About the tour

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Autumn 2015 will see BBC NOW embark on one of its most ambitious tours to date with concert performances in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay; alongside a community residency celebrating the 150th anniversary of Y Wladfa, the Welsh settlement in Patagonia.

Between 22 – 30 October, harpist Catrin Finch, conductor Grant Llewellyn and twelve members of BBC NOW will travel 12,000 km to spend a week in towns of the Chubut Province of Argentina to work with over 1000 children from schools and community groups in Patagonia. Performing and delivering workshops and masterclasses, the musicians will work with schools and communities in towns including Puerto Madryn, Rawson, Trelew, Trevelin, Esquel and Gaiman.

The Patagonia residency culminates with two gala performances in the Predio Ferial - an old wool warehouse which is being transformed in to a concert hall especially for BBC NOW’s concerts, and will later host the town’s annual Eisteddfod. The orchestra has been a driving force in the warehouse regeneration and aims to leave a lasting legacy for music and the arts in the region acting as a catalyst for change.

Learn more about the Patagonia150 celebrations here.

BBC NOW will go on to perform in some of the best concert halls in South America, and will continue to work with young musicians with a range of master classes along the route.

Concerts will be given in:

• Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires - 2 November & 4 November
• Teatro El Círculo, Rosario - 5 November
• Teatro del Libertador General San Martín in Cordoba - 6 November
• They will then travel to CorpArtes in Santiago, Chile - 8 November
• Teatro Solis in Montevideo, Uruguay - 11 November

This landmark tour is being managed by Intermusica and would not be possible without the generous support of BBC Wales, Arts Council of Wales, British Council Argentina, British Council Wales, British Embassy – Buenos Aires, Wales Arts International and Welsh Government.

Supporting the cultural exchange between Argentina and Wales, Radio 3 has commissioned two new works - Hirdaith by Hector Mac Donald, a fourth generation Welshman who comes from Chubut Province in Patagonia, was given its premiere at this year’s Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod; and We Have Found a Better Land, by Welsh composer Mark Bowden, which will be premiered by the BBC National Chorus of Wales (15 November).