Anja Bihlmaier has been appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, starting September 2024. Anja will work closely with Adam Szabo, Director of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, to plan and deliver an ambitious programme of concerts, collaborative projects, recordings, and broadcasts for audiences in and around Manchester as well as on BBC Radio 3.
On Thursday 8 August, Anja conducts the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra at the BBC Proms in Prom 26: Beethoven, Brahms and Sarah Gibson, featuring violinist Tobias Feldmann in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major.
Anja Bihlmaier said: “I am thrilled to join the BBC Philharmonic team as Principal Guest Conductor, alongside such a respected colleague as John Storgårds. From our first concert at Bridgewater Hall, playing Shostakovich and Dvorak, I felt a special bond and mutual trust with the musicians. I love their dedication, their virtuosity and willingness to experiment, their sense of humour and most importantly their great passion for the music, and how they bring it to life for their audience. Our Proms concert last year and Bruckner 7 in Manchester were unforgettable highlights. I look forward to continuing our journey, hoping to achieve something special in the vibrant city of Manchester and at the BBC Proms.”
Adam Szabo, Director, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra said: “We’re thrilled that Anja Bihlmaier is joining the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra as our Principal Guest Conductor. She’s a rare talent – courageous and daring, meticulous, and brilliantly connected to the musical drama of every work she tackles. Our players have loved working with her and getting to know her, and we can’t wait to see where this next chapter takes us.”
Anja Bihlmaier’s musical intuition, charisma, and precision make her one of the leading conductors of her generation. She has been Chief Conductor of the Residentie Orkest since August 2021, and following her BBC Proms debut in 2023, she returns in 2024 with the BBC Philharmonic on Thursday 8 August, as well as with Glyndebourne’s production of Carmen on Thursday 29 August.
In 24/25 she conducts the Munich Philharmonic, NDR Elbphilharmonie Bergen Philharmonic, Swedish Radio Symphony, Seattle and Toronto symphonies, and Spanish National Orchestra. Notable debuts in the past season have included: London Philharmonic, Wiener Symphoniker, National Symphony Orchestra Washington, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Mahler Chamber, Sydney and Melbourne Symphony orchestras and at the Salzburg Mozartwoche.
Alongside Prom 26: Beethoven, Brahms and Sarah Gibson, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Prom 25: Storgårds conducts Tchaikovsky’s Fourth on the 7 August, a performance of Gustav Holst’s The Planets at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester on the 21 September, as well as Stravinsky, Saint-Saëns and Ravel at Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham on the 1 October.
About the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
One of the most celebrated radio orchestras in the world, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra’s distinctive energy, lightning speed, and iconic musical character has inspired audiences for over 100 years. Founded in 1922 as the 2ZY Orchestra the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra has played an essential part in shaping the Greater Manchester region into an unmissable cultural destination and a hub for world-class talent in orchestral music.
The orchestra presents a flagship series at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall as well as live concerts recorded in venues across the country, at the BBC Proms, and on tour. Whether in the concert hall, on air, on television, or streamed on BBC Sounds and iPlayer, the orchestra’s work is enjoyed by millions of listeners every year.
The orchestra’s Chief Conductor is John Storgårds, who has built a close relationship with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra over many years. Anna Clyne, one of the most celebrated living composers in the world, is its Composer in Association.
Artistic innovation has been a keen focus and recent UK and world premieres include music by Anna Appleby, Gerald Barry, Erland Cooper, Tom Coult, Sebastian Fagerlund, Emily Howard, Robert Laidlow, James Lee III, Grace-Evangeline Mason, David Matthews, Outi Tarkiainen and Anna Thorvaldsdottir.
Engagement work for children and young people continues to be a vital part of the orchestra’s work. At the end of 2023 the orchestra released Musical Storyland, a 10-part television series featuring the musicians of the orchestra, which brings famous stories from around the world to life using the power of music. This was the first time an orchestra has been commissioned to make a series of films for UK network television. To date, Musical Storyland has been streamed over five million times.
Through all its activities, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra is bringing life-changing musical experiences to audiences across Greater Manchester, the North of England, the UK and around the world. www.bbc.co.uk/philharmonic
The post ANJA BIHLMAIER APPOINTED PRINCIPAL GUEST CONDUCTOR OF THE BBC PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA appeared first on The Classical Source.
