The Orchestra celebrates Mark Wigglesworth’s second year at the helm with music to ignite the senses and a series of community-based programmes to engage all ages. Principal Guest Conductor Chloé Van Soeterstède, Associate Guest Conductor David Hill MBE and Calleva Assistant Conductor Enyi Okpara also return to venues throughout the South West.
Mark Wigglesworth conducts 22 programmes across the year, uniting with audiences in Basingstoke, Bristol, Exeter, Fareham, Poole, Sherborne and Taunton. He opens the season in Poole [1 Oct] Bristol [2 Oct] and Basingstoke [3 Oct] with a programme including Shostakovich’s Symphony No.10 and Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.1, before conducting Schubert’s Symphony in B minor ‘Unfinished’ and Zemlimsky’s Lyric Symphony alongside Artist-in-Residence Roderick Williams and soprano Claudia Boyle in Poole [8 Oct] and Exeter [9 Oct]. Mark said, “I am thrilled by the enormous breadth of music we will be playing for the vast number of people who choose to share in the experiences the BSO offers.”
The Orchestra welcomes Dani Howard as its first ‘Celebrated Composer’, a new series in which the BSO shines a light on the music of living British composers: in 2025/26, the Orchestra will give 15 performances of Dani’s music. Her piece The Butterfly Effect opens the season in Poole (1 Oct), Bristol (2 Oct) and Basingstoke (3 Oct) and her work will also feature across the main season, as well as in BSO’s Participate work. Saxophonist Jess Gillam joins Dani for the UK premiere of her Saxophone Concerto. Dani said, “It’s a privilege to become the BSO’s first celebrated composer, and I’m thrilled that audiences in the South West will experience my music under the baton of Mark Wigglesworth”.
Legendary baritone Roderick Williams becomes the Orchestra’s new Artist-in-Residence and performs the solo part in Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony for the first time (8 & 9 Oct). Later in the season he also performs ‘An English Winterreise’ inspired by Schubert’s masterpiece. Williams is also due to work with the BSO’s Participate team across the season and the Orchestra’s symphonic schools’ concerts take inspiration from his residency. Roderick said, “I’m really looking forward to my forthcoming residency with the BSO this year, both working with the Orchestra in the concert hall and also taking part in the essential work they do elsewhere.”
We’re delighted that Principal Guest Conductor Chloé Van Soeterstède continues with three programmes including Korngold’s Violin Concerto with soloist Ning Feng, while Associate Guest Conductor David Hill returns with two programmes across the year and Calleva Assistant Conductor Enyi Okpara continues into his second year in the position. Some exciting guest artist appearances also include organist Anna Lapwood, Sir Stephen Hough and Jennifer Johnston, to name but a few!
Among the hundreds of BSO Participate events that take place each year, we’ll extend support for 7 regular Community and Wellbeing Orchestras in Bodmin, Boscombe, Bristol, Chard, Exeter, Southampton and Wincanton, following successful pilots in recent seasons – and, our music-making with Arts in Hospital at Dorset County Hospital extends to Dorset HealthCare sites across the county.
To find out more about what’s coming up in the new season, including details of the BSO’s Participate work see our full press release here.