Blackpool Symphony Orchestra (BSO) was founded by Percy Dayman in 1921. We are 60 member semi-professional orchestra.
Our Centenary season was during COVID 19 lockdowns but we kept connected online throughout. Our composer in Residence, Edward Rugman, arranged Somewhere Over the Rainbow and was featured on Granada News.
We celebrated our Centenary +1 season with four great concerts.
We are proud that our Musical Director Helen Harrison started her professional orchestral conducting journey with us at BSO in 2011.
A warm, natural and communicative presence on the podium British conductor Helen Harrison inspires exciting and compelling performances from the artists she collaborates with from orchestras, opera companies and choirs.
Musical education and culture are very much part of the ethos of the BSO.
Our concerts provide great pleasure to the Lancashire public at large.
We also have a great following from the youth of Lancashire who are looking to advance their musical education and see the BSO as a vehicle for achieving this.
Our orchestra brings a range of ages together from 14 through to 84 - and the benefits this brings in sharing life experiences with proven success in health outcomes for all involved - makes this a worthy project to support.
Since 2011 we have given opportunities to over 30 young musicians U19 who played with us regularly. Particularly, pleasing is that many of these players return to play with us after University retaining their skills in the local area. We also offer opportunities for young musicians to play concertos with us in a solo capacity to further their musical career; recent performers have gone on to musical college and to pursue careers as professional musicians.
Orchestra members and audiences benefit from the skills of a professional conductor who works with leading professional orchestras including the Royal Northern Sinfonia, the Royal Philharmonic orchestra and brings this experience back to enrich the musical experience of the musical community here in Lancashire.
