From 1982 to today
	Membership Information
	Michael Bell: Conductor
	Paul Lewis : Leader
	Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra At The Movies

From 1982 to today

Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra performed its inaugural concert at St David's Cathedral, Cardiff on Saturday 19 June 1982. Initially the orchestra intended to perform a single concert from which the proceeds were donated to South Glamorgan Community Welfare Trust, a charitable organisation that had agreed to sponsor the concert.

However twenty-five years, and over 230 concerts later, Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra continues to flourish with a membership of players not only from the capital city, but throughout South Wales.

CPO is recognised as one of Wales's foremost non-professional orchestras, with a reputation for a wide ranging repertoire from film music and light classics to major works usually considered outside the remit or capabilities of an amateur orchestra. These include the first Cardiff performances of Mahler's Third and Sixth Symphonies (at Llandaff Cathedral in June 1984 and June 1985 respectively) and two performances of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring at St David's Hall, Cardiff (in March 1990 and November 1996).

Other major symphonic works performed by CPO include Richard Strauss's An Alpine Symphony & Don Juan, Mahler's Symphonies 1 & 5, Rachmaninov's Symphony No 2, Bruckner's Symphonies 4 & 8, Vaughan Williams's A London Symphony, Shostakovich's Symphonies 5 & 7 (Leningrad), Sir Arthur Bliss's complete ballet score, Checkmate (Welsh premiere 1985) and Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique.  Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra has performed all four symphonies by Brahms as well as symphonies by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Schumann, Borodin, Saint-Saens and Sibelius.

Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra appeared at the annual Cardiff Festival of Music from 1987 to the Festival's final season in 1995. In the 1994 Festival, CPO commissioned a work from composer Lynne Plowman. The resulting work, Blue, was given its premiere by CPO at Llandaff Cathedral, and was subsequently performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

At Easter 1996 CPO undertook its first overseas visit with a three-concert tour of Switzerland, followed by a tour of France in 1998 that culminated with a concert at the Salle Pleyel, Paris's premier concert venue. ITV Wales broadcast a documentary of this tour in July 1998.

In June 2000 Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra was invited to return to Paris to perform the final concert of the British Millennium Festival. The concert, at the historic Eglise de la Madeline, was attended by the British Ambassador and included performances of works by Bach/Stokowski, Faure, Saint-Saens and Elgar's Symphony No 1.

In July 2000 Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra was invited to perform in the annual Welsh Proms in Cardiff, and has performed at the Welsh Proms in each subsequent year with guests such as Aled Jones, Brian Blessed and Dave Benson Phillips. In July 2006 the Children’s Prom was a bilingual event with narration by Kirsten O’Brien and Branwen Gwyn. The concert was recorded for broadcast on S4C at a later date.

Since 1997 Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra has accompanied the finalists in the television broadcast of the biannual Texaco Young Musician of Wales Competition, and in 2000 Texaco became Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra's sponsor, an association that began with the release of the orchestra's CD, A Night at the Movies.

Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra was the first non-professional orchestra to perform at St David's Hall, Cardiff in 1983. CPO appears regularly at St David's Hall and since 1998 has performed an annual series of concerts of popular classics and film music.

Soloists with whom CPO has performed at St David's Hall include Sir Geraint Evans, Bryn Terfel, Charlotte Church, Bonnie Tyler and pianist Martin Jones.

Other venues in South Wales at which Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra has performed in recent years includes Blackwood Miners Institute, Brecon Cathedral, Maesteg Town Hall, Grand Pavilion Porthcawl, Folly Farm Theatre and the Gwyn Hall, Neath. CPO performs an annual outdoor concert each summer at the beautiful setting of Scolton Manor, near Haverfordwest.

In March 2006 Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra made its debut at the Wales Millennium Centre with a programme that included a performance of Karl Jenkins’s The Armed Man which was conducted by the composer himself. The orchestra was joined on that occasion by Cor Caerdydd and a distinguished array of soloists including leading British cellist Paul Watkins.

"Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra is a huge musical asset to the Welsh capital, an orchestra of which any city would be proud" (AJ Sicluna, South Wales Echo)

CARDIFF PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA is supported by a Lottery grant from the Arts Council of Wales

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Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra has a regular membership of more than eighty players. No subscription is charged to players. Members of the orchestra range from students to very experienced players, all of whom give freely and generously of their time for the orchestra. In turn CPO gives its players the opportunity to perform regularly at St David's Hall, Wales' premier concert venue, and at other major venues such as Llandaff Cathedral and the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. CPO performs an average of fifteen concerts each season and rehearses in Cardiff during school terms on Friday evenings, with occasional sectional rehearsals on Thursday evenings. There are no auditions to join CPO, however there are rarely vacancies in the woodwind or brass sections. We welcome enquiries, particularly from string players, who are interested in joining Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra. Please contact administrator of the orchestra by email membership@cardiffphilharmonic.org.uk for further information. You would be required to offer a regular commitment to the orchestra. In addition you would need to be a good sight-reader for the orchestra's many and varied programmes. Music is provided free of charge to players for the duration of the rehearsal period for each concert. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Michael Bell formed Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra in 1982 and has since conducted all the orchestra's concerts. Born in Neath, Michael's interest in conducting began at school and as a member of the West Glamorgan Youth Orchestra, where he played the double bass. After leaving school Michael continued his studies at Cardiff University. As part of his Bachelor of Music degree Michael studied the music of Sir Arthur Bliss, and was fortunate to meet the composer's widow Lady Bliss on several occasions, gaining an unique insight into Bliss's music. Having left Cardiff University in 1981, and with few opportunities to conduct, Michael formed Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra. Michael has become popular with audiences for his informative yet light-hearted presentations of CPO's concerts, particularly the Family Concerts series at St David's Hall, Cardiff. Michael is a regular contributor to the Western Mail, the national newspaper of Wales, writing concert reviews, though not, he hastens to add, of his own concerts!

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Paul Lewis was born in Morriston and was educated at school in Neath and at Cardiff University. After leaving University he was appointed a peripatetic teacher of violin and viola by the West Glamorgan Music Service and currently teaches in schools in the Neath and Port Talbot area. Paul has been the leader of Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra since its formation in 1982.

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