BOURNEMOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2026/27 One of the UK’s best-loved orchestras, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is known for championing the role of culture in people’s lives. Based at Lighthouse, Poole, the 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. Mark Wigglesworth became the Orchestra’s Chief Conductor in 2024, and his opening seasons have magnified the BSO’s reputation for the highest quality music-making. The Orchestra boasts an enviable list of named conductors, including Principal Guest Conductor Chloé Van Soeterstède alongside Marin Alsop, David Hill MBE, Kirill Karabits, Andrew Litton and new Calleva Assistant Conductor, Michal Oren. In 2026/27, the BSO welcomes Thomas Adès as its Celebrated Composer in a series that shines a spotlight on new British music. The Orchestra shares eight performances, including one that Adès conducts – and local pupils will interact with his music through further events. The Orchestra’s two-year Beethoven celebration: Road to Joy runs from October 2026. Alongside symphonic performances, the series provides three immersive Beethoven Now weekends, delving deeper into the enduring legacy of the composer’s music and humanity. The BSO welcomes pianist Boris Giltburg as Artist-in-Residence, with five performances across the season. Further highlights include debut performances from conductor Charlotte Corderoy, pianists Junyan Chen, Eva Gevorgyan, Isata Kanneh-Mason, and violinist Johan Delane. The BSO’s celebrated Digital Concert series continues into its seventh year, with 18 live performances broadcast globally from Poole – this year, supported by Digital Concert Sponsor, Lark Music. Celebrated for its pioneering community-based BSO Participate work, the Orchestra brings music into people’s lives beyond the concert hall thanks to a network of partnerships spanning health, care and music education; with a unique team of dynamic BSO Associate and Young Associate Musicians living in the heart of communities across the South West, it delivered more than 58,000 experiences last year. Its creative health programme continues to expand, with regular sessions at Dorset County Hospital, Dorset HealthCare sites, and Southampton Hospitals Charity. Several Community and Wellbeing Orchestras support a range of needs across the region from Bodmin, Boscombe and Bristol to Chard, Exeter, Newquay and Wincanton. Following international attention for igniting change, BSO Resound, the world’s first professional disabled-led ensemble at the core of a major orchestra, continues to challenge perceptions. The group joins conductors Tom Fetherstonhaugh and Enyi Okpara in 2026/27. For more details about Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra visit bsolive.com © Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra September 2026