Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra has announced the appointment of Mark Wigglesworth as its new principal guest conductor, a position that hasn’t been filled since 1995 when Richard Hickox left the role.
Wigglesworth will join the orchestra for an initial period of three years, beginning this season. His first appearance in his new role will be tonight in Poole, joined by pianist Steven Osborne in a performance of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2. The concert will be repeated tomorrow in Portsmouth. He will subsequently return in March for another two concerts in the orchestra’s home cities for a programme of Mozart, Schubert and Jonathan Dove.
Wigglesworth has joined the BSO for several concerts over the last season, having previously worked with orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and Royal Concertgebouw. He is also known for his work in the opera world, having previously worked for a short time as music director of the English National Opera – a company which, at the time, was undergoing many challenges due to budget cuts and staff strikes.
‘I have so enjoyed working with the wonderful musicians of the Bournemouth Symphony and am delighted to be able to continue to do this on a more regular basis,’ says Wigglesworth. ‘The magnificent way the orchestra responded to the pandemic revealed very clearly to me the commitment the whole organisation feels to its audience and to music itself.’