The award is presented in recognition of Scarfe’s work in breaking down barriers and building a more inclusive musical world.

The University of Exeter is the Orchestra’s home in Devon. In addition to bringing its world-class symphonic performances, the Orchestra is known for giving free Schools’ Concerts in the county and supporting the Exeter Community Family Orchestra.

In February, the BSO and the University renewed their partnership with a four-year agreement, deepening support for creative health and wellbeing opportunities in Devon.

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s (BSO) Chief Executive, Dougie Scarfe OBE, has accepted an award from the University of Exeter in recognition of his commitment to breaking down barriers in classical music, through his leadership of the BSO’s work since 2012.

The BSO exists to bring incredible music into people’s lives. Under Scarfe’s direction, the Orchestra has also become known for driving industry change and is as loved for its community-led events throughout its 10,000-square-mile region in the Southwest of England as for its world-class concert hall performances.

It is renowned for its impactful health and wellbeing programmes and music education work that reaches thousands of people each year.

In recent years, the Orchestra has built a strong reputation for its work to combat rural isolation — with its acclaimed symphonic Digital Concert series providing a lifeline to many, and its BSO On Your Doorstep series of live chamber-scale concerts in smaller spaces. Its award-winning dementia work is much-loved across the Southwest, with hundreds of people experiencing live music in care homes and the community each year.

Audiences in Devon were among the first to witness the horn virtuoso Felix Klieser, when he made his UK concerto debut in November 2021, and, under Scarfe’s leadership, the Orchestra has driven change to create a more inclusive musical world. It launched BSO Resound, the world’s first disabled-led ensemble at the core of a symphony orchestra, in 2018 and continues its mission to make the sector ever more accessible, including through the commissioning of new music.

Scarfe has held senior roles as both administrator, educator and performer in a career spanning over three decades. He was formerly Chorus & Orchestra Director and Concerts Director at Opera North, where he began his career as a professional horn player.

A passionate advocate for culture, Scarfe’s ongoing efforts to improve access and inclusion in classical music has been widely praised — he was recognised with an OBE in 2023 and announced as a Deputy Lieutenant of Dorset later that year.

Professor Lisa Roberts, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter, said:
“Dougie is a passionate and energetic advocate for culture and the role of music in people’s lives. His efforts to improve access and inclusion in classical music, including improving outcomes for disabled musicians and the commissioning of new music, has made a huge difference to people, both in our region and around the country.

“The BSO and the University of Exeter have been working together for many years, and we share a strong partnership which brings much-needed creative opportunity to the South West peninsula.  I am delighted that, earlier this year, we renewed our agreement to be the Orchestra’s home in Devon, ensuring that music and the arts play a central role in the health and wellbeing of our communities.

“Dougie’s dedication to education has also led to many young people experiencing the joy of classical music, and through this he has driven the BSO towards a bright and exciting future.  It is an honour to award him a degree of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa).”

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s Chief Executive, Dougie Scarfe OBE DL, said:
“Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is immensely proud that the University of Exeter has been its Devon home for over half a century. In that time, hundreds of thousands of people of all ages have experienced the life-enhancing power of live symphonic music in the University’s wonderful Great Hall. The BSO and the University of Exeter have a shared vision to make true, telling and long-term impacts in the twenty-first century and it is a privilege for me to accept the Honorary Doctorate of Letters in recognition of the BSO’s work to build a more inclusive musical world.”

The University of Exeter and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra share a vision to create a fairer, socially just and inclusive society. The University and Orchestra announced a four-year extension to their partnership, earlier this year, pledging a deepened commitment to supporting creative opportunities in and around Devon, with particular focus on access and inclusion and health and wellbeing.

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