BBC Radio 3 opens 2022 Manchester Week

Following the cancellation of last January’s Manchester Week due to Covid, BBC Radio 3’s week of live and pre-recorded concerts starts today with performances broadcast from Bridgewater Hall, Chetham’s School of Music’s Stoller Hall, The White Hotel in Salford and Manchester’s Media City.

Manchester Week celebrates the city’s music scene, with ensembles, musicians, and composers presenting repertoire based around the theme of sound and nature. Manchester Camerata, celebrating its 50th birthday this year, will present programme of Mozart pieces recorded at The Stoller Hall, with soloists Alexander Sitkovetsky and Timothy Ridout.

Fran Healey, general manager of The Stoller Hall, said: ‘Manchester’s music scene is legendary, but with so many emerging artists and with incredible venues to host them, classical music in Manchester has never been more vibrant.’

Tom McKinney starts the week today with a pre-recorded edition of BBC Radio 3 in Concert, part of a series of five programmes designed to showcase the city’s variety of performing groups. Radio 3 will also present four Lunchtime Concerts live from The Stoller Hall which will feature current and former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists.

BBC Radio 3 is the biggest broadcaster of live classical concerts worldwide. Controller Alan Davey, said: ‘With the Manchester Week, we take a moment to celebrate inspiring talent in inspiring venues, and to put the spotlight on one of the UK and the world’s most creative and culturally vibrant cities. ‘

Other BBC Radio 3 in Concert Manchester Week episodes will include the Manchester Collective presenting world premieres by Ben Nobuto and Sebastian Gainsborough at Salford’s The White Hotel, the BBC Philharmonic presenting the Cello Concerto by Manchester-born William Walton live from Media City and the Hallé Orchestra with music director Sir Mark Elder performing Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 at Bridgewater Hall with soloist Alice Coote.

You can find out more about Manchester Week here.