Britten Sinfonia Own Label

Britten Sinfonia launched its first own label CD in March 2009. The orchestra is acclaimed for its rigorous, adventurous approach to programming and Britten Sinfonia Own Label follows suit. To order copies of Britten Sinfonia’s own label CD’s for £10 each plus postage and packing please complete an order form and send with a cheque to Hannah Perks, Britten Sinfonia, 13 Sturton Street, Cambridge, CB1 2SN. Download order form

Read reviews of the two discs here

The first release set the tone, with artistic fusions and distinctive new works performed by Britten Sinfonia and outstanding guest artists. Songs of the Sky, features recent Britten Sinfonia commissions by Tarik O’Regan, Huw Watkins, Steve Martland, John Tavener and jazz saxophonist Jason Yarde and features soloists Alina Ibragimova, Nicholas Daniel, Julius Drake, Joanna MacGregor, Jacqueline Shave and Jason Yarde. The running order is: 

 
• Steve Martland  Tiger Dancing Click here to listen to a 1 minute clip
 
• Huw Watkins  Dream Click here to listen to a 1 minute clip
 
• Tarik O’Regan Raï Click here to listen to a 1 minute clip 
 
• Jason Yarde Who Knows the Beauty Click here to listen to a 1 minute clip
 
• John Tavener Songs of the Sky Click here to listen to a 1 minute clip
   
    Britten Sinfonia Own Label’s second release is devoted to the music of Paul Hindemith and in particular his compositions for the organ, used so creatively to create new sound-worlds in his ensemble piece, Kammermusick 7. Alongside his sublime wind quintet, Hindemith’s complete solo organ music is featured (including the first recording of his Zwei Stüke)performed by the celebrated young organist Daniel Hyde on the new organ by Orgalbau Kuhn at Jesus College Chapel, Cambridge.
 
• Kammermusik No. 7 Op. 46 No. 2 Click here to listen to a 1 minute clip
 
• Sonate 111 uber alte Volkslieder Click here to listen to a 1 minute clip
 
• Zwei Stucke fur Orgel Click here to listen to a 1 minute clip
 
• Kleine Kammermusik fur funf Blaser Click here to listen to a 1 minute clip
 
• Sonate 11 Click here to listen to a 1 minute clip
 
• Sonate 1 Click here to listen to a 1 minute clip
   
    You can see our comprehensive list of CDs on the Recordings page.

History

2009 / 2008 / 2007 / 2006 / 2005 / 2004 / 2003 / 2002 / 2001 / 2000 / 1999 / 1998 / 1997 / 1996 / 1995 / 1994 / 1993 / 1992

2009

2009 was a busy year for Britten Sinfonia CD releases, in the spring the first release on the Britten Sinfonia own label Songs of the Sky was made, followed by a selection of works by Hindemith. The end of the year saw the release of Handel’s Messiah recorded with Polyphony at St John’s Smith Square in December 2008.

Guest artists in 2009 included Imogen Cooper, Paul Lewis, Pierre Laurent-Aimard, Polyphony, Christopher Hogwood, Katia & Marielle Labèque, Simon Crawford-Phillips, Philip Moore, Lydia & Sanya Biziak, Ludovic Morlot, Henning Kraggerud, Alina Ibragimova, Maggie Cole, Cédric Tiberghien, Oliver Knussen, Ryan Wigglesworth.

In May Britten Sinfonia received the Royal Philharmonic Society Chamber Music Award in recognition of the Britten Sinfonia at Lunch series. The series commissions new works, programmes engaging and lively concerts with world class artists and musicians. Each concert tour in the series travels to Cambridge, Norwich, London, Birmingham and Krakow; the series is also recorded live in Cambridge for broadcast by BBC Radio 3.

A highlight of the summer was Britten Sinfonia’s appearance at the Latitude Festival in Suffolk. Britten Sinfonia was the first classical group to perform at the festival. The orchestra made return performances to the BBC Proms and City of London Festival.

Britten Sinfonia were involved in two exciting projects at London’s Barbican Centre in 2009; the first performing works by iconic composer Moondog and the second working with Danish folk musicians Efterklang.

Another highlight was the Pathenogenesis project, a collaboration between composer James MacMillan, the poet Michael Symmons Roberts, and Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. An intriguing music-theatre piece which was performed at the Library Studio, Royal Opera House. Britten Sinfonia were also involved with a new opera, The Yellow Sofa, by Julian Philips, with a libretto by Edward Kemp for The Jerwood Chorus Development Scheme at Glyndebourne.

The autumn brought the opening of the 2009-10 season which has been well received in London, Cambridge and Norwich. The orchestra than went on a very successful tour of Mexico and Spain visiting Morelia, Mexico City and Madrid in late November.

Creative Learning continued their varied work engaging a range of audiences in music and the work of Britten Sinfonia. A highlight of the year was the Great Fen Project. Children from a school in Ramsey and teenagers from Yaxley were involved in creating an audible exhibition inspired by the sounds heard across the Fens. You can read more about it here.

2008

The year began by continuing the 2007-08 season’s tours featuring Britten Sinfonia’sacclaimed musicians and guest artists. The orchestra performed in venues spanning the country and beyond, in Cambridge, Norwich, London, Birmingham, Aldeburgh, Leeds, Cockermouth, Southampton, Stevenage, Shrewsbury, Stamford, Bradford on Avon and internationally in Rome (Italy) and Krakow (Poland).

Guest artists included Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Mark Padmore, Carolyn Sampson, Masaaki Suzuki, Imogen Cooper, Joanna MacGregor, Maxim Rysanov, Katie Mitchell, Iestyn Davies and conductors Alec Roth, Diego Masson and Jurjen Hempel. In a truly unique production that attracted a great deal of press and attention, Britten Sinfonia joined the Michael Clark Company for the Stravinsky Project.

The fêted Britten Sinfonia at Lunch series featuring new works by Richard Causton, Helen Grime, Robin Holloway and Pawel Lukaszewski toured to London, Cambridge, Norwich, Birmingham and Krakow as well as being recorded live by BBC Radio 3. The series begins again in November 2008.

The summer saw Britten Sinfonia in many UK Festivals, including the 61st Aldeburgh Festival of Music and the Arts, the 60th Bath International Music Festival, Salisbury International Festival, Chelsea Festival, Lichfield Festival and the Norfolk & Norwich Festival. Later in the year Britten Sinfonia will return to the London Jazz Festival to star in the opening night’s events alongside Dhafer Youssef and Joanna MacGregor.

Britten Sinfonia’s unique and innovative performances are to be captured on CD, produced by Britten Sinfonia’s own record label in conjunction with Signum, and launched early in 2009.

Creative Learning becomes an increasingly integral area of the ensemble’s work, reaching concert attenders through pre-concert talks and lectures, as well as schools, universites and businesses in workshops and specialist days with Britten Sinfonia musicians.

In a season highlight Britten Sinfonia joins Polyphony choir under the expert direction of Stephen Layton for Handel’s Messiah. This will be the orchestra’s second appearance with Polyphony in 2008.

2007

The ‘Britten Sinfonia at Lunch’ tour continued to be recorded for broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and the tour expanded to include Krakow (Poland), Aldeburgh, Cambridge and Norwich.  In this series and evening concerts, Britten Sinfonia continued its promotion of new music, featuring new works by Tansy Davies, Huw Watkins, Tarik O’Regan, Brett Dean, Pawel Lukaszewski and John Tavener.

Easter concerts with Polyphony were performed to sell out audiences in Norwich and Cambridge whilst later in the year Britten Sinfonia performed at the London Jazz Festival with Gil Evans directing a remarkable programme based around the works from the Gil Evans and Miles Davis partnership. Guest artists for the season included Imogen Cooper, Alina Ibragimova, Carolyn Sampson, Iestyn Davies, Allan Clayton, Andrew Foster-Williams and Pekka Kuusisto.

In May the orchestra was recognised for its myriad achievements by the Royal Philharmonic Society and awarded the Ensemble Award. This coincided with the orchestra touring to South America with Joanna MacGregor, visiting Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Montevideo. The programme featured works by Bach, Britten, Golijov and Gismonti amongst others and received a rapturous response from audiences. Players took the opportunity to meet the locals in Creative Learning projects. Cambridge University Press supported the trip. This year also saw performances in Poland and Portugal.

Our discography grew in number and acclaim with recordings of Hartmann’s Concerto Funébre with Alina Ibragimova, Bairstow’s Choral Music and Bruckner’s Mass in E minor and Motets. All were named Editor’s Choice in Gramophone magazine and received numerous glowing reviews

2006

Lux Aeterna, our Hyperion recording of music by Morten Lauridsen, was nominated for a Grammy award.

Our highly successful series of Lunchtime concerts at West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge, was broadcast by BBC Radio 3 over four days from Tuesday 4 April.

Two past projects were revived in April and May: Art of Fugue (renamed Bach meets Moondog) toured to Dartington, Glasgow, Birmingham and Norwich, and our collaboration with Henri Oguike Dance Company played to a sold-out Queen Elizabeth Hall.

2005

Britten Sinfonia is nominated in the Ensemble category in the 2005 Royal Philharmonic Society awards. The first of two recordings for Hyperion is released, featuring Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna, inspiring rave reviews from both sides of the Atlantic.

Imogen Cooper made her debut with Britten Sinfonia, in performances of Mozart piano concerti.

The entire east end of Bury St Edmunds Cathedral was filled with a huge stage in May, for two performances of Tiger dancing, a collaboration between BS and the Henri Oguike Dance Company. It included new choreography to Tippett’s Concerto for Double String Orchestra, in the composer’s centenary year.

We launched our first ever lunchtime series, Britten Sinfonia at Lunch, at West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge. The series featured five stunning world premieres by John Woolrich, Jason Yarde, Tristan Rhys Williams, Kenneth Hesketh and Joseph Phibbs alongside other chamber works such as Stravinsky’s Octet and Purcell’s Fantasias.

Jacqueline Shave was appointed leader in September.

2004

Nicholas Cleobury stands down as Artistic Director and takes the title Founder Laureate. For up-to-date news on what Nicholas is doing now, please see his website www.nicholascleobury.net

Britten Sinfonia’s Easter concerts with Polyphony and Stephen Layton in King’s College Chapel and Norwich Cathedral lead to recordings of the two main works in the programme: James MacMillan’s Seven Last Words from the Cross and Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna. Both recordings are released next year on Hyperion.

Britten Sinfonia and The Hilliard Ensemble give the UK premiere of Piers Hellawell’s The Pear Tree of Nicostratus, along with other vocal and instrumental works on the theme of love and lust. The May tour visited Cambridge and the Salisbury and Chelsea Festivals.

Thomas Adès conducts Britten Sinfonia for the first time at the Aldeburgh Festival in June, in a programme including Harrison Birtwistle’s The Fields of Sorrow. The concert was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.

Britten Sinfonia is invited to play at the distinguished Donauschingen Festival in Germany. The orchestra is invited to dine with the Royal family and to stay overnight in the castle!

The final BBC Proms chamber series from the V&A Museum in London is Britten Sinfonia premiering The Coroner’s Report by Simon Holt.

A major tour with Nitin Sawhney takes the ensemble to Brussels and around the UK in the autumn, including a debut at the Royal Festival Hall. The Telegraph comments “The Festival Hall was packed with an audience that whistled and cheered its approval. One felt there was a genuine meeting of minds between the orchestra and the musicians around it”.

2003

Tour to Greece with Django Bates followed by a UK tour featuring music by American John Zorn set against cartoon inspired pieces by Janacek, John Adams and John Woolrich.

Following a national review of the chamber orchestra sector, Arts Council England announces 100% increase in Britten Sinfonia’s funding.

Britten Sinfonia nominated for two Royal Philharmonic Society awards: best large ensemble and best concert series (for its 2002/03 concert series in Cambridge and Norwich).

Performance at the prestigious George Enescu Festival in Bucharest follows concerts in Brussels and Brugge.

2002

Celebrations for the orchestra’s 10th Anniversary begin with a national tour featuring Evelyn Glennie, including performances in Cambridge, Norwich and Chelmsford, cities all closely linked with the orchestra’s development. This is what the Times said in their preview of the tour:

“Britten Sinfonia, ten years old this autumn, is not only the East of England’s ‘house’ band. It is also one of a new breed of orchestras. They are unfettered by tradition, because they have none. They run risks because they have discovered that, contrary to decades of received music-business wisdom, it is risks that pull crowds. And they are truly post-modern in outlook. They mix and match their programmes with an outrageous glee that would horrify the venerable Philharmonics.”

Orchestra wins Anglia TV’s “Best Arts Event” for Light & Shade coinciding with a CD release of music from the tour for the Sound Circus label.

John Woolrich succeeds David Matthews as Composer in Association. Joanna MacGregor and Nicholas Daniel appointed Associate Artistic Directors.

Britten Sinfonia outgrows King’s Parade offices. Team of eight staff move to new offices in Sturton Street, Cambridge

2001

Premiere of Parthenogenesis, a new work by James MacMillan, who conducts the performance featuring soprano Lisa Milne, baritone Christopher Purves and actor Anastasia Hille.

Debut at the Edinburgh International Festival, with further performances of Parthenogenesis and a portrait concert of music by Stuart MacRae.

Britten Sinfonia returns to the Proms with Ian Bostridge, this time performing Britten’s Nocturne, and also in the chamber Proms with Sam West narrating Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale.

Following success of Django Bates tour, Joanna MacGregor is invited to work with the orchestra. She directs a 10 date tour – Light and Shade - featuring music by Arvo Pärt, Lou Harrison, Schnittke and a new work from Nitin Sawhney. The tour is featured in a Joanna MacGregor South Bank Show profile for LWT.

Britten Sinfonia Community & Education organises major projects in Cambridge, Norwich, Chelmsford and Luton, including after school music clubs for young people – Inside Out - funded by the Foundation for Youth Music.

Jonathan Barclay, Senior Partner at Mills & Reeve, succeeds Charles Barrington as Chairman.

2000

UK tour with Django Bates and his jazz group Human Chain. Django Bates writes a new work to celebrate the Millenium – 2000 Years beyond UNDO. Concerts also feature Joanna MacGregor peforming the Ligeti Piano Concerto.

Britten Sinfoina’s first tour to Germany includes performances at Munich’s Gasteig and Frankfurt’s Alte Oper.

1999

Britten Sinfonia makes its BBC Proms debut, featuring a new symphony by David Matthews, Mozart’s ‘Prague’ Symphony and Ian Bostridge performing Britten’s Les Illuminations.

1998

Landmark concert series Frank Zappa and the Fathers of Invention, setting Zappa’s music against Bach, Stravinsky, Varese, Ives and Steve Reich. Sell-out performances given “in the round” in the Cambridge Corn Exchange attract a wide audience, with 80% attending their first “classical” music concert. This initiative is followed up later in the year with trumpeter Guy Barker performing music from the Gil Evans/Miles Davies albums, set alongside Stravinsky and ‘big band’ arrangements of Dunstable and Gesualdo.

Launch of a new concert series in Norwich in partnership with the Norfolk & Norwich Festival. Nicholas Daniel conducts the first concert, an all-Mozart programme.

David Matthews appointed as Britten Sinfonia’s first Composer in Association. His first work, Burnham Wick, given in Birmingham for BBC Radio 3.

1997

Britten Sinfonia awarded £150,000 from the Arts Council’s Arts for Everyone scheme for the development of its work in the East of England.

First of several discs for Classic FM’s new label are made, featuring Britten Sinfonia musicians. Nicholas Daniel, Joy Farrall and Kate Hill record Mozart’s oboe, clarinet and flute concerti respectively.

“The finest performances from British soloists I’ve heard in a decade” Norman Lebrecht, Daily Telegraph

1996

Orchestra works with tenor Ian Bostridge for the first time, with a young Daniel Harding conducting. This successful collaboration leads to other concerts and an EMI recording of Britten repertoire including Our Hunting Fathers.

Germaine Greer joins Britten Sinfonia’s board. Administrative staff increases to 5 people, requiring a move to new offices on King’s Parade, Cambridge.

1995

Britten Sinfonia’s debut CD is released to critical acclaim, featuring David Pyatt in the Strauss Horn Concertos and the Duet-concertino and Serenade for Wind Op.7. It wins a Gramophone Award.

1994

Debut at the South Bank Centre brings further critical acclaim.
“This is undoubtedly an orchestra of which we are going to hear a lot more” The Independent
“A major force not only in East Anglia, but in the musical life of the nation” The Times
The number of concerts increases from 12 in 1993 to 27 in 1994, including the orchestra’s first foreign tour, a residency at the Wratislava Cantans Festival in Poland. Televised concerts include works by Tippett (Symphony No.1 and A Child of Our Time) and Panufnik (Universal Prayer). Chelmsford appoint Britten Sinfonia ‘Orchestra in Residence’.
Michael Tippett’s A Child of our Time
Britten Sinfonia celebrates the 50th anniversary of Michael Tippett’s A Child of Our Time in London’s Adelphi Theatre where it was premièred in the presence of the composer.

1993

Britten Sinfonia’s part in Jonathan Miller’s production of Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos provides the orchestra’s first critical success.

Following a grant from the Foundation for Sport and the Arts, Britten Sinfonia appoints its first Education Manager to foster a community and outreach programme alongside its concerts.

1992

Britten Sinfonia launches following an initiative from Eastern Arts and a number of key figures including Nicholas Cleobury, who recognise the need for a world class orchestra in the East of England. Britten Sinfonia reflects Benjamin Britten’s artistic vision: a commitment to early music as well as new music, to music education and music performance of the highest quality, a commitment to the East of England and an ambassadorial role on the world stage.

Nicholas Cleobury becomes Artistic Director, and the first concert took place in Chelmsford featuring a mixed programme of works by Bach, Copland, Stravinsky and Colin Matthews, illustrating the new ensemble’s commitment to a broad range of entertaining repertoire.

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Meet the Players

The orchestra is widely praised for the quality of its performance and intelligent approach to concert programming, which is centred around the development of its players. Our principal players are celebrated in their fields, and as freelance players are active in other ensembles and orchestras. Information on each musician is available by following the links below to interviews, biographies and photos of the players in action.

Guest Artists

The artistic vision of Britten Sinfonia is built around the extraordinary skills and development of its players – all chamber musicians and soloists of the highest quality.  Britten Sinfonia invites international artists from across right the musical spectrum to work with them on projects suited to the particular skills of each visiting artist. More recently the orchestra has developed close associations with certain artists who they consult and work with regularly.

For more information on the artists featuring in the 2010-11 season, follow the links below:

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

C
Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge
Enrico Chapela
Allan Clayton

D
Neal Davies
Peter Maxwell Davies
Julia Doyle

F

H
Barbara Hannigan
Arve Henriksen
Angela Hewitt
Simon Holt

I

K
Pekka Kuusisto

L

M
James MacMillan
Colin Matthews
Joanna McGregor
Brad Mehldau

N
Marcelo Nisinman

P
Mark Padmore
Julian Philips

R
Vadim Repin

S
Storioni Trio

T

W
Richard Watkins
Ryan Wigglesworth
John Woolrich

Y

Meet the Trustees

The Board

Stephen Bourne, Chairman
Stephen trained as a chartered accountant and has held managerial roles in various industries including publishing and printing. Having joined Cambridge University Press in 1997 he became Chairman of its printing business in 2000, and Chief Executive in March 2002. Stephen joined the board in 2003.

Charles Rawlinson MBE, Deputy Chairman
Charles trained as a Chartered Accountant after gaining a MA from Jesus College, Cambridge. He became Joint Chairman of Morgan Grenfell & Co. merchant bankers and has been Chairman of several other companies. Charles is a founding Trustee of Britten Sinfonia.

Dr Mary Archer
Mary is a chemist by background and currently Chairman of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She is also patron of the Sinfonia of Cambridge, and President of the Guild of Church Musicians, the National Energy Foundation and the UK Solar Energy Society.

Jonathan Barclay
Jonathan is former Senior Partner of Mills & Reeve, the largest law firm based in the East of England, and has a long involvement in the arts in the region. He is now a consultant with Mills & Reeve, and non executive director of several local companies. Having joined Britten Sinfonia’s Board in 1998, he became its Chairman in 2001.

Dr Jerome Booth
Jerome is an economist and a co-founder of the emerging markets fund manager Ashmore Group plc. He is also a director of the Lloyds broker CBC UK Ltd, and a trustee of the Fitzwilliam Museum Development Trust.

Prof. Germaine Greer
Writer, academic and broadcaster, Germaine is best known for books such as The Female Eunuch and The Whole Woman. She is currently Special Supervisor in English at Newnham College, Cambridge.

Margaret Mair
Margaret read Law at St Anne’s College, Oxford, qualified as a barrister and spent most of her career in the Government Legal Service. After moving to Cambridge in 2001 she worked for the executive education team at the Judge Business School. She is closely involved in the musical life of Jesus College and is chairman of the Friends of the Fitzwilliam Museum.

John Stephens, OBE
John’s wide experience in music education includes appointments as HM Inspector for Schools, Staff Inspector for Music for Inner London and Head of Music Education at Trinity College of Music. Currently he advises orchestras and opera companies seeking to extend their educational activities.

Meet the Staff

To contact a member of our staff please either telephone +44 (0)1223 300795, email info@brittensinfonia.com or send a direct email using the following format: firstname.surname@brittensinfonia.com.

Vacancies

Ongoing Opportunities

If you are interested in volunteering or stewarding at our events please email info@brittensinfonia.com.

There are currently no vacancies within the orchestra, but musicians interested in playing with Britten Sinfonia can send a CV and covering letter to James Calver, Concerts Administrator, at 13 Sturton Street, Cambridge CB1 2SN, or by email. We may not be able to reply to each individual.

Sinfonia Students

An ambassador scheme to allow students to gain some valuable and practical experience contributing to the work of the orchestra. We’re looking for students from Cambridge and Norwich who are interested in music and arts marketing. Details of the role and benefits are detailed in the documents below. To register your interest please write to or email hannah.perks@brittensinfonia.com explaining why you would like to work with Britten Sinfonia. This is an ongoing scheme, so please do email at any time.

Job Summary Cambridge
Job Description Cambridge
Job Summary Norwich
Job Description Norwich

FAQs

What is Britten Sinfonia?
Britten Sinfonia is a flexible ensemble composed of the finest chamber musicians in Europe. Our players are freelance musicians who are employed on a project-by-project basis. Britten Sinfonia performs around 70 concerts per year and works with hundreds of people of all ages in the communities where the orchestra is resident.

How is it managed?
Britten Sinfonia is a limited company and a registered charity. A board of directors oversees the company which is run by a management team of 10 people, led by the Chief Executive. The offices are based in Cambridge.

How is Britten Sinfonia funded?
Britten Sinfonia is supported by a wide variety of public, corporate and private sources, through a complex mix of grants, sponsorship, and individual giving. Arts Council England provides the foundation to our work but all other contributions are vital to the development of our activity. Ticket sales income, management fees for ‘engaged’ events and merchandising are all ways we support ourselves. Current turnover is £1,100,000, which has grown by 35% over the past three years.

How can I support Britten Sinfonia?
We currently run a variety of individual giving schemes: SinfoniaFriends, SinfoniaChairs, SinfoniaCommissions and SinfoniaRecording.Click here for further information about these schemes. Companies can support our work by joining SinfoniaNet, our corporate networking scheme. We are always delighted to hear from anyone who wishes to support us. Please email Will Harriss or call 01223 300795 for an informal chat.

What happens to the £25 I spend on a concert ticket?
£3.72 goes straight to the government as VAT. We are a not-for-profit organisation so all the income we make from ticket sales, programmes and sponsorship is spent on hall hire, artists and marketing expenses.

Why doesn’t BS have an Artistic Director?
Because of the breadth of repertoire we perform and wide range of types of projects we undertake, we prefer to work with different soloists, conductors and composers, who are specialists in particular fields. These projects are curated by the Chief Executive and an artistic team. This gives us more flexibility and freedom to develop new ideas, all centred around the quality and development of our players.

Are the players employed full-time?
No. Almost all chamber orchestras in the UK employ freelance musicians on a project-by-project basis. This allows us to be versatile with size and orchestration. You will usually see the same players at most concerts, however.

What is ‘In conversation’?
‘In conversation’ talks are pre-concert events which are free to concert ticket-holders. A featured soloist, composer or member of the orchestra talks about the concert and answers questions from the audience. You don’t have to have any musical knowledge to appreciate these informative and often very entertaining events.

About Us

There are few more thrilling things in British music than Britten Sinfonia on top form.
Ivan Hewett, The Daily Telegraph

Britten Sinfonia is one of the world’s most celebrated and pioneering ensembles. It is praised for the quality of its performances and an intelligent approach to concert programming that is centred around the development of its players. Unusually it does not have a principal conductor or director but chooses to collaborate with a range of the finest international guest artists from across the musical spectrum as suited to each particular project. Founded in 1992, it is inspired by the ethos of Benjamin Britten through world class performances of the highest quality, illuminating and distinctive programmes where the old meets the new, and projects in the local community as well as in the world’s finest halls.

Britten Sinfonia has residencies in Cambridge (where it is also the University’s Orchestra-in -Association), Norwich, and from the 2011-12 season will be Chamber Orchestra in Residence in Brighton. The orchestra has a major concert series at London’s Southbank Centre and Wigmore Hall and appears regularly at the Barbican Centre and major UK festivals including the BBC Proms. The orchestra’s international profile is blossoming with regular touring in Europe and South America. Britten Sinfonia is the BBC Radio 3’s broadcast partner and records regularly for Harmonia Mundi and Hyperion.

For the 2011-12 season guest collaborators include Thomas Adés, Sarah Connolly, Sir Mark Elder, Simon Keenlyside, Henning Kraggerud, Pekka Kuusisto and there will be premieres from composers such as Luke Bedford, Elspeth Brooke, Jonathan Dove, Nico Muhly and Owen Pallett. During the season the orchestra’s new professional choir, Britten Sinfonia Voices, will also be launched to create a vocal ensemble which will reflect the range, diversity and quality of the orchestra. Following UK performances, many of these collaborations will tour internationally to countries including the Argentina, Brazil, the Uruguay, USA, the Baltic and major European cities with performances in some of the world’s finest concert halls including New York’s Lincoln Center, the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.

Central to its artistic programmes are a wide range of creative learning projects run by the orchestra. These range from pre and post-concert talks/performances, through to schools projects, coaching, master-classes and professional development opportunities for businesses. The 2011-2012 season also sees the launch of Britten Sinfonia Academy, which will identify and nurture young musicians and composers from across the East of England. Led by Britten Sinfonia musicians and guest artists, the Academy will specialise in the features that make Britten Sinfonia unique, including exploring new music and crossing genres, composition and improvisation, and performing without a conductor. Our Academy will help to develop the next generation of musicians and is central to our vision for the future.

The orchestra has received many awards including two prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Awards in 2007 and 2009 (Ensemble and Chamber Music respectively). Britten Sinfonia recordings have been Grammy nominated and received a Gramophone Award. In 2008 the orchestra and its International Partner, Cambridge University Press, won the Arts & Business International Award for its tour to South America.

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