Founded in 1893 as the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra by Sir Dan Godfrey, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) began as a modest ensemble of wind players. Over time, it expanded into a full symphony orchestra and quickly earning acclaim for its commitment to contemporary British music. The Orchestra adopted its current name in 1954 and has been led by eminent conductors like Rudolf Schwarz, Constantin Silvestri, Paavo Berglund, and Andrew Litton.
Originally based in Bournemouth, the BSO moved to its current home at Lighthouse, Poole in 1979. This venue, with its 1,596-seat concert hall, is the Orchestra’s base, from which it tours to audiences across the South and Southwest of England. With residencies in Bristol, Exeter, Portsmouth, Southampton, and Yeovil, we perform in towns and villages across the region throughout the year.
The Orchestra’s impressive discography includes over 300 recordings, with highlights including seminal recordings of works by Elgar and Mahler to our series of ‘Voices from the East’ recordings, of works from Ukraine and beyond, under the baton of Kirill Karabits OBE.
Today, we are known for championing the role of culture in people’s lives and the Orchestra remains one of the UK’s best-loved ensembles, As the largest cultural provider in the Southwest of England, we serve one of the biggest and most diverse regions in the UK.
