hannah Kendall’s work, portrays a similar lyricism and rhythmic liveliness. Combining soloistic virtuosity with deep emotion and lyrical expression, moods, tempos and dynamics shift between movements to create the whole. Dvořák reflects sheer joy of the natural world in his equally rhythmic and melodious Eighth Symphony. Low, dark chorales give way to heroic woodwind solos, melancholic eloquence give way to dance tinged joy in this rousingly dramatic symphony.

ENERGETIC ROUSING DYNAMIC

FRIDAY 1/12/23 7.30PM

Prichard-Jones Hall, Bangor

HANNAH KENDALL

The Spark Catchers

GLAZUNOV

Violin Concerto

DVOŘÁK

Symphony No. 8

RYAN BANCROFT

Conductor

BEN BEILMAN

Violin

A NIGHT WITH ELIN FFLUR

Tudur Owen presents Elin Fflur and BBC National Orchestra of Wales. BBC Radio Cymru presents an evening with Elin Fflur and Band, with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Come and enjoy some of Elin’s most popular songs with a full orchestra; Tudur Owen will also be asking Elin about her music, of two decades of performing and twenty years since ‘Harbwr Diogel’ was chosen as Cân i Gymru (A Song for Wales).

ENCHANTING | COSY | ENTERTAINING

SATURDAY 2/12/23 8PM

Pontio, Bangor

JOHN QUIRK Conductor

SOUTH STACK ROCK, ANGLESEY. THE LIGHT AT SOUTH STACK LIGHTHOUSE CUTS THROUGH THE DARKNESS AT SOUTH STACK ROCK.

GRANADA, SPAIN. THE FORTRESS AND PALACE COMPLEX OF THE ALHAMBRA.

PAGE 34 | BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS OF WALES

PLAYING PICASSO

Known as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century and for co-founding the Cubist movement, it is surprisingly little know that artist Pablo Picasso was heavily involved in the costume design for many ground breaking ballets. His creative union with ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev was one of the most influential collaborations of the 20th century, which altered the nature of ballet, and for Picasso opened a whole new world of artistic exploration.

50 years after his death we celebrate his work in a concert solely featuring music of the ballets he designed for – from Stravinsky’s Pulcinella in which traditional stories were “entirely transformed into striking modernist masterpieces, reimagining the ballet as a site for clashing avant-garde styles, shapes and forms” through his costumes and set design, to Satie’s angular, confrontational and avant-garde Parade and De Falla’s Three Cornered Hat, telling a Spanish love story set within the Andalusian mountains.

COLOURFUL IMPASSIONED ENLIGHTENING

FRIDAY 8/12/23 7.30PM

BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff

STRAVINSKY

Pulcinella

SATIE

Parade

STRAVINSKY

Ragtime

DE FALLA

Three Cornered Hat (2nd Suite)

RYAN BANCROFT

Conductor

KATHARINE DAIN

Soprano

JORGE NAVARRO COLORADO

Tenor

MICHEL DE SOUZA

Baritone

CAROLS FOR CHRISTMAS

Is there anything better than Christmas Carols in cosy jumpers, hundreds of children joyfully singing, and the chance to sing-along to your festive favourites? No, we didn’t think so either! Couple this with readings by your favourite BBC Wales presenters, and splendid accompaniment by the brass and percussion of BBC NOW and you’ve got the perfect Sunday afternoon Christmas treat for all the family.

JOYFUL FESTIVE HEARTWARMING

CARDIFF

Join BBC National Chorus of Wales with their artistic director Adrian Partington, alongside a massed Children’s Choir from schools across Wales for this glittering, annual Christmas festivity.

SUNDAY 10/12/23 3PM

St David’s Hall, Cardiff

ADRIAN PARTINGTON

Conductor

BBC NATIONAL CHORUS OF WALES

MASSED SCHOOL’S CHOIR

SUNDAY 17/12/23 3PM

Prichard Jones Hall, Bangor

ADRIAN PARTINGTON Conductor

Join BBC National Chorus of Wales’ artistic director Adrian Partington, alongside a massed Choir from across North Wales for this glittering Christmas festivity.

BUTE PARK, CARDIFF. SNOW COVERS CARDIFF CASTLE AND THE SURROUNDING PARK.

JURASSIC PARK IN CONCERT

Who can forget the earth quaking, thunderous plod of a T-rex, or the terrifying sounds of a velociraptor? Join BBC NOW this December for Jurassic Park, live in concert. Set on Isla Nublar, follow the story of Dr Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler as they battle for survival when the theme park’s newly revived dinosaurs escape their enclosures and seek to rule the Earth once more. Featuring stunning visual imagery and ground-breaking special effects, this action-packed adventure may not be your typical Christmas concert, but with BBC National Orchestra of Wales performing John William’s epic score live to film, it is a more than fitting way to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the iconic film!

NOSTALGIC THRILLING MULTIGENERATIONAL

WEDNESDAY 13/12/23 7.30PM

St David’s Hall, Cardiff

THURSDAY 14/12/23 7.30PM

Brangwyn Hall, Swansea

JURASSIC PARK FILM SCORE

John Williams

–

BENJAMIN POPE

Conductor

JAIME MARTÍN CONDUCTS…

Revel in the chance to hear a world premiere by our Composerin-Association Gavin Higgins this new year – fresh from winning the 2023 RPS award and the South Bank Sky Arts Classical Music Award for his Concerto Grosso for Brass Band and Orchestra. Composed for today’s soloist Ben Goldscheider, it’s sure to be a firecracker, and not one to miss.

Spring-like freshness and a joyous mood permeate Brahms’ Second Symphony. Written with staggering speed compared to his first, which took an astonishing 20 years to complete, this masterpiece is one of the most popular of all romantic symphonies... but to start, what better a pairing that Parry’s Elegy for Brahms? To conduct we’re delighted to welcome back the inimitably talented Jaime Martín.

JUBILANT CHARMING RAPTUROUS

SATURDAY 13/1/24 3PM

Brangwyn Hall, Swansea

SUNDAY 14/1/24 3PM

St David’s Hall, Cardiff

PARRY

Elegy for Brahms

GAVIN HIGGINS

Horn Concerto [World Premiere]

BRAHMS

Symphony No. 2

JAIME MARTÍN

Conductor

BEN GOLDSCHEIDER

French horn

WALES

“This season I am really looking forward to playing Brahms' 2nd Symphony. It's been quite a few years since BBCNOW played this symphony and it is one of my favourites. I love how Brahms uses the orchestra, he writes so beautifully for the lower brass and horns in particular. Any isolated moment from this piece is unmistakably Brahms and the emotional range, from the tender 2nd movement to the exuberance of the 4th is a journey I’m always happy to have made.”

Anna Cleworth, First Violins

THE WELSH COUNTRYSIDE. WILD FLOWERS BLOOM ON THE HILLSIDE

BBC NOW – NOW!

A world premiere, 3 UK premieres and a young up and coming composer… BBC NOW – NOW! is our new contemporary series dedicated to the best music from around the world being written today.

Kicking off the series is BBC NOW’s Composer-in-Association, Gavin Higgins, with the concert’s world premiere, his Sarabande, before we turn to the exciting multi-award-winning Chinese American composer Tan Dun and his Three Muses in Video Game

This trombone concerto pays tribute to gaming music, whilst reflecting the traditional music of China – with its movements named after ancient Chinese instruments these distinctive sounds are the muse for orchestra and soloist alike. To perform we’re delighted to welcome Jrgen van Rijen, who also gave the work’s world premiere.

Composition: Wales 2023 participant Thomas Whitcombe’s And the Skies Become Vermillion leads us into a celebration of Ross Edwards’ 80th birthday with the UK premiere of his rhythmic, colourful and radiant Chorale and Ecstatic Dance, then comes a UK premiere by Sir James MacMillan. A musical snapshot of Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem Mariana – the work explores grief through highly charged and expressive modal melodies vying with primal outbursts, lamenting and introverted solos and complex counterpoint.

INNOVATIVE DISTINCTIVE FRESH

FRIDAY 26/1/24 7.30PM

GAVIN HIGGINS

Sarabande [World Premiere]

TAN DUN

Three Muses in Video Game [UK Premiere]

THOMAS WHITCOMBE

And the Skies Become Vermillion

ROSS EDWARDS

Chorale and Ecstatic Dance [UK Premiere]

JAMES MACMILLAN

Her Tears Fell with the Dews at Even [UK Premiere]

JORDAN DE SOUZA

Conductor

J Ö RGEN VAN RIJEN

Trombone

NEAR LLYN IDWAL, SNOWDONIA NATIONAL PARK. THE WATER FLOWS FROM THE WATERFALL NEAR LLYN IDWAL, A SMALL LAKE THAT LIES WITHIN CWM IDWAL IN THE GLYDERAU MOUNTAINS OF SNOWDONIA.

BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff

“The first piece I’m looking forward to in the upcoming season is Sibelius’ second symphony. It’s one of my favourite pieces to listen to, and play. Lots of colours, moods and undulating drama throughout. It is unmistakeably Sibelius’s scoring, whether dour or triumphant. A tricky little trombone transition into the final movement always keeps us on our toes. It goes da, da, da, daaah! You’d be surprised how hard that is to play in the right place. In October we perform Mahler 3. Watch out for Donal playing the solo on an old German trombone, as Gustav would have wanted. This philosophical offering from around 1895 explores his relationship with nature. As with Sibelius 2, the sound palette is incredibly broad and contrasting whether it is the heroic French horns at the outset, the stoic and slightly melancholic trombone solo, or the lonely and sweet offstage post horn/flugal horn solo towards the end. Oh… and there’s some string and woodwinds doing stuff elsewhere also!

I am intrigued by the concert on 26th of January that will include the Tan Dun trombone concerto –Three muses in video game. I play the trombone for a living and video games are my one-and-only vice. It will be interesting and rewarding to see my worlds collide. Lastly, Bartók’s concerto for orchestra on May 9th/10th. It’s three days after my birthday and I get to make silly noises. What’s not to like?”

Darren Smith, Principal Bass Trombone

SHOSTAKOVICH 13 WITH RYAN BANCROFT

From its bold and assertive opening phrase to the whimsical and playful finale, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 is one of the most grand and daring works of its generation. First performed in 1798 by Beethoven himself, its origin remains mainly unknown; although we do know that this concerto was actually his second, it just happened to be published first, earning it the title of Concerto No. 1. Often banished to the Soviet doghouse for his outward displays of self-expression, combined with his choice of literary inspiration, Shostakovich had gained himself a reprieve with his wordless 11th and 12th Symphonies; but the inspiration which ignited the narrative for his 13th was to once again upset the apple cart. Often referred to by its nickname Babi Yar, Shostakovich’s theatrical, bitterly humorous and transcendent 13th Symphony sets the words of Yevgeny Yevtushenko, depicting the atrocities of Operation Barbarossa on the Jews in Russia, and it was the antisemitic undertone, and the fact the text didn’t reference the thousands of non-Jewish bodies that were dumped in the ravine, that Khrushchev objected to, almost cancelling the premiere, and banning any press reviews. Silenced for over 20 years, this symphony saw a resurgence in popularity in the late 20th century – unsurprising given the ingenuity and nuance of Shostakovich’s music, from its sharp contrast, quick wit, and ambivalent tonal centre, combined with a subtle classicism and romantic yearning.

SATURDAY 10/2/24 7.30PM

Brangwyn Hall, Swansea

SUNDAY 11/2/24 3PM

St David’s Hall, Cardiff

BEETHOVEN

Piano Concerto No. 1

SHOSTAKOVICH

Symphony No. 13

–

RYAN BANCROFT

Conductor

JONATHAN BISS

Piano

JAMES PLATT

Bass

BBC NATIONAL CHORUS OF WALES

RADICAL DRAMATIC VIBRANT

DINORWIG SLATE MINE, SNOWDONIA. WINTER AT THE DINORWIG SLATE MINE, WITH A SNOWCAPPED SNOWDON MOUNTAIN IN BACKGROUND.

FOLK FUSIONS – JAPAN MEETS EASTERN EUROPE

In a programme inspired by folk music, we’re delighted to welcome Japanese conductor Nodoka Okisawa to the podium. Jazz and blues style writing, meet funerial music and an unusually melancholic yet cheerful waltz in fellow Japanese musician, To¯ru Takemitsu’s 3 Film Scores. Developing her own unique compositional voice, Kikuko Kanai was one of the first Japanese women to compose Western classical music, whilst retaining her Okinawan musical heritage. Devoted to transcribing folksongs, she used these as the basis for her own works, including her Capriccio Okinawa

Equally renowned for the use of his native folk music within his works, Franz Liszt was not only an influential composer, but the consummate concert pianist, so it’s no wonder his piano concertos are amongst his most performed works today. With exquisite romanticism, transformative melodies and fiery cadenzas, his second concerto is brought to life by award winning JordanianPalestinian pianist Iyad Sughayer. Native Czech grittiness, fanciful programmatic titling and his love of Karel Erben’s folk ballads shine in Dvořák’s The Wood Dove, with its vivid and evocative orchestrations leaning into transformative melodies – light meets shade, grief meets love, chorales meet dances – simply put, symphonic storytelling at its best.

SATURDAY 24/2/24 7.30PM

BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff

TAKEMITSU 3 Film Scores

KIKUKO KANAI

Capriccio Okinawa

LISZT

Piano Concerto No. 2

DVOŘÁK

The Wood Dove –

NODOKA OKISAWA Conductor

IYAD SUGHAYER

Piano

STRIKING REVERENTIAL INSPIRATIONAL

“The 2023 schedule is brimming with remarkable music, yet if I were to choose a favourite, it would undoubtedly be the ‘Playing Picasso’ concert in December. Collaborating with the National Dance Company Wales for a performance a few years ago was a career highlight for me, and since then I’ve seen some of the original costumes and set designs in the Royal Academy of Art’s ‘Picasso & Paper’ exhibition. Truly ground-breaking!”

Daniel Trodden, Principal Tuba

SHURI CASTLE, OKINAWA, JAPAN. SUNSET.

ST DAVID’S DAY STRAVAGANZA

What better way to celebrate St David’s Day than with music by iconic Welsh composers, performed by the National Orchestra of Wales?

We celebrate 90 years since William Mathias’ birth with his Holiday Overture, written in 1971 specially for BBC NOW. We then move on to Sir Karl Jenkins and the UK Premiere of his saxophone concerto, Stravaganza, written for tonight’s soloist, the sensational Jess Gillam. It wouldn’t be St David’s Day without any singing, so BBC National Chorus of Wales and the National Youth Choir of Wales take centre stage in Jenkins’ Dewi Sant, and a medley of your favourite Welsh tunes.

FRIDAY 1/3/24 7.30PM

St David’s Hall, Cardiff

MATHIAS

Holiday Overture

KARL JENKINS

Stravaganza [UK Premiere]

KARL JENKINS

Dewi Sant

JEFF HOWARD

A Welsh Celebration

G. WILLIAMS

Fanfare and Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau

NIL VENDITTI

Conductor

JESS GILLAM

Saxophone

BBC NATIONAL CHORUS OF WALES

NATIONAL YOUTH CHOIR OF WALES

UPLIFTING CELEBRATORY EFFERVESCENT

COUNTRYSIDE COTTAGE, WALES. PINK TULIPS AND YELLOW DAFFODILS BLOOM IN A FLOWER BED IN SPRING.

ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS OF WALES

MARTYN BRABBINS CONDUCTS…

Opening with the most magical and expressive of themes, Sibelius’ Violin Concerto bristles with tension and brooding harmonies, paired with exquisitely beautiful melodies and a formidable energy. Exhilaratingly masterful and truly virtuosic, we’re delighted to welcome winner of the 2022 Sibelius Violin Competition, Inmo Yang, to perform this gem of a concerto.

From its galloping beginning, Walton’s first symphony bristles with energy and, despite its darker inner movements, finishes with cinematic pomp and glory. A contemporary of William Walton, Grace Williams shows an early insight to the highly individual music that she would compose in later years in her showcase for strings, the Elegy. To conduct we welcome back BBC NOW favourite Martyn Brabbins.

MASTERFUL STATELY EXQUISITE

FRIDAY 8/3/24 7.30PM

Brangwyn Hall, Swansea

SATURDAY 9/3/24 7.30PM

St David’s Hall, Cardiff

G. WILLIAMS

Elegy for Strings

SIBELIUS

Violin Concerto

WALTON

Symphony No. 1 –

MARTYN BRABBINS Conductor

INMO YANG

Violin

LET ALL THE WORLD IN EVERY CORNER SING

The spirit of Easter, although subtle, permeates this concert, with Harry Bicket returning to the helm of BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales. Brazilian composer José Maurício Nunes Garcia kicks off the evening with his Zemira Overture, and sublime baritone Julien Van Mellaerts performs Bach’s Ich habe genug. With text recounting the purification of Mary, and pronouncing the desires of escaping earthly misery to be reunited with Jesus this work is a perfect fit for any Easter concert.

It is perhaps little know that Haydn’s Symphony No. 26 was in fact written for Easter, although when we look deeper into the music there are plentiful less-than-subtle hints. Written in typical Sturm and drang – storm and stress – the minor key and thundery atmosphere underpin Passiontide plainsong quotations, more pertinent for a church than the concert hall. Also written for Easter is Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs, which sets four texts from ‘The Temple: Sacred Poems’ by Welsh poet and priest George Herbert. Intrinsically spiritual and direct in delivery, the five movements contrast from quiet and meditative to triumphant shouts of praise.

Friday 22/3/24 7.30pm

BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff

GARCIA

Zemira Overture

J.S. BACH

Ich habe genug

HAYDN

Symphony No. 26

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Five Mystical Songs –

HARRY BICKET

Conductor

JULIEN VAN

MELLAERTS

Baritone

MUMBLES PIER, THE MUMBLES, GOWER PENINSULA.

MASTERFUL | STATELY | EXQUISITE

CWM BYCHAN NEAR BEDDGELERT, SNOWDONIA NATIONAL PARK. A SMALL MOUNTAIN STREAM FLOWS THROUGH THE ROCKS, HEATHER AND GORSE.

WALES

TADAAKI OTAKA CONDUCTS…

Written at the age of only 18, Mozart’s Symphony No. 29 displays a mastery beyond his years. From skipping octaves, a warmly beating serenade, enchanting Rococo ornamentation and jaunty minuet, the symphony is rich with young Mozartian flair. Left incomplete at the time of his death, Bruckner’s Ninth Symphony stands as a three-movement pillar of all he stood for. Quoting his Miserere from the Mass in D, Adagio from his Eighth Symphony and fragments from the opening of his Seventh, Bruckner’s unfailing dedication to his religion – his motivation and raison d’être – along with his artistic dedication are never far from the surface. Maybe this retrospection was in fact the premonition of his end, his last labour of love.

THURSDAY 11/4/24 7.30PM

St David’s Hall, Cardiff

FRIDAY 12/4/24 7.30PM

Brangwyn Hall, Swansea

MOZART Symphony No. 29

BRUCKNER

Symphony No. 9 (original version)

TADAAKI OTAKA Conductor

THE GREEN BRIDGE OF WALES, PEMBROKESHIRE. SUNRISE AT THE DRAMATIC NATURAL ROCK ARCH AND PILLARS ON THE SOUTHWEST COAST.

PAGE 54 | BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS OF WALES

STARDUST AND SOULS

Featuring two world premieres and a gem of the choral repertoire, we’re delighted to welcome back the inimitable Sofi Jeannin alongside the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales, Dame Evelyn Glennie and Cardiff Singer of the World Audience Prize winner Julieth Lozano Rolong for an evening of musical exploration and discovery.

First a world premiere from Alexander Campkin and his Sounds of Stardust. Dame Evelyn Glennie, percussionist extraordinaire, takes to the stage for the world premiere of Dani Howard’s new percussion concerto, before we celebrate Poulenc’s vocal masterpiece 60 years after his death. Written in response to the death of his close friend, the artist Christian Bérard, the Stabat Mater embraces both light and dark – a true representation of his devout Catholicism, yet witty and effervescent personality.

THURSDAY 18/4/24 7.30PM

BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff

ALEXANDER CAMPKIN

Sounds of Stardust [World Premiere]

DANI HOWARD

New Work [World Premiere]

POULENC

Stabat Mater –

SOFI JEANNIN

Conductor

DAME EVELYN GLENNIE

Percussion

JULIETH LOZANO ROLONG

Soprano

BBC NATIONAL CHORUS OF WALES

ETHEREAL ATMOSPHERIC MYSTERIOUS

AMERICAN EXPLORATIONS

Join us for a celebration of American classical music with our LA-born Principal Conductor, Ryan Bancroft this May! Popular the world over, Barber’s Adagio for Strings is one of the most recognisable pieces in the orchestral repertoire and probably his best known work – used in film and television, and poignant for its performance at Roosevelt’s funeral and following the assassination of JFK, you’re sure to have heard this iconic piece!

Less well-known, but equally dazzling is his violin concerto. Written in the 1930’s where atonality was vying for attention, the traditional melody, rhythm, harmony and orchestration of Barber’s music was met with more than mild enthusiasm. Expansive and at times moody themes dominate, with hints of orientalism, folk and Russian grittiness; syncopation and distinctive counter-rhythms drive an exciting narrative and virtuosity prevails at every turn. To perform the solo role we’re thrilled to welcome the charismatic violinist, Ben Baker. We continue our exploration of the music of Charles Ives with Ryan Bancroft, with his Second Symphony. Infamous for quoting well-known American melodies, this symphony is his first major work which fully explores this borrowing, blended with European influences – a snapshot of the coming together of his childhood and adult life.

EMOTIVE INFLUENTIAL DAZZLING

FRIDAY 3/5/24 7.30PM

The Riverfront, Newport

SATURDAY 4/5/24 7.30PM

BBC Hoddinott Hall

BARBER

Adagio for strings

BARBER

Violin Concerto

IVES Symphony No. 2 –

RYAN BANCROFT Conductor

BEN BAKER

Violin

TRANSPORTER BRIDGE, NEWPORT. SUNSET BEHIND THE HISTORIC BRIDGE BUILT IN 1906 TO CROSS THE RIVER USK.

“I get more out of collaborating with Abel and all his friends than I put in. I find playing with him interesting, invigorating and energising. Join me for a re-charge in May!”

Nick Whiting, Associate Leader

“If I absolutely had to choose one work I would go for Schoenberg’s Verklarte Nacht. If you’re not convinced Schoenberg is for you, you need to hear this work, and hear it live. It’s the ultimate gothic tale of love, loss, grief and transcendence.”

Laura Sinnerton, Viola

CAERFAI BAY, PEMBROKESHIRE, WEST WALES. GORSE BUSHES ON THE PEMBROKESHIRE COAST PATH AS IT PASSES ALONGSIDE THE BAY.

ABEL SELAOCOE AND THE CONCERTO FOR ORCHESTRA

Fusing Western and African music traditions into something spellbindingly unique, the sensational Abel Selaocoe returns to Wales for the first time in his new role as BBC NOW’s Artist-inAssociation, with a performance of his cello concerto – Four Spirits

Caroline Shaw’s The Observatory sees its UK premiere – blending chaos and clarity, foreground and background, the piece is inspired by a trip to the Griffin Observatory near the Hollywood Bowl and explores new ways of looking at the universe, melding old and new in a stream of consciousness that never quite ends where it began.

A pure celebration of music and instrument colours, Bartók’s folkflecked Concerto for Orchestra closes this breath-taking programme, conducted by the illustrious Grammy Award Winning Costa Rican conductor, Giancarlo Guerrero.

COLOURFUL DYNAMIC ENTHRALLING

St David’s Hall, Cardiff

FRIDAY 10/5/24 7.30PM

Brangwyn Hall, Swansea

CAROLINE SHAW

The Observatory [UK Premiere]

ABEL SELAOCOE

Four Spirits

BARTÓK

Concerto for Orchestra –

GIANCARLO GUERRERO

Conductor

ABEL SELAOCOE

Cello

BERNHARD SCHIMPELSBERGER

Percussion

MAEN LLIA STANDING STONE, BRECON BEACONS NATIONAL PARK, POWYS. THE VIBRANT MILKY WAY SHINES BEHIND THE PREHISTORIC MONUMENT.

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC

Celestial, sparkling lights glitter in this evening of ground-breaking music. Fauré’s suite from Pelléas et Mélisande opens in resplendent yet tumultuous style – the first musical setting of Maurice Maeterlinck’s play of the same name, which would inspire other composing greats, including Debussy, Sibelius and Schoenberg. We move to more ethereal heights with the world premiere of Stephen McNeff’s The Celestial Stranger. Then, 150 years since the birth of Schoenberg, we celebrate this radical composer with a performance of a work that changed the course of musical history as we know it – with a revolutionary shift in tonality and the breakdown of the traditional tonal system, Verklärte Nacht threw his name out into the world and forged his way as the creator of dodecaphonic music, more commonly known as serialism. To conduct BBC NOW for the first time we welcome the wonderful Portuguese conductor, Joana Carniero.

REVOLUTIONARY PROFOUND ILLUMINATING

THURSDAY 16/5/24 7.30PM

BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff

FAURÉ

Pelléas et Mélisande suite

STEPHEN MCNEFF

The Celestial Stranger [World Premiere]

SCHOENBERG

Verklärte Nacht (1943 version)

JOANA CARNEIRO Conductor

GAVAN RING

Tenor

CBEEBIES: OCEAN ADVENTURE WITH THE BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA OF WALES

All aboard for a fun-filled CBeebies musical ocean adventure for all the family! Take a deep breath and dive underwater in the concert hall submarine with its musical crew, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. CBeebies friends JoJo & Gran Gran are on board with a Gran Gran plan, and Andy has his safari sub at the ready. Join the crew to search for endangered creatures, find out fascinating facts, and collect sounds and pictures for your very own musical ocean scrapbook. A magical multi-media event featuring CBeebies theme tunes, orchestral treats, live action film and animation with a few surprises along the way.

FAMILY FUN INTERACTIVE

SATURDAY 1/6/24 3PM St David’s Hall, Cardiff

KARIN HENDRICKSON Conductor

THE WALES MILLENNIUM BUILDING, HODDINOTT HALL AND THE PIERHEAD BUILDING, CARDIFF BAY, CARDIFF.

PAGE 64 | BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS OF WALES

SEASON CLOSING CONCERT

Globally renowned cellist Alisa Weilerstein joins BBC NOW in this season closing concert for one of the most highly regarded of all cello concertos. Melodic genius, irrepressible energy and a love of his native folk music radiate as Dvořák looks back at life well lived, full of joy but also of deep loss in his virtuosic cello concerto. Similarly, intuitive musical invention, rich orchestration, and an exploration of the cathedral “as a symbolic doorway into and out of this world” form a platform for floating and contemplative otherworldly atmospheres to unfurl in Higdon’s expertly crafted sonic journey through a sacred space and upward into the heavens –Blue Cathedral

Picture the scene – November 1934, Carnegie Hall and a brand-new symphony is unveiled, receiving rapturous applause and multiple bows for its unassuming composer. That composer was a 35-year old African American man, William Dawson, who had run away from home aged 13 to follow his dream of studying music; and the piece... Negro Folk Symphony. Oozing a sensuousness and directness of melody, Dawson set out to compose music that was “unmistakably not the work of a white man” and found his inspiration from the “negro folk music” he had learned as a small child. This expertly crafted and highly emotionally charged symphony is pure genius, and who better to conduct this exhilarating finale to the season than our Principal Conductor, Ryan Bancroft.

THURSDAY 6/6/24 7.30PM

St David’s Hall, Cardiff

FRIDAY 7/6/24 7.30PM

Brangwyn Hall, Swansea

DVOŘÁK

Cello Concerto

JENNIFER HIGDON

Blue Cathedral

DAWSON

Negro Folk Symphony

RYAN BANCROFT Conductor

ALISA WEILERSTEIN

Cello

INSPIRING ICONIC MULTIFARIOUS

C O LABORATORY: ABEL SELAOCOE

Following the exhilarating night of collaboration with Abel Selaocoe in June 2023, we’re delighted to be exploring Western and African fusions with this ground-breaking artist once again.

Joined by one of South Africa’s most remarkable jazz musicians Nduduzo Makhathini, we explore “storytelling through the vessel of South African culture and ancestral memory that speaks to the fabric of humanity”. From Abel’s virtuoso cello playing, traditional throat singing and incredible vocal flexibility, to Nduduzo’s unrivalled jazz piano and astonishing improvisation, this promises to be a night to remember.

EXHILARATING RESPLENDENT EXTRAORDINARY

SUNDAY 23/6/24 6PM DEPOT, Cardiff

ABEL SELAOCOE Soloist

NDUDUZO MAKHATHINI Soloist

“There is much to look forward to in the new season, but I’m particularly excited about the return of the South African cellist Abel Selaocoe, who will be performing his new Cello Concerto with us in May 2024. He is a phenomenal cellist and musician and just a wonderfully inspiring and uplifting human being. His charisma and energy are off the scale! He brings electrifying and beautiful new sounds to the concert platform, inspired by the traditional music and instruments of Africa. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him and delighted that he is our new Artist-in-Association. Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra is in the second half and it’s a virtuosic work out for all of us – fiendishly difficult, but so beautiful. Well worth the effort!”

Jessica Feaver, Sub-Principal Cello

TABLE MOUNTAIN, SOUTH AFRICA. THE SUN SETS AT THE FLAT-TOPPED MOUNTAIN THAT FORMS A PROMINENT LANDMARK OVERLOOKING CAPE TOWN.

SAVE THE DATE...

FRIDAY 13/10/23

8.30PM

Donald Gordon Theatre, WMC

‘BOTH SIDES NOW’ – CELEBRATING JONI MITCHELL

Featuring Charlotte Church, Gwenno, Eska, Laura Mvula and BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

SUNDAY 19/11/23

3PM

BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff

BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA OF WALES AND NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF WALES SIDE-BY-SIDE CONCERT

LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL FESTIVAL

SATURDAY 13/7/24

7PM

Lichfield Cathedral, Lichfield

Ryan Bancroft conducts Holst’s Egdon Heath, Elgar’s Cello Concerto, with Senja Rummukainen as soloist, and Brahms’ Symphony No. 3.