Celebrating 100 Years of the BPO
Pianist, conductor and Music Director of Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO), Joanna MacGregor CBE delves into the archives to share some of the treasures discovered in the creation of BPO's upcoming Centenary Book.
Established in 1925, BPO's rich history includes artistic triumphs, financial battles and fiercely loyal audiences, interwoven with legends of the day from Rachmaninoff to Evelyn Glennie.
Fast-forward 100 years, and Joanna MacGregor’s leadership and enticing programming has seen audiences triple, bringing the orchestra securely into its blockbuster centenary season.
'It’s an enormous privilege to celebrate one hundred years of Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra,' Joanna says. 'Few orchestras last this long, and BPO’s biography reads like a thriller with a cliffhanger ending.'
Join Joanna as she showcases the legendary performers who joined the orchestra and the exciting programming she is bringing to the city.
Described as ‘a brilliant light in the music world,’ Joanna MacGregor CBE is BPO’s fourth Music Director and one of the world's most innovative musicians, appearing as a concert pianist, curator and conductor. She is Dame Myra Hess Chair of Piano at the Royal Academy of Music and runs two annual piano festivals for young musicians, as well as a year-round series at the Wigmore Hall. A regular broadcaster on TV and radio, her collaborative and composition projects encompass jazz, film, visual art, contemporary dance and electronica. From 2024 she is overseeing and writing music for forty-seven silent Sherlock Holmes films with the BFI.
Image credit: Fernando Manoso
