The BBC Concert Orchestra becomes the first Associate Orchestra at Alexandra Palace
The BBC Concert Orchestra has become the first ever Associate Orchestra at Alexandra Palace, paying homage to the ongoing collaboration between the orchestra and the iconic venue. The partnership also honours the heritage of BBC broadcasting at the Palace, which began with the first public television transmission in 1936.
Alexandra Palace will host London events for BBC Radio 3's Friday Night is Music Night, the long-running live radio concert programme where the BBC Concert Orchestra explores repertoire ranging from the golden age of light music to the best in film, TV and theatre. Upcoming Friday Night is Music Night events at Alexandra Palace include Paris in the Jazz Age with violinist and conductor Fiona Monbet and clarinettist Giacomo Smith on 30 May, and a concert celebrating the life and career of Dame Julie Andrews on 12 September with singers Katie Birtill, Kelly Mathieson and Graham Bickley.
In addition to performances in the Palace's award-winning Theatre and opportunities to rehearse in the venue, the partnership will expand access to orchestral music, as the BBC CO continues to work with both new and established artists. Over time, the BBC CO will provide education opportunities for local communities through Alexandra Palace's Creative Learning programme.
Matthew Swann, Director of the BBC Concert Orchestra said: 'It's an absolute honour to be the first ever Associate Orchestra at Alexandra Palace and to continue the longstanding relationship the BBC has with the venue. As the regular London host of Friday Night is Music Night, I look forward to welcoming audiences at Ally Pally and continuing to bring the very best orchestral music to audiences however they choose to join us, whether in the theatre or listening on BBC Radio 3. We will continue to take classical programming to venues across the UK and maintain performances at London's Southbank Centre with Unclassified Live, including at the Multitude Festival.'
Emma Dagnes OBE, Alexandra Palace CEO: 'We're thrilled that the BBC Concert Orchestra is the first Associate Orchestra in our 150 years. Their continued excellence in bringing performances to music lovers all over the world makes them an ideal partner for this moment of Ally Pally history. The Palace is bursting with live entertainment, with hundreds of renowned artists performing on our stages each year, but the regular presence of the Orchestra is something new, and will unlock exciting creative opportunities. The partnership is the realisation of a long-term ambition – part of our goal to bring great entertainment and culture to all – and continues the ground-breaking relationship between ourselves and the BBC. We can't wait to welcome the Orchestra and all their team to the Palace.'
This new partnership with Alexandra Palace will be in tandem with the orchestra's current Southbank Centre and the Royal Albert Hall partnerships, where they continue to perform in high profile concerts and experimental works.
The BBC CO will also continue to work with its university partners in Nottingham, and a growing cohort of wider partnership organisations.
FE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Dave Myers' widow warned star not to fall in love despite his 'generous heart'
Dave Myers, who with Si King was part of the Hairy Bikers, married Liliana Orzac in 2011 after the pair met in Romania when he was filming the famous series for the BBC Hairy Biker Dave Myers had "such a generous heart" and "so much love to give," his grieving widow has said. Liliana admitted she was "helpless" to fall in love with the TV chef after she met him when he was filming The Hairy Bikers ' Cookbook in Romania. However, she said she fought to "warned him (Dave) not to fall in love" with her because she felt they "were from different worlds". She was a single mum with two children, working long hours at a modest hotel in Maramures, Romania while Dave, then 47, was a popular face on TV, whose programme was about to attract millions of viewers. Yet, the chemistry was there and, within two years, Liliana moved to the UK to live with Dave. "I understood that he was a truly special person, full of warmth, wisdom and spark. I knew we were developing strong feelings for each other, but I warned him not to fall in love with me. There were too many obstacles stacked against us. We were from different worlds and I was a single mother with two children to think of: my son Sergiu, 16, and my daughter Iza, ten," Liliana said. Yet, the couple tied the knot in 2011 in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, in front of 150 guests. Marriage bliss was rocked, though, in 2022 when Dave was diagnosed with cancer. The popular TV presenter died in February 2024 with Si by his side. Liliana added: "We'd hold hands and cry, sometimes unable to move or talk, just despairing at the unfairness of it all. I knew so well the depth of Dave's pain: the desperation, the helplessness, the anger. "Desperation for the loss of the peace and safety we'd both worked so hard for and would never get back. Helplessness in the face of this invisible enemy we'd been told was going to conquer us, no matter what we did or tried. "Anger at the injustice of having his life cut short and for being dragged through all this pain, the hospital appointments and the invasive treatments, knowing there was no way out." The mum has a new book out, called Adapted from Dave And Me, in which the widow shares her journey from meeting Dave to his tragic demise. In it, she recalls how Dave fancied her in Romania - but she didn't realise. In her interview with the Daily Mail, Liliana said: "I kept my guard up and treated what we had as a friendship, but Dave exuded so much charm and happiness that I gradually realised how much had been lacking in my life. I'd never known anyone with so much vivacity, so much love to give and such a generous heart. "It was impossible not to like Dave Myers. And, so it turned out for me, impossible not to fall in love with him, either. Despite my warnings, both of us were helpless to it. So in 2007, I moved to the UK with my daughter. My son stayed behind to finish his exams and came a year later."
Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Leader Live
Idris Elba unveils Mobo paving stone at college where he ‘got to dream bigger'
On Friday, Elba, 52, who hails from Hackney, and is most known for his acting roles in BBC drama Luther and US crime series The Wire, returned to Barking and Dagenham College, which he attended as a young person. His stone forms part of the Paving The Way award, issued by the Mobo organisation, which supports talent in music, film and TV and holds an annual awards ceremony celebrating excellence in black music and culture. The award celebrates cultural pioneers who have made a lasting impact in the arts, with Olympian Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and comedian Sir Lenny Henry among the recipients. The award winners are asked to choose a location for the stone that holds a deep personal meaning, with Elba choosing the college where he studied performing arts. The event, which included a Q&A with the students, took place inside the college's Idris Elba Studio — a professional film and TV facility named in his honour. Asked by a student if he had ever imagined how successful he would become, Elba said: 'I mean, yes, I think to be here in the first place, you're already imagining what the future can be. 'And so I was always thinking about what success might look like. 'I didn't know how to get there, but I could see it. I could see it on the silver screen. I could see it in my idols, Eddie Murphy, I saw it everywhere. 'But the truth is, what kept me grounded, what kept me focused (as a student) is being in a facility where I get to fall down, get up, fall down, as many times as I want, and I literally found this place, we all did, as a haven, a safe space to actually, not only imagine yourself being a movie star, but try it and fail, and try it, and fail. 'The thing about dreaming is that it happens on a 24-hour cycle. 'So every day I got to come back here, I got to dream bigger. I got to, definitely learn and sharpen how I was going to get there, and that's really important.' Elba unveiled the stone alongside Mobo Awards founder and chief executive Kanya King. It reads: 'Mobo. Paving the way for the next generation. Idris Elba. 'Don't get labelled, labels are for cans'.' Alongside his acting career the film and TV star performs as a DJ and has campaigned against knife crime.
South Wales Guardian
2 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Idris Elba unveils Mobo paving stone at college where he ‘got to dream bigger'
On Friday, Elba, 52, who hails from Hackney, and is most known for his acting roles in BBC drama Luther and US crime series The Wire, returned to Barking and Dagenham College, which he attended as a young person. His stone forms part of the Paving The Way award, issued by the Mobo organisation, which supports talent in music, film and TV and holds an annual awards ceremony celebrating excellence in black music and culture. The award celebrates cultural pioneers who have made a lasting impact in the arts, with Olympian Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and comedian Sir Lenny Henry among the recipients. The award winners are asked to choose a location for the stone that holds a deep personal meaning, with Elba choosing the college where he studied performing arts. The event, which included a Q&A with the students, took place inside the college's Idris Elba Studio — a professional film and TV facility named in his honour. Asked by a student if he had ever imagined how successful he would become, Elba said: 'I mean, yes, I think to be here in the first place, you're already imagining what the future can be. 'And so I was always thinking about what success might look like. 'I didn't know how to get there, but I could see it. I could see it on the silver screen. I could see it in my idols, Eddie Murphy, I saw it everywhere. 'But the truth is, what kept me grounded, what kept me focused (as a student) is being in a facility where I get to fall down, get up, fall down, as many times as I want, and I literally found this place, we all did, as a haven, a safe space to actually, not only imagine yourself being a movie star, but try it and fail, and try it, and fail. 'The thing about dreaming is that it happens on a 24-hour cycle. 'So every day I got to come back here, I got to dream bigger. I got to, definitely learn and sharpen how I was going to get there, and that's really important.' Elba unveiled the stone alongside Mobo Awards founder and chief executive Kanya King. It reads: 'Mobo. Paving the way for the next generation. Idris Elba. 'Don't get labelled, labels are for cans'.' Alongside his acting career the film and TV star performs as a DJ and has campaigned against knife crime.
