Have you ever experienced the power of a full symphony orchestra and chorus in concert? Tonight, we unite with our Southampton-based community choir, BSO Voices, for ‘Baroque Majesty’ at the O2 Guildhall Southampton. Enjoy iconic music from the Baroque period.

‘How To Train Your Dragon in Concert’ is on sale now! Join us – in January 2027 – at Lighthouse, Poole on Friday 15th (7pm) or Saturday 16th (3pm) for a screening of the animated classic, with its Oscar®-nominated score performed live by the BSO.

Just announced: we’ve partnered with the beautiful Poole-based care home, Marjorie House to bring a monthly musical boost to residents, families, and staff. #CareSouth #MarjorieHouse #FoodFunFriendship @artscouncilengland.bsky.social @mybcpcouncil.bsky.social

Don’t miss your last chance to hear us at Exeter University Great Hall as tonight we’re bringing our Exeter season to a close! Conductor Mark Wigglesworth is joined by soloists Stephen Waarts and Timothy Ridout for this fantastic concert.

‘All the most wildly romantic concertos you can think of rolled into one huge pianistic feat’ says Gramophone Magazine on Hyperion’s new boxed set ‘The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 1991-2007 edition’. We feature (on Vol.14)...

Were you at @bristolbeacon.bsky.social last Friday, when we celebrated a day of symphonic music – first with our ‘Explore the Orchestra’ schools’ concert, and later an evening of the music of John Williams?

We are breezing across the South West with another of our BSO On Your Doorstep concerts at the Devizes Corn Exchange on Friday 15 May. 🍃 Enjoy a celebration of the wind instrument with our Wind Octet who will bring harmony to the works of Mozart, Debussy, Gipps and more. bsolive.com/events/wind-...

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? It’s the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra! 🎥 It’s your last chance to enjoy John Williams Blockbusters so come along to the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton this evening, an enjoy your favourite film scores brought to life!

Tonight, we transport you from @bristolbeacon.bsky.social to Hogwarts, via a WW2 battlefield, a prehistoric theme park and a galaxy far, far way! Pete Harrison conducts this celebration of the most prolific and successful film-score composer ever... 📸(c)Soul Media/Jessie Myers

Did you enjoy last night’s concert at Lighthouse, Poole? If you missed it, we are bringing ‘Triumph Over Adversity’ to Exeter University Great Hall tonight, with Chief Conductor Mark Wigglesworth and pianist Boris Giltburg ➡️ bsolive.com/events/trium... 📸(c)Soul Media/Jessie Myers

Will you be joining us as we celebrate a programme of ‘Triumph Over Adversity’ tonight at Lighthouse, Poole? Chief Conductor Mark Wigglesworth conducts this exciting music by Beethoven, Prokofiev and Sibelius – featuring soloist Boris Giltburg.

We are in south Somerset this week, as we begin our Key Stage 1 schools’ tour! Today we’ve visited Long Sutton and Wincanton. Did you hear BSO Associate Musician Sam Mason with some of the brilliant young pupils and their teachers on BBC Radio Somerset (and BBC Radio Bristol) just now?

Spring is finally here 🐣🌷☀️ and we’re looking forward to another week of exciting concerts. You can enjoy Chief Conductor Mark Wiggleworth and soloist @borisgiltburg.bsky.social perform Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No.2 at Lighthouse, Poole (Wed) and @exeter.ac.uk (Thurs). 📷Soul Media/Jessie Myers

Teachers! Are you intrigued by our ‘Explore the Orchestra’ schools’ concerts – which are specially designed for Key Stage 2 pupils – but unable to travel to Bristol, Exeter, Poole or Portsmouth to enjoy them in person?

What a vibe last Friday night provided! Did you miss it? A group of BSO musicians performed at @turnersims.bsky.social , Southampton, in ‘BSO After Dark’ a new concert format that united live music and spoken word...

We know you’ll join us in providing a very warm BSO welcome to viola player Toby Warr, who has joined the Orchestra this week. If you missed Toby at Lighthouse, Poole or Bristol Beacon this week, catch this week’s Digital Concert here: bsolive.com/whats-on/dig...

Have you seen? The world premiere studio recording of Thomas de Hartmann’s lost opera, Esther, is coming out on the @pentatonemusic.bsky.social label this spring. If you’ve been a follower of the Voices from the East series, you’ll want to hear this recording...

‘When I grow up, I want to be…’ Meet the kids who grew up to be part of our team!

Are you an ambitious live events producer with a belief in the transformative power of music? We’re advertising for a new role, BSO Participate Producer – perhaps this could be you? We’re also looking for a BSO Participate Coordinator to work within our team to help organise, produce, and...

Calling all Key Stage 2 teachers! We’ve just released FREE digital livestream tickets for ‘Explore the Orchestra: Sing Out’ on Wednesday 20 May. If you’ve not been able to attend our concert hall performances in Bristol, Exeter, Portsmouth or Poole, fear not…

Get ready! BSO Associate Musicians are travelling to all corners of the South West for a bumper week. We return to our friends at the Recovery Orchestra (w/ @bdpbristol.bsky.social ) today, before visiting Time Together (Wincanton), the Somerset Wellbeing Orchestra (nr.Chard)...

We return to Boscombe next week, as we begin a new six-week partnership with Vitanova, a local charity which uses theatre and expressive arts to support wellbeing. We can’t wait to start making music with the group and its music leader, Jack Grace. Find out more here: vitanova.co.uk/vita-music/

Our Steinway piano has enjoyed its annual MOT this week with superstar piano technician, Ulrich Gerhartz. What he doesn’t know about the mechanics of a piano isn’t worth knowing. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear the remaining piano concerti of this season and hear this beautiful instrument.

Have you got your Valentine’s plans sorted yet? Treat the ones you love to an evening of symphonic classics at the Lighthouse, Poole this Saturday. Join soloist Thomas Luke and Calleva Assistant Conductor Enyi Okpara for a romantic concert that is sure to be cinematic🎬...

Calling secondary school teachers, parents, and carers! Do you know a student looking to gain work experience in an arts organisation? We’re on the lookout for brilliant young people (in years 10-13) who want to learn what it’s like to work behind the scenes at one of the UK’s favourite orchestras!

We’re excited to reunite with our Conductor Laureate & Artistic Director, Voices from the East, Kirill Karabits and pianist Alim Beisembayev for two concerts at Lighthouse, Poole (Wed) and University of Exeter Great Hall (Thurs) for an all-Shostakovich programme this week...

He’s back! Conductor Laureate & Artistic Director, Voices from the East, Kirill Karabits returns to the Lighthouse, Poole next Wednesday for Playful Shostakovich, featuring soloist Alim Beisembayev. We'll see you next week and if you can’t wait until then, Kirill has a special message just for you…

Despite the rainy forecast, our ‘Explore the Orchestra’ concerts made a splash in Devon last week, when almost 2,300 pupils and teachers flooded in from across the county to take part in the events at @exeter.ac.uk Catch the full story 🡺 bsolive.com/news/despite... 📸Andy Casey

Would you like to be part of an ambitious youth ensemble that brings together 11-25 year-old disabled and non-disabled musicians? Bournemouth's NOYO Ensemble provides an engaging space for fun and exciting music-making in a diverse and inclusive environment. Why not come along and be part of it?

📢 Our 2026/27 BSO Pops Season at Lighthouse, Poole is live!

Don’t miss tonight’s BBC Radio 3 broadcast of our recent performance with conductor Ludovic Morlot and pianist Steven Osborne. This programme of music inspired by Spain promises to transport you to sunnier climes!

There are plenty of concert evenings left in our 2025/26 season (which continues until May), but we’ve been busy behind-the-scenes getting ready for the next one. Here’s a sneaky peak from our recent photo shoot! Watch this space for more news later this spring… 📸Patrick Baldwin

Do you love Jess Gillam’s brilliant podcast, This Classical Life? So do we. Don’t miss tomorrow’s edition, when you can hear her in conversation with our Chief Conductor, Mark Wigglesworth. Available on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Sounds at 5pm www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

We’re looking forward to our first Wednesday night concert of 2026! 🎇 Are you going to be in the hall? Join us at Lighthouse, Poole tonight – or from home with a wonderful Digital Concert – for what’s sure to be a sensational evening of symphonic music. With Ludovic Morlot on the podium 🪄

We’re very grateful to Tapper for its continued support in 2026🙏 Live music in care homes brings a piece of the concert hall directly to residents, fostering moments of joy, connection and creativity 🎶 #creativehealth #music #musicforhealth

More than 10,700 kids and teachers will experience our LIVE orchestral music over the coming few months as our ‘Explore the Orchestra’ tours.... Portsmouth Guildhall (22 Jan) @exeter.ac.uk (30 Jan) @bristolbeacon.bsky.social (27 Mar) Lighthouse, Poole (19-20 May) Are you bringing your pupils?

There’s so much happening in the realm of creative health and wellbeing work taking place over the coming week. The brilliant Bristol Recovery Orchestra rehearses later today (at Trinity Arts Centre w/ @@bdpbristol.bsky.social ) – and nearly all our Health and Wellbeing Orchestras will meet...

New year, new you? Come and work on the South Coast, we have a few vacancies available: Principal Double Bass (No.3) – deadline 12 January BSO Participate Projects Coordinator – deadline 12 January Calleva Assistant Conductor Competition – deadline 2 February bsolive.com/jobs/

Thank you for being part of 2025 with us, as we’ve shared 108 concert hall performances across the South West, plus many more in health, wellbeing, and education settings. There have been so many highlights, from the first open-air symphonic concerts in Portsmouth Guildhall Square to our...

We’re wishing you a very Merry Christmas from all of us here at the BSO! ❄️🎶 Here’s a special musical gift, an extract from our recent performance of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel 🎁 If you like what you hear, the full concert is still available to view here: bsolive.com/events/a-fin...

Did you catch us on BBC South Today at the end of last week? Our amazing brass players closed the programme with God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (arr. Kevin Morgan) to set us all in the festive spirit!

The BSO Calleva Conducting Competition is now open 🪄 Next generation conductors are being offered the opportunity to catapult their professional conducting career with this bursary-supported training position. The position provides a broad mix of performance opportunities and mentoring...

Do you have a passion for community music-making? Are you brilliantly organised and looking for a new role? We’re advertising for a Projects Coordinator to support our BSO Participate team in its creative health and communities work throughout the South West.

There are so many stories to explore within an orchestra, from the brilliant musicians sharing awe-inspiring live music and composers writing for them, to the science of music-making and how it supports us in concert halls, hospitals, schools, communities and more...

Is there anything more festive than a group of brass musicians playing Christmas tunes? Exactly. We’ve been busy spreading cheer in Boscombe’s Sovereign Centre… and we’ve enjoyed some lovely conversations along the way. There’s nothing like a brass medley in a shopping centre. We love it!

Christmas can feel incredibly magical with its twinkling lights and roaring log fires. However, it’s not the reality for everyone. For those who are in hospital, the festive period can feel very different...

3551 tickets in just 6 hours! That’s how many seats were snapped up for Key Stage 2 pupils and their teachers in and around Poole, Dorset, for next year’s ‘Explore the Orchestra’ symphonic schools’ concerts.

Do you know a young musician, aged 11-25 years old, who might enjoy exploring their skills in a new way? Our friends at National Open Youth Orchestra welcomes players and their families to attend open rehearsals – at locations across the UK - over the coming months.

There are just a few days left to apply to become Sub-Principal First Violin, sitting No.5 post 🎻

As we approach December, we’re reflecting on how the festive period presents a special time for players in our Community and Wellbeing Orchestras – and community-led choir, BSO Voices – to come together and share music 🪇⭐