John Pickard premiere in Cardiff

John Pickard

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW), conducted by Martyn Brabbins, will be giving the world premiere of John Pickard's Symphony No. 5 on 7 June 2016 at BBC Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff. The symphony was commissioned by the BBC NOW and written in 2014. Unusually the symphony features three sets of timpani with the instruments sitting right, left and centre behind the orchestra; with a total of 12 timps at his disposal Pickard often uses the timpani to carry the melody. The concert also includes Walton's Johannesburg Festival Overture and Elgar's Cello Concerto with cellist Alban Gerhardt

John Pickard (born 1963) studied music at University of Wales, Bangor where his composition teacher was William Matthias, before going on to study with Louis Andriessen in the Hague. He is currently Professor of Composition and Applied Musicology at the University of Bristol, where has worked since 1993.

Of his previous four symphonies, No. 2 was premiered by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in 1989 and No. 3 was a BBC commission for BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Mark Wigglesworth, which they premiered in 1997. His hour long Gaia Symphony (1991-2003) for brass band was first heard in its complete version at the 2005 Cheltenham Music Festival.