The BBC Symphony Orchestra has played a central role at the heart of British musical life since it was founded in 1930. It performs an exciting, distinctive and wide-ranging season of concerts at the Barbican in its role as Associate Orchestra, offering everything from works at the heart of classical music to world premieres from today’s finest composers. It also provides the backbone of the BBC Proms, performing around a dozen concerts in the festival each year.
Central to the orchestra’s life are studio recordings for BBC Radio 3 at its Maida Vale home, some of which are free for the public to attend and the BBC SO also performs throughout the world. The vast majority of concerts are broadcast on BBC Radio 3, streamed online and available for 30 days after broadcast via BBC iPlayer.
In a few years, the BBC Symphony Orchestra will move to a new home in Stratford in East London. Currently, the move is planned for 2022/2023.