A renewed relationship between Lancaster University and the BBC Philharmonic is sure to strike the right note after the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement today (Monday, December 17).

The Vice-Chancellor of Lancaster University, Professor Mark E. Smith, and Orchestra Director of the BBC Philharmonic, Simon Webb, signed the agreement which will take the link with the BBC, which dates back to the 1960s, to a new level.

The new and ambitious relationship will encompass an annual concert within the Lancaster Arts classical programme as well as innovative action research partnerships between academics and orchestral musicians on themes of their choosing under the banner of Creative Experiments.

Professor Smith said: “This is a remarkable opportunity to develop a new relationship with a world class orchestra as well as create a new strand of engagement between musicians and our world class researchers.”

Director of the BBC Philharmonic Simon Webb said: “We are delighted to be renewing our relationship with the University and with Lancaster Arts, who are both important partners for us and key to the cultural life of the North West. We look forward to many interesting collaborations ahead.”

Lancaster has enjoyed a relationship with the BBC since the University’s first concert series when a BBC Invitation Concert took place on campus in 1969.

As the University now celebrates its 50^th anniversary of classical concerts in the Great Hall the new relationship with the BBC Philharmonic, one of the nation’s most popular orchestras, is an exciting new phase.

On February 7^th Lancaster Arts will launch their new season on the theme of Pathways with a concert by the BBC Philharmonic.

“We are so excited to welcome our dear friends, the BBC Philharmonic, back to the Great Hall and build some exciting new opportunities together,” said Jocelyn Cunningham, the Director of the University’s Lancaster Arts.

“The concert by this outstanding orchestra is the start of a close relationship between the musicians, our audiences and academics as well as many of the other artists we work with.”

Andrew Gourlay will conduct a stunning concert that will include Mendelssohn’s Overture, Ruy Blas (‘Rob Roy’), Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.6 ‘Pathètique’ and a beautiful concerto with the title Ruskin’s Dreams - Coniston by the lake district- based composer, Edward Cowie, performed by one of the UK’s foremost performing artists, Julian Bliss.

This special concert will also be dedicated to Victorian art critic and patron, social thinker and philanthropist John Ruskin on the eve of his 200th Anniversary.

Director of the Ruskin Institute Professor Sandra Kemp is delighted to be able to bring together the Bicentenary events celebrating John Ruskin’s ideas and the anniversary of the classical programme. “Ruskin said that ‘The artist is a telescope - very marvellous in himself, as an instrument.’ Celebrating Ruskin 200 creates pathways across time, across media, across the Lancaster University campus and across the North West.”

To book please go to:

https://www.lancasterarts.org/whats-on/bbc-philharmonic-2019

The BBC Philharmonic, known for its innovative and versatile music-making, performs across the north of England, is resident each year at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, tours internationally and appears annually in the BBC Proms. Performing more than 100 concerts a year for broadcast on BBC Radio 3, the orchestra also records for CD/download and has delivered more than 250 recordings for Chandos, selling close to one million albums.

The concert on February 7 will be recorded by BBC Radio 3 for future broadcast in Afternoon Concert and available to stream or download for 30 days after broadcast via BBC Sounds, where you can also find podcasts and music mixes.