Our continuing support of the BSO
At Investec, we take great pride in our responsibility to our local community. In Bournemouth, we choose to support the BSO as it enhances lives in the South West and beyond through music.
We have been a proud sponsor for eight years. We’re delighted that this support has helped the BSO to be one of the first UK orchestras to livestream full symphonic performances and, in doing so, lead the way for the return of the live music industry. Luckily for us it also means we get exclusive interviews and backstage access to see the work that goes into bringing the music to life.
Image: ©Mark Allan and courtesy of Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
BSO talks with Martin Handley
Martin Handley, who is best known for his work as a presenter on BBC Radio 3, has been welcoming BSO listeners to the BSO livestreamed concerts over the past two years. In fact, he was the first to present the BSO’s very first livestream in September 2020, with Investec as Series Sponsor.
Martin has combined performing musically and vocally for as long as he can remember. At school and university he was always playing the violin, or the piano, conducting or acting. He has spent most of his life since then combining his love of music and theatre by working in opera. He began as a repetiteur in Germany, before breaking off to do a post-graduate acting course at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. But the lure of the opera house proved too great, and he spent three years as chorus master for Australian Opera.
On Martin's return to the UK to fill the same position with ENO, he began working as a broadcaster for the BBC World Service. Martin also works as a conductor in the U.K., Germany, France, Ireland, the USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and in Copenhagen, where he spent two seasons as head of music for the Royal Danish Opera. Martin coaches young singers and works regularly for the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the National Opera Studio, and the Royal Academy of Music.
BSO talks with Catherine Bott
Catherine Bott studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and then spent two years singing everything from Bach to Berio with the Swingles before beginning her solo career as a soprano. These days, Catherine’s voice is regularly heard on Classic FM with her Sunday-night programme, Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Classical Music and The Full Works Concert every Thursday and Friday.
Catherine continues to make feature programmes for Radio 4, where she is a member of the Pick of the Week presenting team. She is a Fellow of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and an Honorary Fellow of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Catherine has been a regular presenter of the BSO’s weekly concert livestreams, supported by Investec as Series Sponsor.
BSO Talks with Sarah Walker
The BSO interviews Sarah Walker, a British music broadcaster for BBC Radio 3. Sarah studied music at Royal Holloway, University of London and Reading University, and in 1995 gained a doctorate in English experimental music. Sarah presents Radio 3's mid-morning programme Essential Classics and has been a regular presenter of the BSO’s weekly concert livestreams, supported by Investec as Series Sponsor.
BSO talks with Tom Service
Tom Service is a British writer, music journalist and television and radio presenter. Tom is a regular presenter of The Proms for Radio 3 and has presented several documentaries on the subject of classical music.
As part of the BSO’s new series An Audience with brought to you by BSO Series Sponsor, Investec, Tom kindly sat down to tell us a little bit about himself.
Want to see more? Tom presented the BSO’s Mozart and Bruckner concert on Wednesday, 17 November 2021 with BSO Artist in Residence, Felix Klieser. The concert was conducted by BSO Chief Conductor, Kirill Karabits, and performed in both Poole and Exeter and you can watch a replay of the event until the 17th of December 2021.
Tom Service is a British writer, music journalist and television and radio presenter. Tom is a regular presenter of The Proms for Radio 3 and has presented several documentaries on the subject of classical music.
As part of the BSO’s new series An Audience with brought to you by BSO Series Sponsor, Investec, Tom kindly sat down to tell us a little bit about himself.
Want to see more? Tom presented the BSO’s Mozart and Bruckner concert on Wednesday, 17 November 2021 with BSO Artist in Residence, Felix Klieser. The concert was conducted by BSO Chief Conductor, Kirill Karabits, and performed in both Poole and Exeter and you can watch a replay of the event until the 17th of December 2021.
Scott Jones in conversation with Dougie Scarfe
Scott Jones, Head of our Bournemouth office, sits down with the BSO’s Chief Executive Dougie Scarfe and takes a look at what the BSO has been up to over the past year. This exclusive interview looks at how the BSO has coped through the pandemic, as well as what the future of live/digital performance might look like.
Behind the scenes with the BSO
The BSO was silenced for the longest period in its 127-year history in the first national lockdown last year but made a triumphant and ground-breaking return to live music with its first series of livestreamed concerts in the autumn.
We take a behind-the-scenes look at what the BSO have been up to and how streaming their concerts digitally has been made possible.
