Britten Sinfonia - Mission Statement

Mission Statement

"We will inspire people with fresh and exciting performances of great music from Albinoni to Zappa. We aim to appeal to diverse cultural groups both through the work we present and the way we present it. Our approach will be recognised for its integrity, intelligence and, above all, excellence.”

The orchestra does not have a principal conductor or artistic director but chooses to work with a range of international guest artists from across the musical spectrum as suited to each particular project.

Recent seasons have included projects with Brad Mehldau, Thomas Adès, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, James MacMillan, Ian Bostridge, Joanna MacGregor, Masaaki Suzuki, Polyphony, director Katie Mitchell, Imogen Cooper, Dhafer Youssef and the Michael Clark Company. For the 2011/12 season, guest artists include Mark Padmore, Sir Mark Elder, Henning Kraggerud, Pekka Kuusisto and Thomas Ades.

Britten Sinfonia performs in concert halls around Europe and Festivals and is a regular at the BBC Proms and has residencies in Cambridge, Norwich, and Brighton with a concert series at London’s Barbican Centre and Wigmore Hall. The ensemble enjoys an international profile, a recent highlight being a tour of South America, and is frequently heard on disc, BBC Radio 3 and commercial radio. The orchestra has received awards including a Gramophone Award and in 2007 won the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Ensemble Award in recognition for its work.