A new season is a time for new beginnings. At our season opener in St David's Hall this Friday, where we will continue our role as Orchestra in Residence, we are delighted to introduce our new Composer-in-Association, B Tommy Andersson.
The BBC Performing Groups are extremely committed to the creation and performance of new music. Classical music is not just the playing of scores by men and women dead for decades. It is a relevant, living, breathing, ever-evolving, ever testing-the-boundaries animal.
B Tommy Andersson's appointment was the suggestion of our Principal Conductor, Thomas Søndergård. Since the beginning of his tenure, Thomas has brought so many incredible soloists to work with the orchestra, so I have been highly expectant of working with Mr Andersson (who will also be involved in workshops and masterclasses with students in Cardiff).
BBC NOW's Composer-in-Association, B Tommy Andersson
As our season opener draws closer, I was keen to find out a little more about our new Composer-in-Association, and so did what every self-respecting, techno savvy, nosy person would do - I looked him up online. The first thing I came across was a recording of his Horn Concerto on YouTube. I clicked play and held my breath. Would I like it? Would I 'get' it? Was I about to see my entire season swallowed up by necessary (and, at times, seemingly futile) note learning?
I must admit I exhaled with no little degree of relief as the music filled my headphones. We can't always like what we play, but it is a real bonus when one does! From what I've heard, Andersson's music is lushly scored, colourful and really rather romantic. While the orchestral writing is virtuosic, it is not needlessly so - it is not technically clever for the sake of being clever.
Most importantly for me, his music has a soul to it - I find it difficult to immerse myself in music that leaves me cold, but there is a warmth and a voice to the writing that really connects with the listener. We won't be performing the Horn Concerto on Friday evening (though I hope we have a chance to at a later date) but have a listen for yourself and tell me what you think - better still, come to St David's Hall on Friday evening and let us know what you think!
We will have four opportunities to work with Mr Andersson during this season. For the season opening we will perform his The Garden of Delights, inspired by the Bosch triptych of the same name. Then, in January, Mr Andersson will take to the podium himself to conduct a programme of Swedish music in an afternoon concert in the intimate setting of our BBC Hoddinott Hall studio.
The following month, audiences have the opportunity to get to know B Tommy Andersson himself a little better as we present a Composer Portrait focusing on the work of the composer himself. Finally, in our closing concert of the season in June, we will present Satyricon, B Tommy Andersson's work inspired by what I can only describe as an exceedingly racy Roman novel.
It is exciting for the orchestra to be forging such close links between Wales and the international community. B Tommy Andersson joins Mark Bowden on our composition team reflecting not only the orchestra's commitment to encouraging both the creation of work in and from Wales, but also its outward-looking perspective - putting Wales at the forefront of the international music scene.
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales introduces B Tommy Andersson as their new Composer-in-Association at this Friday's concert at St David's Hall, 7.30pm. For tickets and more information, visit the orchestra's website.
