Hallé Orchestra Manchester
Orchestras
Founded in Manchester by the pianist and conductor Sir Charles Hallé in 1858, the Hallé gave its first concert in the city’s Free Trade Hall on 30 January of that year. Following the death of Sir Charles Hallé, the orchestra continued to develop under the guidance of such distinguished figures as Dr Hans Richter, Sir Hamilton Harty and Sir John Barbirolli.
Mark Elder became Music Director in 2000 and was knighted by the Queen for services to music in 2008. The Royal Philharmonic Society has honoured both the Hallé and Sir Mark separately, including Honorary Membership for Sir Mark in November 2011. In January of that year, the South Bank Sky Arts Award was presented to the Hallé and the BBC Philharmonic for their joint performance of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony, part of a high-profile anniversary cycle of Mahler’s symphonies in partnership with Manchester Camerata and The Bridgewater Hall. The Hallé had previously won the South Bank Show Classical Music Award for collaborations with the BBC Philharmonic and the Royal Northern College of Music, as well as with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
The Hallé performs over 70 concerts a year in The Bridgewater Hall, its Manchester home, as well as making over 40 appearances annually throughout the rest of Britain. The Hallé attracts large and enthusiastic audiences in Manchester and beyond, and its reputation for artistic excellence and versatility has led to many international tours, frequent broadcasts and televised performances. Markus Stenz is the Hallé’s second Principal Guest Conductor and 2011-12 marks his third season in post. Colin Matthews is the Hallé’s Composer Emeritus and Helen Grime is the Associate Composer.
The Hallé’s family of ensembles includes the Hallé Choir, which was founded alongside the orchestra in 1858, and is directed by Frances Cooke, Hallé Choir Director; the Youth Orchestra directed by the Hallé’s Assistant Conductor, Andrew Gourlay; the Children’s Choir directed by Shirley Court; and the Youth Choir directed by Richard Wilberforce.
The Hallé has its own CD label, which features in particular the music of English composers especially Elgar and Colin Matthews, as well as Debussy, Wagner and Shostakovich. The latest releases include Vaughan Williams’s London Symphony and Oboe Concerto, and English Spring, a collection of brilliant impressionistic English orchestral works. The Hallé’s highly acclaimed recordings have been honoured with prestigious awards including five Gramophone Awards in the past three years – Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius (2009); Wagner’s Götterdämmerung and Elgar’s Violin Concerto (2010); and Sir Harrison Birtwistle Night’s Black Bird and Elgar’s The Kingdom (2011).
Last season over a quarter of a million people heard the Hallé, of which more than 30,000 were inspired by the Hallé’s pioneering education programme. Generating over 60 projects a year, it exists to create a wider enjoyment and understanding of music throughout the whole community. The Hallé is a registered charity.
SEASON 2011/2012
