Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) is an amateur orchestra based in Cardiff
, Wales
. The CPO played its first concert in 1982 and has since played over 250 concerts, primarily in Wales
but also in England
, Switzerland
, and France
. The CPO plays a wide range of music and appears regularly at Wales' premier concert hall, St. David's Hall.
The conductor of the CPO since its inception is Michael Bell.
The CPO performed its inaugural concert at St David's Cathedral
, Cardiff
on Saturday 19 June 1982. Initially the orchestra intended to perform a single concert from which the proceeds were donated to South Glamorgan Community Welfare Trust, a charitable organisation that had agreed to sponsor the concert. However the CPO continues to flourish with a membership from throughout South Wales.
The CPO is recognized as one of Wales's foremost non-professional orchestras, with a reputation for a wide ranging repertoire from film music and light classics to major works usually considered outside the remit or capabilities of an amateur orchestra. These include the first Cardiff performances of Mahler's Third and Sixth Symphonies (at Llandaff Cathedral
in June 1984 and June 1985 respectively) and two performances of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring
at St David's Hall
, Cardiff
(in March 1990 and November 1996).
On June 20, 2008 the CPO undertook what has been the orchestra's most ambitious project to date with a performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 2
at St David's Hall. An orchestra of 116 players, a chorus of 250 singers from South Wales
, Bristol
, Brittany
and Paris
, joined with soloists Ros Evans (soprano) and Kate Woolveridge (Mezzo soprano) to give an acclaimed performance of this monumental work.
Other major symphonic works performed by CPO include Richard Strauss
's An Alpine Symphony & Don Juan; Mahler's Symphonies 1 & 5; Rachmaninov's Symphony No 2; Bruckner's Symphonies 4 & 8; Vaughan Williams's A London Symphony; Shostakovich's Symphonies 5 & 7 (Leningrad); Sir Arthur Bliss's complete ballet score, Checkmate (Welsh premiere 1985) and Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique. In addition Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra has performed all four symphonies by Brahms as well as symphonies by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Schumann, Borodin, Saint-Saens and Sibelius.
Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra appeared at the annual Cardiff Festival of Music from 1987 to the Festival's final season in 1995. In the 1994 Festival, CPO commissioned a work from composer Lynne Plowman. The resulting work, Blue, was given its premiere by CPO at Llandaff Cathedral, and was subsequently performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
At Easter 1996 CPO undertook its first overseas visit with a three-concert tour of Switzerland, followed by a tour of France in 1998 that culminated with a concert at the Salle Pleyel, Paris's premier concert venue. ITV Wales broadcast a documentary of this tour in July 1998.
In June 2000 Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra was invited to return to Paris to perform the final concert of the British Millennium Festival. The concert, at the historic Eglise de la Madeline (where Faure's Requiem was first performed), was attended by the British Ambassador and included performances of works by Bach/Stokowski, Faure, Saint-Saens and Elgar's Symphony No 1.
In July 2007 CPO returned to France, on this occasion to Cardiff's twin city of Nantes, performing two concerts that featured Cardiff-born violinist Sara Trickey in Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor.
In July 2000 Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra was invited to perform in the Welsh Proms in Cardiff, and has performed in each subsequent Welsh Proms season with guest resenters such as Brian Blessed
, Sarah Jane Honeywell, Aled Jones
and Dave Benson Phillips. In July 2006 the Children’s Prom was a bilingual event with narration by Kirsten O'Brien
and Branwen Gwyn
. The concert was broadcast on S4C.
Since 1997 Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra has accompanied the finalists in the television broadcast of the biannual Texaco Young Musician of Wales Competition, and in 2000 Texaco became Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra's sponsor, an association that began with the release of the orchestra's CD, A Night at the Movies.
Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra was the first non-professional orchestra to perform at St David's Hall, Cardiff in 1983. CPO appears regularly at St David's Hall and since 1998 has performed an annual series of concerts of popular classics and film music.
Soloists with whom CPO has performed at St David's Hall include Sir Geraint Evans, Bryn Terfel
, Charlotte Church
, Bonnie Tyler
and pianist Martin Jones.
Other venues in South Wales at which Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra has performed in recent years include Llandaff Cathedral
, Blackwood Miners Institute, Brecon Cathedral
, Maesteg Town Hall, Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl
, Folly Farm Theatre and the Gwyn Hall, Neath.
In March 2006 Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra made its debut at the Wales Millennium Centre
with a programme that included a performance of Karl Jenkins
’ The Armed Man
which was conducted by the composer himself. The orchestra was joined on that occasion by Cor Caerdydd and a distinguished array of soloists including leading British cellist Paul Watkins
.
In October 2006 performances by Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra were broadcast on BBC Radio 3
as part of the BBC's Listen Up! Festival.
Paul Lewis led Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra for 24 years until October 2006. He was succeeded as leader of the orchestra by Claire Frankcom and the present leader of the orchestra is Jill Francis-Williams.
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The CPO played its first concert in 1982 and has since played over 250 concerts, primarily in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
but also in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The CPO plays a wide range of music and appears regularly at Wales' premier concert hall, St. David's Hall.
The conductor of the CPO since its inception is Michael Bell.
The CPO performed its inaugural concert at St David's Cathedral
St David's Cathedral
St David's Cathedral is situated in St David's in the county of Pembrokeshire, on the most westerly point of Wales.-Early history:The monastic community was founded by Saint David, Abbot of Menevia, who died in AD589...
, Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
on Saturday 19 June 1982. Initially the orchestra intended to perform a single concert from which the proceeds were donated to South Glamorgan Community Welfare Trust, a charitable organisation that had agreed to sponsor the concert. However the CPO continues to flourish with a membership from throughout South Wales.
The CPO is recognized as one of Wales's foremost non-professional orchestras, with a reputation for a wide ranging repertoire from film music and light classics to major works usually considered outside the remit or capabilities of an amateur orchestra. These include the first Cardiff performances of Mahler's Third and Sixth Symphonies (at Llandaff Cathedral
Llandaff Cathedral
Llandaff Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, head of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff. It is situated in the district of Llandaff in the city of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The current building was constructed in the 12th century over the site of an earlier church...
in June 1984 and June 1985 respectively) and two performances of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring
The Rite of Spring
The Rite of Spring, original French title Le sacre du printemps , is a ballet with music by Igor Stravinsky; choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky; and concept, set design and costumes by Nicholas Roerich...
at St David's Hall
St David's Hall
St David's Hall is a performing arts and conference venue in the heart of Cardiff city centre, the capital of Wales...
, Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
(in March 1990 and November 1996).
On June 20, 2008 the CPO undertook what has been the orchestra's most ambitious project to date with a performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 2 (Mahler)
The Symphony No. 2 by Gustav Mahler, known as the Resurrection, was written between 1888 and 1894, and first performed in 1895. Apart from the Eighth Symphony, this symphony was Mahler's most popular and successful work during his lifetime. It is his first major work that would eventually mark his...
at St David's Hall. An orchestra of 116 players, a chorus of 250 singers from South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, joined with soloists Ros Evans (soprano) and Kate Woolveridge (Mezzo soprano) to give an acclaimed performance of this monumental work.
Other major symphonic works performed by CPO include Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
's An Alpine Symphony & Don Juan; Mahler's Symphonies 1 & 5; Rachmaninov's Symphony No 2; Bruckner's Symphonies 4 & 8; Vaughan Williams's A London Symphony; Shostakovich's Symphonies 5 & 7 (Leningrad); Sir Arthur Bliss's complete ballet score, Checkmate (Welsh premiere 1985) and Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique. In addition Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra has performed all four symphonies by Brahms as well as symphonies by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Schumann, Borodin, Saint-Saens and Sibelius.
Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra appeared at the annual Cardiff Festival of Music from 1987 to the Festival's final season in 1995. In the 1994 Festival, CPO commissioned a work from composer Lynne Plowman. The resulting work, Blue, was given its premiere by CPO at Llandaff Cathedral, and was subsequently performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
At Easter 1996 CPO undertook its first overseas visit with a three-concert tour of Switzerland, followed by a tour of France in 1998 that culminated with a concert at the Salle Pleyel, Paris's premier concert venue. ITV Wales broadcast a documentary of this tour in July 1998.
In June 2000 Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra was invited to return to Paris to perform the final concert of the British Millennium Festival. The concert, at the historic Eglise de la Madeline (where Faure's Requiem was first performed), was attended by the British Ambassador and included performances of works by Bach/Stokowski, Faure, Saint-Saens and Elgar's Symphony No 1.
In July 2007 CPO returned to France, on this occasion to Cardiff's twin city of Nantes, performing two concerts that featured Cardiff-born violinist Sara Trickey in Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor.
In July 2000 Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra was invited to perform in the Welsh Proms in Cardiff, and has performed in each subsequent Welsh Proms season with guest resenters such as Brian Blessed
Brian Blessed
Brian Blessed is an English actor, known for his sonorous voice and "hearty, king-sized portrayals".-Early life:The son of William Blessed, a socialist miner, and Hilda Wall, Blessed was born in the town of Goldthorpe, West Riding of Yorkshire, England...
, Sarah Jane Honeywell, Aled Jones
Aled Jones
Aled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
and Dave Benson Phillips. In July 2006 the Children’s Prom was a bilingual event with narration by Kirsten O'Brien
Kirsten O'Brien
Kirsten O'Brien is an English television presenter and stand-up comic.She is known for presenting SMart, and presented Smile and Totally Doctor Who alongside Barney Harwood on CBBC....
and Branwen Gwyn
Branwen Gwyn
Branwen Gwyn is a Welsh television presenter from Cardiff. She attended Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf and the University of Wales, Bangor, where she studied music - she is a pianist, trumpeter and singer...
. The concert was broadcast on S4C.
Since 1997 Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra has accompanied the finalists in the television broadcast of the biannual Texaco Young Musician of Wales Competition, and in 2000 Texaco became Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra's sponsor, an association that began with the release of the orchestra's CD, A Night at the Movies.
Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra was the first non-professional orchestra to perform at St David's Hall, Cardiff in 1983. CPO appears regularly at St David's Hall and since 1998 has performed an annual series of concerts of popular classics and film music.
Soloists with whom CPO has performed at St David's Hall include Sir Geraint Evans, Bryn Terfel
Bryn Terfel
Bryn Terfel Jones CBE is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly Figaro and Leporello, but has subsequently shifted his attention to heavier roles, especially those by Wagner....
, Charlotte Church
Charlotte Church
Charlotte Maria Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10 million records worldwide including over 5 million in the United States...
, Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
and pianist Martin Jones.
Other venues in South Wales at which Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra has performed in recent years include Llandaff Cathedral
Llandaff Cathedral
Llandaff Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, head of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff. It is situated in the district of Llandaff in the city of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The current building was constructed in the 12th century over the site of an earlier church...
, Blackwood Miners Institute, Brecon Cathedral
Brecon Cathedral
Brecon Cathedral, in the town of Brecon, is the Cathedral of the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon in the Church in Wales, and seat of the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon...
, Maesteg Town Hall, Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl
Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl
The Grand Pavilion in Porthcawl, Bridgend County Borough, Wales, was opened in 1932. It is well-known for its octagonal dome and striking frontage. Originally intended as a Palm Court for hosting Tea Dances, Balls and Civic functions, the Pavilion is an extremely versatile venue.Construction of...
, Folly Farm Theatre and the Gwyn Hall, Neath.
In March 2006 Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra made its debut at the Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert...
with a programme that included a performance of Karl Jenkins
Karl Jenkins
-Other works:*Adiemus: Live — live versions of Adiemus music*Palladio *Eloise *Imagined Oceans *The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace...
’ The Armed Man
The Armed Man
The Armed Man is a Mass by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins, subtitled "A Mass for Peace". The piece was commissioned by the Royal Armouries Museum for the Millennium celebrations, and to mark the museum's move from London to Leeds, and it was dedicated to victims of the Kosovo crisis...
which was conducted by the composer himself. The orchestra was joined on that occasion by Cor Caerdydd and a distinguished array of soloists including leading British cellist Paul Watkins
Paul Watkins
Paul Watkins may refer to:*Paul Watkins , Welsh cellist and conductor*Paul Watkins *Paul Watkins...
.
In October 2006 performances by Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra were broadcast on BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
as part of the BBC's Listen Up! Festival.
Paul Lewis led Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra for 24 years until October 2006. He was succeeded as leader of the orchestra by Claire Frankcom and the present leader of the orchestra is Jill Francis-Williams.