{"id":26578,"date":"2023-04-13T12:36:20","date_gmt":"2023-04-13T10:36:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/?p=182992"},"modified":"2023-04-13T13:35:43","modified_gmt":"2023-04-13T11:35:43","slug":"bbc-will-look-at-alternatives-to-reducing-its-orchestral-posts","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/bbc-will-look-at-alternatives-to-reducing-its-orchestral-posts\/","title":{"rendered":"BBC will look at alternatives to reducing its orchestral posts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following plans for a 20% cut in full-time posts at the BBC Symphony, BBC Concert Orchestra and BBC Philharmonic, the corporation will examine alternative funding solutions <\/p>

By Steve Wright\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 13 April 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

The BBC has made a further statement about the funding of its three English orchestras, following its recent announcement that full-time posts across all three ensembles would be reduced.<\/p>\n

As we reported in March<\/strong><\/a>, the corporation announced that salaried posts across its three English orchestras \u2013 the BBC Symphony<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0BBC Concert Orchestra<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0 BBC Philharmonic<\/strong><\/a> (pictured above) \u2013 would be reduced by around 20 per cent through a voluntary redundancy programme, with a greater focus on employing freelance players.<\/p>\n\n<p>That news came as part of a <a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/simon-webb-the-bbcs-head-of-orchestras-and-choirs-comments-on-its-2023-classical-review\/"\"><strong>new BBC strategy for classical music<\/strong><\/a>, which aims \u2018to strengthen the BBC\u2019s public purpose for classical music, delivering the best music to a wider audience, with a significant new investment in music education\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>The strategy\u2019s other headline was the planned closure of the <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/singers"\">BBC Singers<\/a><\/strong> (pictured), bringing with it the loss of around 20 full-time posts. Based at BBC Maida Vale Studios in London, the choir is one of the six BBC Performing Groups and features in live concerts, radio transmissions, recordings and education workshops, including annual appearances at the <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/proms"\">BBC Proms<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul><li data-count=\""364"\" data-paragraphs-left=\""25"\"><strong><a class=\""standard-card-new__article-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/bbc-singers-disbanded-reactions-from-yesterdays-announcement\/"\">BBC Singers disbanded: reactions from yesterday\u2019s announcement<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><div class=\""ad-placement"\" data-count=\""364"\" data-paragraphs-left=\""25"\">However, since then <a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/bbc-singers-closure-decision-to-be-suspended\/"\"><strong>the BBC has suspended its decision to close the BBC Singers<\/strong><\/a>. The corporation is looking at alternative funding solutions for the much-loved choir, and has confirmed that the Singers will perform at the 2023 BBC Proms.<\/div>\n<div data-count=\""364"\" data-paragraphs-left=\""25"\"\/>\n<div data-count=\""364"\" data-paragraphs-left=\""25"\">Like that decision, today\u2019s statement on the three English orchestras seems to indicate appears to show that the BBC will look for funding alternatives to the proposed redundancies across the three English orchestras.<\/div>\n<p style=\""font-weight:\">It reads:<\/p>\n<p style=\""font-weight:\">\u2018Following our recent discussions, we want to confirm that, whilst the BBC needs to make savings, we are committed to working with the Musicians\u2019 Union to explore alternatives to the proposed 20% post closures in the English Orchestras.<\/p>\n<p style=\""font-weight:\">\u2018These alternatives will look to create sustainability for our Performing Groups and to deliver the recommendations of the 2022 Classical Review \u2013 which are outlined below:<\/p>\n<ol style=\""font-weight:\"><li>We will collaborate more with partners across the UK<\/li>\n<li>We will invest more in education<\/li>\n<li>We will do more to open up the classical sector as a place to work<\/li>\n<li>We will innovate to bring classical music to new audiences<\/li>\n<\/ol><p style=\""font-weight:\">\u2018In exploring alternative proposals, we will also invite independent experts from across the sector to work with us and the Musicians\u2019 Union.<\/p>\n<p style=\""font-weight:\">\u2018In parallel, we remain committed to consulting the <a href=\""https:\/\/musiciansunion.org.uk\/"\"><strong>Musicians\u2019 Union<\/strong><\/a> and other BBC unions on progress regarding the alternative models being proposed for the BBC Singers.\u2019<\/p>\n<section class=\""highlight\"> <div class=\""highlight__content\" editor-content=\"\"> \n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/the-lark-ascending-skylark-recordings-project-will-benefit-researchers-and-composers\/"\">The Lark Ascending: brand new skylark recordings project<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/guarneri-baltic-violin-auctions-for-9-44-million\/"\">Guarneri \u2018Baltic\u2019 violin auctions for $9.44 million<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/westminster-abbey-st-margarets-church-to-welcome-girl-choristers\/"\">Westminster Abbey: St Margaret\u2019s Church to welcome girl choristers<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/universal-music-group-acquires-hyperion\/"\">Universal Music Group acquires Hyperion<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/britten-sinfonia-launches-1-million-appeal-following-ace-funding-cut\/"\">Britten Sinfonia launches \u00a31 million appeal following ACE funding cut<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section> <p>\u00a0<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> Following plans for a 20% cut in full-time posts at the BBC Symphony, BBC Concert Orchestra and BBC Philharmonic, the corporation will examine alternative funding solutions <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"3"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Following plans for a 20% cut in full-time posts at the BBC Symphony, BBC Concert Orchestra and BBC Philharmonic, the corporation will examine alternative funding solutions","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/26578"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}