MAAZEL:
MAHLER CYCLE 2011
BBC Symphony Chorus
Stephen Jackson Chorus Director
One of the UK's finest and most distinctive amateur choirs,
the BBC Symphony Chorus was founded in 1928. The
Chorus's early appearances included UK premières of
Bartók's Cantata profana, Stravinsky's Perséphone and
Mahler's Eighth Symphony, and this commitment to new
music is undiminished today with commissions in recent
years from Stephen Montague, Sir John Tavener,
Mark-Anthony Turnage and Judith Weir.
In its appearances with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Chorus performs a wide range of challenging repertoire, most of which is broadcast on BBC Radio 3. The 2010/11 season's concerts with the BBC Symphony Orchestra include Delius's The Song of the High Hills conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, Julian Anderson's Heaven is Shy of Earth with Oliver Knussen, Rachmaninov's The Bells with Semyon Bychkov and music by some of the great Hollywood composers. In recent seasons the Chorus has also given concerts in the Canary Islands and Istanbul as well as making recordings for commercial record labels, including Foulds's A World Requiem and a selection of choral works by Joseph Marx.
As resident chorus for the BBC Proms, the Chorus takes part in a number of concerts each season, including the Last Night. Its 2010 appearances included Mahler's Eighth Symphony on the First Night and a solo Prom under Chorus Director Stephen Jackson featuring Poulenc's Figure humaine and the world première of Wilful Chants, a BBC commission by Stephen Montague.