Early years In May 1925,
Herbert Menges and his mother Kate formed the Symphonic String Players. By 1928, the orchestra had moved to
Brighton Dome and had adopted the name Symphonic Players. Menges continued as Principal Conductor after a new president was appointed. In 1942 they organised a week-long music festival at which many soloists of the era performed, as did the
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. In 1945, the orchestra moved from featuring amateur musicians to professionals and changed its name. "An ambitious scheme for its future development" was proposed and was accepted by
Brighton Borough Council, which agreed to provide £1,000 to cover any losses made. The same amount came from the lessees of
Brighton Racecourse, and the
Arts Council of Great Britain also provided funding. At this time the orchestra travelled to other towns on many occasions, giving concerts at
Eastbourne,
Hastings,
Portsmouth,
Southampton,
Folkestone and
Swindon.
Ralph Vaughan Williams took over the position of President in 1947, and the orchestra had guest appearances from Malcolm Sargent,
Yehudi Menuhin,
Rosalyn Tureck,
Norman Del Mar and
William Walton. In 1958 the name Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra was adopted. In 1967 the orchestra appointed
Benjamin Britten as President, with concerts including
Jacqueline du Pré,
Alfred Brendel,
André Previn,
Brighton Festival Chorus and
Mstislav Rostropovich. This was despite "a succession of financial crises" which were averted by funding received from the Arts Council, Brighton Borough Council and
Southern Television, the local
ITV broadcasting licence holder. The orchestra was also one of several that performed at the inaugural
Brighton Festival in 1967. Menges, the principle conductor in 1972 died and was replaced by
John Carewe. In 2019,
Joanna MacGregor CBE became Music Director and began conducting the orchestra as principal. In 2024/25 the orchestra celebrated its Centenary season, with guest appearances from
Evelyn Glennie and
Jess Gillam and culminating in a gala performance of Messiaen's Turangalîla Symphony. == References ==