BBC Concert Orchestra launches partnership with Universities of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent
Florence Lockheart
Wednesday, June 28, 2023
The orchestra will continue to be London-based while rehearsing and performing across the UK
The BBC Concert Orchestra has announced a partnership with both the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University. As well as impacting schools and the local community, the partnership will give students of both universities opportunities to experience the orchestra’s performance, gain broadcasting and production skills and boost their research and development work.
The BBC Concert Orchestra will continue to be London-based and the new partnership will not affect plans for the orchestra’s administrative base to move to East Bank in 2025. The BBC Concert Orchestra will also continue to rehearse and perform in venues across the UK. In a press release published yesterday, the BBC said: ‘This approach helps us to secure a creatively and financially sustainable future for the ensemble.’
The BBC’s head of orchestras and choirs, Simon Webb, said: ‘What we have planned for this partnership is ambitious and incredibly exciting and demonstrates the vital role of music in education. I look forward to working with the teams in Nottingham and sharing our world class music making with students and local communities.’
The partnership will build on the orchestra’s presence in Nottingham, launching with a two-week residency. The partnership will also include a year-long film-making and scoring project with students from both universities as well as improvisation workshops. Students in Djanogly and University Halls will collaborate with the orchestra on a new Recital Series for BBC Radio 3 which will also include performances from BBC New Generation Artists.
Amy Bere, Director of Culture at Nottingham Trent University added: ‘Our students will benefit from new courses and access to one of the UK’s most highly rated broadcast orchestras. There will also be research and development opportunities and the chance to enhance our facilities. We will be able to not only reach large audiences across the UK, but bring music to local communities where it doesn’t currently play a large role, to demonstrate how it can improve quality of life, health and wellbeing.’
