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Their engagement work deepens their performance work, with additional insight and interest in the communities they serve. As well as performance musicians they have a team of specialists, known as Associate Musicians, that live across the region and represent the orchestra. Trained in-house, they are community music leaders, facilitators and creative practitioners. They are trauma informed and equipped to work in care homes, with patients with dementia, or even in End-of-Life settings. It’s a combination of both that make BSO the success that it is, with as much care, thought and creativity going into a performance at the BBC Proms as into a Tea and Dementia session in a village hall in rural Somerset. Their outreach work is done in partnership with local health and social care providers. Building relationships and trust can be up to a year in the making before the organisations are ready to work together in bespoke and dedicated ways. Their seven Community and Wellbeing Orchestras are based in Bodmin, Boscombe, Bristol, Exeter, Chard, Southampton, and Wincanton. Headlines January and February 2026 Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is the only full-time professional symphony orchestra in the region and the largest performance organisation to the south and west of London. Their remit covers a wide and diverse area, disparate communities and approximately 10,000 square miles. BSO’s home-grown productions tour the southwest, with 77% of performances happening away from their home venue in Poole. These must cater to a range of venue sizes and social demographics, their ‘On your doorstep’ initiative adapts large scale performances to smaller venues serving rural areas. Outdoor performances are just as important, reclaiming city centres for culture, with the goal of being truly accessible to all. They are the orchestra in residence at Bristol Beacon but need to be as relevant to an audience there as to one in Poole or Cornwall. Championing professional musicians is at the heart of their practice, they are the largest musical employer in the region. Bringing music into people’s lives is their philosophy, wherever they might be on life’s journey, and performance is just the tip of the iceberg. BSO’s participatory programme is what makes them unique, focussing on education, young people, communities and creative health. These are not just adjuncts but the most important elements of their programme. They consider a performance in the Royal Albert Hall to be just as important as one in a care home or on a hospital ward. The BSO aim to connect people with music in ways that are important to them. The Bristol Recovery Orchestra is a standout example, working with Bristol Drugs Project’s Creative Communities. This is a space for anyone affected by addiction to make music. Meeting weekly, they create new music and play anything from classical pieces to Radiohead. Boscombe’s Old School House is another, a weekly drop-in for those experiencing mental health challenges, homelessness, isolation or addiction and creating a musical community. Crucially what all create is a space for people to play music in a safe and supportive environment with people who have similar shared experiences. Education is an enormous part of BSO’s provision. Schools’ concerts are often a primary school child’s fi rst experience of symphonic music. They give young musicians’ insight into professional programmes and support their development. They also champion disabled musicians with ‘BSO Resound’, the world’s fi rst disabled-led ensemble as part of a professional orchestra. This has gained them high pro fi le international attention for their ground-breaking performances and advocacy for equality. The bottom line is that BSO are listening to their communities and programming in response to need. They are creating a web of musical activity across the southwest but what makes the organisation exceptional is that everything they do is the very best version of themselves. Suzy Rushbrook 4 Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra *EVOLVER_147_SB.qxp_Evolver_2025 16/12/2025 20:48 Page 4