The man who manages the BBC Philharmonic

I am the General Manager of the BBC Philharmonic, which is based in Salford. The BBC Philharmonic is the orchestra on the second Ten Pieces film and we are very proud of this. Being part of BBC Ten Pieces is an important part of our role giving as many people as possible access to great classical music. We work a lot with schools and children, offering the experience of hearing an orchestra live in performance in our studio in Salford, across the North of England and here at the Proms, but we can’t get to every school child every year.

BBC Ten Pieces reaches further than we could ever reach on our own; I’ve just been to my daughter’s school concert in Sheffield and their orchestra played two of the Ten Pieces using the brilliant arrangements on the website. I’m as thrilled to be part of Ten Pieces as a parent in the audience as I am as General Manager of the BBC Philharmonic.

Why is it important to have a BBC Orchestra?

Without its own orchestras the BBC could never have created the Ten Pieces project. But we also create broadcasts of great music for Radio 3 and add distinctive flavours to broadcasts across the BBC networks. As broadcast orchestras we are able to be creative and take artistic risks in our programming which allows us to explore repertoire that is neglected or less commonly played.

There are 89 musicians in the BBC Philharmonic. We also use freelance musicians when we need extra players for pieces like Bernstein’s Mambo which features additional percussionists and a piano.

We also commission new music, ensuring that orchestral music is a living artform. Our work nurturing talent with composers, young musicians, conductors and soloists supports the whole British orchestral sector. And we collaborate across the BBC, for example we recorded the theme tune for the new Teletubbies last year. You can see the full range of our work on our website.

What can the audience look forward to this year about the Ten Pieces Proms with the BBC Philharmonic?

The BBC Philharmonic always plays with an intense passion and commitment. On stage you will see nearly 100 world class musicians, each one giving their all to make the concert a success. As you listen, imagine all those individual stories of musicians playing at the top of their game, and maybe imagine yourself as one of them.

Can you play a musical instrument?

I spent 15 years as an orchestral cellist and played at the Proms many times. The cello has a warm, rich sound and cellists get to play some of the very best tunes. It also has to be played sitting down, which particularly appeals to me.