The orchestras
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BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Principal Conductor: Richard Hickox
Leader: James Clark
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales occupies a special role as both a national and broadcasting orchestra, recognised not only for the quality of its performances but also for its importance within its own community.
The Orchestra has gone from strength to strength under its formidable conducting team, including Richard Hickox, Principal Conductor since September 2000; Joseph Swensen, Principal Guest Conductor; Tadaaki Otaka, Conductor Laureate and Grant Llewellyn, Associate Guest Conductor.
BBC NOW's repertoire is extensive and the Orchestra is committed to the performance of contemporary music, a fact highlighted by Michael Berkeley's joint position as Composer in Association with BBC NOW and the Cardiff-based Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. In 2002/03 the Orchestra premiered its first commission from Berkeley, as well as works by David Matthews, Ceiri Torjussen and Philip Cashian.
BBC NOW is Orchestra-in-Residence at St David's Hall, Cardiff, at which it gives over 25 performances each year. The Orchestra also presents a concert series at the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea, tours throughout Wales tri-annually and appears at the BBC Proms four times each summer. BBC NOW made a hugely successful visit to Germany in April 2002, performing to over 11,500 people in one week.
The Orchestra's concerts are broadcast chiefly on BBC Radio 3 but BBC NOW can also be heard regularly on BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Wales radio and television, BBC Four and S4C. The Orchestra has recorded a diverse range of works for CD, including a Rubbra cycle with Richard Hickox and Takemitsu with Tadaaki Otaka. Future recordings planned with Hickox on the Chandos label include a Frank Bridge cycle as well as works by father and son, Sir Lennox and Michael Berkeley.
RESOUNDATSAIN, BBC NOW's dynamic Education and Community Department, extends the work of the Orchestra beyond the concert hall into schools, workplaces and communities.
BBC NOW will be conducted in the Competition by Richard Hickox for Concert 2 and Ralf Weikert for Concert 4.
Orchestra of Welsh National Opera
Music Director: Tugan Sokhiev
Leader: John Stein
The Orchestra of Welsh National Opera was founded in 1970. Since then it has established itself as one of the finest British orchestras, highly praised as much for its distinction in a wide-ranging operatic repertoire as for its concert work and recordings.
In January 2003, the young Russian conductor Tugan Sokhiev joined the Company as Music Director.
The distinguished list of WNO's former Music Directors includes Richard Armstrong (1973-86), Sir Charles Mackerras (1987-92) and Carlo Rizzi (1992-2001). Under their direction, the Orchestra of WNO has developed a broad operatic repertoire, ranging from Monteverdi and Handel to Tippett and Maxwell Davies, together with the full range of standard operas. Many visiting conductors have also made valuable contributions to the orchestra's repertoire. Sir Reginald Goodall conducted performances of Tristan und Isolde, which WNO went on to record. Pierre Boulez's performances of Pelléas et Mélisande were another landmark, recorded on video.
In recent years, the Orchestra of WNO has given an increasing number of concerts throughout Wales and the rest of the UK. The Orchestra of WNO also features in three of the Orchestral Series of concerts at St David's Hall, Cardiff each season and presents the WNO Free Concert each summer to thousands of people in Cardiff Bay.
Since the 1980s the orchestra has made many recordings, including several bel canto operas with Bonynge, Sutherland, Caballé and Pavarotti. Under Sir Charles Mackerras, the orchestra recorded Janácek's Osud, Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, Britten's Gloriana, orchestral and choral music by Delius and three Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. Under Carlo Rizzi, the orchestra has recorded Gounod's Faust, Verdi's Rigoletto and Un ballo in maschera and recital discs featuring Alfredo Kraus, Thomas Hampson and Jerry Hadley, Jennifer Larmore, Olga Borodina, and Marcello Alvarez.
The Orchestra of WNO has toured with the full company to Tokyo, New York, Milan, Wiesbaden, Lisbon, Berlin and Leipzig. There have been two visits to Paris, the first in 1992 with Pierre Boulez conducting Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande. In November 2001, the orchestra visited Porto as part of its celebrations as the 2001 European Capital City of Culture, and gave two performances of Beethoven's Leonore in addition to a Verdi concert commemorating the centenary of the composer's death.
In 1995, the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera won the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award in the Large Ensemble category. The whole company has followed this by being the only company to win the Royal Philharmonic Society best opera awards in three consecutive years.
They will play for Concerts 1, 3 and 5 conducted by Carlo Rizzi.
When it comes to the Final, all conductors could be involved if competitors with whom they worked during the week reach the Final.
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