Austria’s Bruckner Orchester is to make its first ever tour of the UK in 2016. Fives dates will see the Linz group, led by American chief conductor Dennis Russell Davies, travel to London, Edinburgh, Warwick and Middlesbrough. The tour runs 21-26 April.
Bruckner Orchester will perform Beethoven’s King Stephen Overture and Piano Concerto No 4 as well as signature piece Bruckner’s Symphony No 6. Also in the programme is Philip Glass’ dense Symphony No 9 – a personal connection, as Glass is a close friend of Davies and the piece was originally commissioned by him.
‘I have been with the Bruckner Orchester since 2002,’ said Davies. ‘We have achieved a lot together and I am very pleased that we will now be able to share our work with audiences in the UK.’
Davies has overseen a successful period for Bruckner Orchester. The group began performing at custom-built facility at Landestheater Linz Musiktheater am Volksgarten in 2013, and a number of its recent recordings – including Glass’ Symphony No 9 – have sold well.
‘My own musicianship has certainly deepened in the years I have been with this orchestra,’ continued the conductor. ‘[I’ve been] influenced by the richness of its string sound and conviction of its playing. I am sure these qualities and many others will be apparent to our audiences on tour.’
The tour includes appearances by pianists Ingolf Wunder and Melvyn Tan. Tan will lead a masterclass before the Middlesbrough concert on 25 April.
Bruckner Orchester Linz’s origins go back over 200 years, but it has existed in its current form since 1967.