Ever since Charles Hallé championed the works of his friend and contemporary Hector Berlioz, the Hallé has sought to promote the new to our audience. Strong personal relationships between the Hallé and our conductors Hans Richter and Sir John Barbirolli with Elgar and Vaughan Williams respectively, led to the orchestra performing the world premieres of significant works by each of them. It was during Sir John’s era that the Hallé started to commission works, and these ambitions have continued.
Within the last few years the Hallé has commissioned and collaborated with some truly exceptional artists, including: Sir James MacMillan, Thomas Adès, Huw Watkins, Colin Matthews, Ryan Wigglesworth and Dobrinka Tabakova.
We have developed music from a diverse range of genres including commissions specifically for our Children’s and Youth Choirs, building on the extraordinary choral offer that the Hallé has in its armoury. One such example is James MacMillan’s major new work Timotheus, Bacchus and Cecilia, written for the Hallé, Hallé Choir, Youth Choir and Children’s Choir, performed at Sir Mark Elder’s final concerts at The Bridgewater Hall in May/June 2024 and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3:
“It was thoroughly theatrical – something Sir Mark Elder always enjoys – full of striking effects, a showpiece for the combined Hallé Choir and Hallé Youth Choir, and appealing in the role it gave the Hallé Children’s Choir voices, which were confident and strong.” The Arts Desk
In 2025 the Hallé will be performing Sir James MacMillan’s new symphony – there is an opportunity for you to experience the creation and development of this work first hand and have your name linked to an exciting addition to the classical canon.
Committing to a strong commissioning programme is more critical than ever for our sector as public funding continues to decline in real terms, the landscape for private funding and income generation is growing increasingly difficult and competitive. In response to this and to protect, fortify, and grow our organisation and our art form we are launching a Commissioning Circle initiative. It will be the first of its kind in the Hallé’s extraordinary 166 year history, and marks the beginning of a new chapter which ultimately builds on Charles Hallé’s original vision and the work of the many great artists who have passed through our organisation.
The Commissioning Circle programme supports the Charles Hallé Foundation. The Charles Hallé Foundation is a Registered Charity, No. 236149. A gift to the programme can also be a way of remembering a loved one.
