The BBC Philharmonic, based in Salford, is one of the BBC’s six performing groups; most of the Philharmonic’s concerts are broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
“The BBC has announced a range of changes to its classical music provision across the UK,” states an unsigned article in Tuesday’s (3/7) Strad (U.K.). “Among the most significant changes is a voluntary redundancy program across salaried posts in the BBC Symphony, BBC Concert and BBC Philharmonic orchestras, aimed at reducing salaried orchestral posts by around 20 per cent. ‘We are creating agile ensembles that can work creatively, bringing in more musicians when needed and broadcasting from more venues in different parts of the country,’ the corporation stated … It also announced the closure of the BBC Singers, with a loss of 20 positions…. The BBC said that its funding for music education would be doubled. It hinted at ‘a major nationwide music education offer … which aims to reach every school in the UK through online, broadcast and live performance.’…. Charlotte Moore, chief content officer at the BBC, said, ‘This new strategy is bold, ambitious, and good for the sector and for audiences who love classical music. That doesn’t mean that we haven’t had to make some difficult decisions, but … we’ll be able to play a greater role in developing and nurturing the musicians and music lovers of tomorrow.’ ”
