Lowestoft is a royal favourite for prestigious Orchestra!

Classical music will soon be more accessible for everyone after the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra announced that Lowestoft will be one of its principal residencies.

The prestigious group of musicians have been the resident Orchestra at the Marina Theatre since 2005.

But now, along with their hugely popular live performances, the Orchestra will ensure its work extends beyond the concert stage - with a developed community and education programme run by RPO Resound.

They will soon start a three-year programme with Children & the Arts and the Marina Theatre, which aims to engage up to 900 local primary school children with the wonders of classical music.

Alongside community and education work in the area, the RPO will continue to present concerts offering a range of music to suit all tastes. Their 2018 season at Marina Theatre is on sale now, opening with A Night at the Movies on Friday 22 June, which brings together iconic and epic film soundtracks. Also on the bill is the annual patriotic favourite Last Night of the Proms on Friday 14 September and A Night at the Symphony on Friday 16 November featuring Schumann’s Cello Concerto.

Lee Henderson, Chief Executive at the Marina Theatre, said: “We are immensely proud that the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra have chosen Lowestoft as one of their principal residencies.

“This will make classical music even more accessible for the community as we continue to build on years of music making here at the Marina Theatre.

“We are looking forward to the next chapter of this exciting collaboration.”

A group of Young Producers from Lowestoft Sixth Form College are already planning, devising and working on ways to present a concert with a full symphony orchestra as part of the Sound Around project.

Working with Orchestras Live, this will end with two performances for local schools, as well as a special relaxed concert especially for adults and young people with additional needs.

James Williams, Managing Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, said:

“The RPO is extremely proud of our Residency in Lowestoft and looks forward to developing our partnership with the Marina Theatre over the next 5 years and beyond as one of the Orchestra’s Principal UK Residencies. Our mission of creating live orchestral experiences available to everyone will sit at the heart of our concert, community and education programmes in Lowestoft, brilliantly supported by Lee Henderson, the team at the Marina Theatre and the loyal audiences and partners we’ve developed over many years. Do join us for what promises to be a terrific season of music making to celebrate this ongoing partnership.”

Alongside Lowestoft, the other principal residencies for the Orchestra are Cambridge, Northampton, Reading, Crawley, Hull and Scunthorpe.

To book for any of the performances at the Marina Theatre, call the box office on 01502 533200 or visit the website.