Anna Clyne becomes BBC Philharmonic composer in association

The BBC Philharmonic has announced the appointment of Anna Clyne to the role of composer in association. Effective from next month, Clyne will hold the role until 2026, composing three new scores for the orchestra starting with Glasslands, which will have its UK premiere at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall on 5 October and will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.

In her new role Clyne Anna joins a legacy of composers associated with the BBC Philharmonic including Sir James MacMillan, Sir Peter Maxwell Davis and Tom Coult. Her appointment builds on her existing relationship with the orchestra, which saw the orchestra present the UK premiere of her work, This Midnight Hour, at The Bridgewater Hall in 2020, as well as work with students from the Royal Northern College of Music on Anna Clyne in Focus earlier this year.

Clyne said: ‘I am very excited to take up my new role with the BBC Philharmonic. They are a unique and very special ensemble, committed to the community they serve in Manchester and inspired in their choice of repertoire. It has already been a fantastic experience collaborating with them and Jess Gillam on Glasslands and I look forward to creating the next piece with them.’

Glasslands is inspired by the figure of the banshee from Irish folklore, who heralds the death of a family member with her shriek, and will be performed by the BBC Philharmonic led by Mark Wigglesworth with saxophonist Jess Gillam, for whom the work was also written.

Simon Webb, head of the BBC’s orchestras and choirs said: ‘The appointment of Anna as the Philharmonic’s Composer in Association continues [our] relationship and makes a clear statement that the BBC Philharmonic proudly champions the best British music on the international stage, connecting to audiences with newly commissioned works in the concert hall, through our education work, on air and online.’