About the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

One of the most celebrated broadcast ensembles in the world, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra’s distinctive energy, lightning speed, and iconic musical character has moved and inspired audiences for over 100 years. The orchestra presents a flagship series at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, alongside up to 50 touring performances across the UK every year. Whether encountered in the concert hall, on BBC Sounds, or heard from across the world, the work of the orchestra is enjoyed by millions of listeners every year.

The orchestra’s Chief Conductor is John Storgårds, an inspiring musical leader who has built a close relationship with the orchestra over many years. Between John, Anja Bihlmaier – the orchestra’s Principal Guest Conductor – and a roster of high-profile guests, the orchestra performs every year at the BBC Proms, on tour around the world, and live on BBC Radio 3 from their base at the Philharmonic Studio in Salford. Canadian-British composer Cassandra Miller is the Orchestra’s Composer in Residence for 2026/27.

The work of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra has always been characterised by a commitment to innovation and audience development. In recent years, a new partnership with the cutting-edge Aviva Studios in Manchester has been the perfect way to develop new ways of presenting and broadcasting classical music. From Huang Ruo’s immersive City of Floating Sounds in June 2024, to the internationally acclaimed Philharmonic Sessions series, televised in 55 territories across the world as part of Eurovision Classical Concerts, the venue has afforded the orchestra the opportunity to perform and broadcast in radically new ways. Forthcoming highlights include a presentation of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring powered by Aviva’s immersive d&b Soundscape audio system, and together with English National Opera, Factory International, Park Avenue Armory and Improbable, a new experimental production of Philip Glass and Robert Wilson’s iconic 1976 opera, Einstein on the Beach.

Learning and engagement sits at the heart of the work of the orchestra – last year across all ten boroughs of Greater Manchester, the Philharmonic engaged over 16,000 participants in learning programmes. In 2023, the orchestra was commissioned to create Musical Storyland for CBeebies, a 10-part television series featuring the musicians of the orchestra. To date, Musical Storyland has been requested over fourteen million times on BBC iPlayer, and the Orchestra is delighted to be producing a brand-new series of Musical Storyland for broadcast in Spring 2027.