This year the Buxton International Festival is establishing its own resident orchestra, the Buxton International Festival Orchestra.
BIF Orchestra
The Buxton International Festival Orchestra will feature not only experienced professionals but also outstanding young artists in their early careers, providing them with valuable performance opportunities and furthering the Festival’s vision of supporting the development of orchestral talent.
How it works
The festival orchestra will be performing two of the operas in the 2025 season: Mozart’s The Impresario under the direction of Dame Jane Glover and BIF’s Head of Music Iwan Davies; and a double bill of Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine and Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti under Iwan Davies.
Alongside the many visiting artists and professional orchestras that perform in Buxton every year, the Buxton International Festival Orchestra will develop its own musical identity by specialising in the rarely performed operas that define this internationally recognized festival.
The vision for the future is that this new ensemble will become an established feature of the annual summer festival in Buxton, giving symphonic and chamber concerts in addition to playing for some of the Festival’s opera productions.
‘The launch of a festival orchestra marks a new and exciting chapter for Buxton International Festival. Working alongside our colleagues in the Musicians Union, this initiative enhances our ability to support UK musicians while further enhancing the quality of our world-class opera productions.’
Michael Williams, CEO, BIF
‘The Musicians’ Union (MU) met with BIF and have put together an agreement which details how musicians engaged directly by the Festival will work as well as the minimum fees they will be paid. The creation of the Buxton International Festival Orchestra and the agreement with the MU which is now incorporated into the suite of collective agreements that employers and engagers have with us is an exciting and most welcome development for the Festival, the MU and the musicians that will perform in Buxton’.
Morris Stemp, Musicians’ Union