Heritage Talk: Celebrating 100 Years of the BPO

Pictured: Herbert Menges & Yehudi Menuhin outside Brighton Dome stage door, April 1968.

Pianist, conductor and Music Director of Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO), Joanna MacGregor CBE delves into the archives to share some of the treasures discovered in the creation of BPO’s upcoming Centenary Book.

Established in 1925, BPO’s rich history includes artistic triumphs, financial battles and fiercely loyal audiences, interwoven with legends of the day from Rachmaninoff to Evelyn Glennie.

Fast-forward 100 years, and Joanna MacGregor’s leadership and enticing programming has seen audiences triple, bringing the orchestra securely into its blockbuster centenary season.

‘It’s an enormous privilege to celebrate one hundred years of Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra,’ Joanna says. ‘Few orchestras last this long, and BPO’s biography reads like a thriller with a cliffhanger ending.’

Join Joanna as she showcases the legendary performers who joined the orchestra and the exciting programming she is bringing to the city.