The BBC Philharmonic recently announced the appointment of John Storgårds as its new Chief Conductor, and this spring sees him direct his first three Manchester concerts in the role at The Bridgewater Hall.
Hailing from Finland, John already has a long-standing and warm relationship with the orchestra and the city of Manchester.
With the BBC Philharmonic, John joined as Principal Guest Conductor in 2012 and held the position of Chief Guest Conductor between 2017 and 2022. His achievements include annual performances at the BBC Proms, an acclaimed Sibelius symphony cycle in 2013 and numerous well-reviewed recordings for Chandos Records.
Thriving on the “enthusiasm and special energy” of Manchester’s concert audiences, John’s tenure promises to be a thing of beauty littered with incredible performances and standing ovations.
Based in Salford, the BBC Philharmonic typically performs around 100 concerts every year, regularly premiering new music by contemporary composers. Along with concerts, recordings and broadcasts on all seven BBC national radio networks, the orchestra also explores ways of making classical music accessible to the widest audiences.
BBC Philharmonic
Saturday 25 March, 2023
7.30pm
The Bridgewater Hall
Manchester
Tickets £12.50 to £26.50 inc. booking fee
Guess who’s back! Following his resounding success at the BBC Proms in the summer of 2022, Chief Conductor John Storgårds makes his hotly-anticipated return to an iconic Manchester venue, The Bridgewater Hall with the BBC Philharmonic and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 15; the surreal final symphony by a legendary composer, complete with its playful quotations and curious allusions, that intentionally asks more questions than it definitively answers.
Before John takes to the stage, the audience is in for a real treat as one of the most sought after and versatile classical artists of the moment, German-French cellist Nicolas Alstaedt, guides us on the happiest of musical journeys with Tchaikovsky’s simply joyous Rococo Variations; a much-loved piece full of subtle homages to the trailblazing genius, Mozart.
Playing the hugely important part of the prelude to the whole programme is Sergei Rachmaninov’s The Isle of the Dead, a symphonic poem brimming with colour. In the colour lies the intrigue, as Rachmaninov had only ever seen a black and white reproduction of the painting which it is based upon. Witness it to appreciate it.
BBC Philharmonic
Saturday 22 April, 2023
7.30pm
The Bridgewater Hall
Manchester
Tickets £12.50 to £26.50 inc. booking fee
In his second concert of the spring season with the BBC Philharmonic at The Bridgewater hall, Finnish Chief Conductor John Storgårds touches upon his homeland’s heritage as he delves deep into the great legends mapped out in Sibelius’ mythological Lemminkäinen Suite (AKA: the Four Legends or Four Legends from the Kalevala), inspired by the nineteenth century epic Kalevala.
This four-movement symphonic poem is one of the very few works that can really boast of sculpting Finland’s national identity as much as Sibelius himself, and is truly enthralling from note one.
Next up, one of the world’s finest pianists, and the only American to have won first prize in the International Chopin Piano Competition, Garrick Ohlsson leads audiences into a fiendishly daunting fifth legend. Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3 is not for the faint of heart, and is known for being a path that only the bravest of players dare to tread.
When delivered to perfection, this concerto is an undeniable display of Late Romantic melody and colour, and believe us when we tell you: Garrick delivers.
BBC Philharmonic
Thursday 18 May, 2023
7.30pm
The Bridgewater Hall
Manchester
Tickets £12.50 to £26.50 inc. booking fee
In John Storgårds’ third spring concert with the BBC Philharmonic at The Bridgewater Hall, the orchestra’s Chief Conductor guides us through an evening of profound emotional contemplation, as atmospheric dulcet tones fill Manchester’s iconic venue.
Pärt’s De Profundis, his take on one of the most famous and most frequently composed psalms of all time, opens the concert perfectly. This beautiful, minimalist, and moving piece has inspired many great composers throughout history, and from this performance it is easy to see why.
Following that is Sibelius’ Violin Concerto, performed by one of the most exciting classical artists in the world, Jennifer Pike. This is the legendary Finnish composer’s only true concerto, and is inspired by sweeping landscapes and the tranquility of nature. Its melodies effortlessly captivate as they evolve into dashing virtuosity and cement its status as one of the finest pieces in history.
The night will end with a work of astonishing daring and protest by one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century: Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 13. This exceptional piece is a grave plea against antisemitism wrapped within some of the composer’s most powerful music.
