The celebratory chapter sees the BSO announce a four-year extension of its partnership with Chief Conductor, Mark Wigglesworth, which sees him at the helm until 2032.

The Orchestra also announces Lark Music as its first Digital Concert Series Sponsor: the popular live broadcast series reaches thousands more people beyond the concert hall each year.

Audiences welcome Celebrated Composer Thomas Adès and Artist-in-Residence Boris Giltburg, among the glittering line-up to visit the South West this year.

 

 

The BSO’s upcoming Road to Joy season promises a deep dive into one of music’s most iconic and intriguing disruptors: Ludwig van Beethoven. The landmark series comes as the Orchestra deepens its partnership with Chief Conductor Mark Wigglesworth and enters a new chapter with Lark Music.

 

The launch of Road to Joy embodies the BSO’s artistic relationship with its Chief Conductor, Mark Wigglesworth; the forthcoming series heralding both insightful symphonic performances and thought-provoking discussion-led events across the coming two years.

Appointed to the role in 2024, Mark Wigglesworth was formerly the Orchestra’s Principal Guest Conductor (2021-2024). One of the world’s leading conductors, he is recognised for his outstanding musicianship, extraordinary interpretations, and breadth of repertoire.

Among highlights as Chief Conductor, Mark Wigglesworth has introduced the BSO’s Celebrated Composer strand, showcasing music written by living British composers. In 2025/26, the BSO featured performances of Dani Howard’s music and this season it welcomes Thomas Adès.

The BSO will also celebrate music from an earlier time, as the world marks the bicentenary of Beethoven’s death in 2027.

At its core, the Road to Joy series includes Beethoven’s nine symphonies and introduces three immersive weekends, Beethoven Now, exploring the composer’s universal relevance to who we are today. The first Beethoven Now weekend [31 Oct-1 Nov] features guest speakers: musician Dame Evelyn Glennie; broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby; author John Suchet; and actor Samuel West.

This week, Mark Wigglesworth launches the series with an opening performance partnering Beethoven’s First Symphony with The Ring: An Orchestral Adventure – Henk de Vlieger’s orchestral arrangement of Wagner’s defining work – at Lighthouse, Poole [Wed 30 Sept] and Bristol Beacon [Thurs 1 Oct]. The Poole concert is available to watch live and on demand for 30 days.

 

The new season also sees a deepening of the BSO’s relationship with longstanding partner Lark Music, as the leading musical instrument insurance specialist becomes Digital Concert Series Sponsor. 

Lark Music has supported the BSO over a number of years on key initiatives including its BSO Young Associates programme, Symphony from Scratch and the BSO Music-Making Competition. This year, by sponsoring the Digital Concert series, Lark Music is helping the BSO support musicians and music lovers, who are unable to attend a concert hall, to experience live orchestral music from their own homes. Last season, the BSO’s Digital Concert series reached an estimated online audience of 32,000.

 

 

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s Chief Conductor, Mark Wigglesworth, said:

“I have total respect and admiration for the musicians and management of the BSO. To be able to continue to develop the work we are doing together is enormously exciting and it is a real privilege to be able to share our music-making with our curious, supportive, and passionate audiences across the whole of the South West of England.”

 

Lark Music Insurance’s Partnership Account Executive, Brian Hillstead, said:

“At Lark Music, we believe music should be accessible to everyone, wherever they are. We’ve long admired how Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s Digital Concerts enable more people to experience world-class performances beyond the concert hall. As a longstanding partner, we’re proud to become the first sponsor of the Digital Concert Series and help more people engage with live music.”

 

Dougie Scarfe OBE DL, the BSO’s Chief Executive, said:

“We are deeply proud of what has been achieved at the BSO over the past two years with our extraordinary Chief Conductor, Mark Wigglesworth – and, as we enter a new season, we’re thrilled to celebrate our ongoing commitment to taking the very best live music to audiences and communities across the South West.

“Last year, an estimated 32,000 people viewed our symphonic Digital Concerts around the world, and we know that many of those people would not otherwise be able to attend a concert hall. At the heart of the BSO is a commitment to ensuring everyone can access our music, so we are equally excited to have entered a new partnership with our colleagues at Lark Music, as Digital Concert Series Sponsor as we begin our ‘Road to Joy’.”

 

 

Based at Lighthouse, Poole, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is resident in Bristol, Exeter, Portsmouth, Southampton and Yeovil, and performs in towns and villages across the region. A registered charity, it is the largest performing organisation in the South West of England, serving one of the biggest and most diverse regions in the UK.

 

The BSO launches its 2026/27 season – and Road to Joy series – at Lighthouse, Poole [Wed 30th Sept] and Bristol Beacon [Thurs 1 Oct]. The Poole performance is also available to watch live and on demand at bsolive.com

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