BSO Chief Conductor Mark Wigglesworth ©Sim Canetty-Clarke
- Mark Wigglesworth is set to make anticipated debut performances as the BSO’s Chief Conductor this November, at Lighthouse, Poole and Bristol Beacon.
- He is joined by Nicholas McCarthy in Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand. The programme also features Walton’s First Symphony and Wagner’s Die Meistersinger Prelude.
- Wigglesworth was announced as the Orchestra’s incoming Chief Conductor earlier this year alongside Chloé van Soeterstède, who became Principal Guest Conductor. Together, they share a Brahms cycle this season.
Music lovers in the South West are preparing to welcome Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s new Chief Conductor, Mark Wigglesworth, who makes debut appearances in the role this November.
Wigglesworth’s opening performances take place at the Orchestra’s home, at Lighthouse, Poole [20 Nov], and Bristol Beacon [21 Nov], where it is Orchestra in Residence. The Poole performance will also be available to watch live and for 30 days as a Digital Concert.
The opening programme features Wagner’s majestic Prelude to Die Meistersinger and Walton’s First Symphony, a work that erupted onto the scene in 1935 and has remained popular ever since.
Mark Wigglesworth, the BSO’s Chief Conductor, said: “It will be lovely to actually start making music on a regular basis with the musicians that I admire so much. We have planned wonderful concerts together and I am looking forward to turning these plans into reality. Hopefully the music will create many unforgettable experiences for all who come to listen.”
Dougie Scarfe OBE, the BSO’s Chief Executive, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming Mark into his new role as Chief Conductor in these opening performances this November. He’s built a fantastic rapport with the BSO’s musicians, audiences and staff over the last three years, since becoming Principal Guest Conductor, and we are thrilled to now embark on the next chapter together.”
Wigglesworth returns in early December – alongside pianist Boris Giltburg – with Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s orchestral suite from The Nutcracker (Act 2). Performances take place at Lighthouse, Poole [4 Dec] and Portsmouth Guildhall [5 Dec].
Further highlights this season include collaborations with violinists Alena Baeva (the BSO’s 2024/25 Artist-in-Residence) and Clara-Jumi Kang. Wigglesworth returns with Sir Stephen Hough, who performs his own piano concerto, The World of Yesterday, in February.
Mark Wigglesworth makes his debut as the BSO’s Chief Conductor – at Lighthouse, Poole [20 Nov] and Bristol Beacon [21 Nov] – alongside pianist Nicholas McCarthy. For full details see bsolive.com
Wed 20 Nov 2024 (Poole, Lighthouse)
Thurs 21 Nov 2024 (Bristol Beacon)
Mark Wigglesworth conductor
Nicholas McCarthy piano
Wagner – Die Meistersinger Prelude
Ravel – Piano Concerto for Left Hand
Walton – Symphony No.1
Wed 4 Dec 2024 (Poole, Lighthouse)
Thu 5 Dec (Portsmouth, Guildhall)
Mark Wigglesworth conductor
Boris Giltburg piano
Rachmaninov – Piano Concerto No.3
Tchaikovsky – Nutcracker, Act II
Wed 22 Jan 2025 (Poole, Lighthouse)
Thu 23 Jan (Portsmouth, Guildhall)
Sat 25 Jan (Basingstoke, The Anvil)
Mark Wigglesworth conductor
Alena Baeva violin (Artist-in-Residence)
J Strauss – On the Blue Danube
Berg – Violin Concerto
Brahms – Symphony No.2
Wed 26 Feb 2025 (Poole, Lighthouse)
Thurs 27 Feb 2025 (Bristol Beacon)
Mark Wigglesworth conductor
Sir Stephen Hough piano
Brahms – Symphony No.3
Stephen Hough – Piano Concerto ‘The World of Yesterday’
Elgar – Enigma Variations
Wed 7 May 2025 (Poole, Lighthouse)
Thu 8 May (Portsmouth, Guildhall)
Mark Wigglesworth conductor
Clara-Jumi Kang violin
Wagner – Prelude to Lohengrin
Britten – Violin Concerto
Brahms – Symphony No.4