Bath Symphony Orchestra (including Bath Symphony Orchestra Productions Ltd)

Bath Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1948. It is made up of over sixty playing members, with a minimum entry requirement of grade 8 standard. Extra players are brought in for balance and strengthening as appropriate for larger scale works, for example to form expanded wind sections.

The orchestra is strictly an amateur orchestra catering for music teachers and professionals in other walks of life from the Bath area, all of whom are committed to achieving the highest possible musical standards and to performing challenging symphonic programmes.

The Orchestra normally gives three symphony concerts a year, using venues in and around Bath such as the Guildhall, the Forum, and the Wiltshire Music Centre. Recent concerts have included Stravinsky Firebird Suite, Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements, Borodin Symphony No. 2, Mahler Symphony No. 1, Brahms Symphony No. 1, Bartok Concerto for Orchestra, Walton Symphony No. 1, Pictures at an Exhibition and Elgar Symphony No. 1. We have engaged both locally-based and internationally known soloists including Viv MacLean, Nadia Myerscough, Madeleine Mitchell and Costas Fotopoulos.

Rehearsals are held on Tuesday evenings in central Bath from September to June with some 8 or 9 rehearsals for each concert. The Musical Director is Eugene Monteith and the Leader is Alison Boden. We are a friendly, amateur orchestra and we always welcome new string players of around Grade 8 standard or above to join our waiting lists.