BBC National Orchestra of Wales announced today (Tuesday 8 May) the details of their 2012-13 season at St David’s Hall, Cardiff – the first where the Orchestra will be led by new Principal Conductor Thomas Søndergård.
From September 2012 to June 2013, the Orchestra will give 11 evening concerts at St David’s Hall, the National Concert Hall of Wales. The repertoire chosen shows the full range of music performed by the Orchestra.
In his introduction to the season, Thomas Søndergård explained: “I feel so honoured to be joining the BBC National Orchestra of Wales for my first season. I can’t wait to deepen my relationship with the Orchestra and deliver world-class performances to our Cardiff audiences.
“I’m thrilled with the range of concerts next season – there really is something for everyone, and I’m so looking forward to getting down to work with the Orchestra on my programmes.”
For the first time, the Orchestra will give a Taster Concert on Friday 21 September, at 7.30pm, introducing music by composers who will feature throughout the rest of the season. This taster concert, conducted by Grant Llewellyn, will feature short pieces by Sibelius, Mahler, Britten, Brahms, Rachmaninov and Verdi.
Highlights of the rest of the season include:
- Principal Conductor Thomas Søndergård’s first concert of the season, featuring music of his native Scandinavia – including works by Magnus Lindberg, Grieg, and a performance of Sibelius’s powerful Symphony No 5 (Friday 12 October 2012)
- A performance of the festive classic Handel’s Messiah, conducted by François-Xavier Roth, with the BBC National Chorus of Wales and four soloists (Friday 14 December 2012)
- David Atherton conducting Benjamin Britten’s Spring Symphony – marking the centenary year of the composer’s birth (Friday 25 January 2013)
- Shostakovich’s Symphony No 5 – a defiant statement against the totalitarian rule of Soviet Russia – conducted by Conductor Laureate Tadaaki Otaka (Friday 8 February 2013)
- A St David’s Day gala concert, with a performance of Verdi’s Requiem sung by the combined forces of the BBC National Chorus of Wales and the National Youth Choir of Wales (Friday 1 March 2013)
- An appearance by the acclaimed Welsh pianist Llŷr Williams, who will perform Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 3 with Thomas Søndergård conducting (Friday 12 April 2013)
- An evening of light music for all the family, conducted by Grant Llewellyn (Friday 10 May 2013)
- Performances from some of the world’s best sopranos, including Elizabeth Atherton (2 November 2012 and 20 January 2013), Susan Gritton (14 December 2012), Rebecca Evans (1 March 2013) and Rosemary Joshua (24 May 2013)
- Thomas Søndergård conducting the last concert of the season – including Mahler’s triumphant Symphony No 5, alongside the first performance outside London of a new violin concerto by Huw Watkins, performed by Alina Ibragimova (Friday 28 June 2013)
BBC National Orchestra of Wales is the Orchestra-in-Residence at St David’s Hall. Many of the concerts performed at St David’s Hall will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3, as part of the station’s Live in Concert series.
Subscription packages of 4 or more concerts can be booked from today (Tuesday 8 May) direct through the Orchestra’s Audience Line, by calling 0800 052 1812. Subscribers can save up to 20% on the standard ticket price by booking in advance through the Audience Line.
From Tuesday 29 May, single tickets for concerts will be on general sale to the public through the Orchestra’s Audience Line, and through the St David’s Hall box office on 02920 878444, or by visiting www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk.
Full details of all the Orchestra’s concerts can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/now.
