Hallé at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

'Not since the days of Barbirolli has Manchester enjoyed such a powerful combination of inspirational maestro and fired–up orchestra. Aided by Lyn Fletcher, Hallé's exceptional leader, Elder has turned Hallé into a passionate yet well–drilled outfit, as capable of delivering sumptuous Elgar as of snarling sardonically through Shostakovich.' Richard Morrison, The Times

Founded in Manchester by the pianist and conductor Charles Hallé in 1858, Britain's longest established professional symphony orchestra gave its first concert in the city's Free Trade Hall on 30 January of that year. Following the death of Sir Charles Hallé, the orchestra continued to develop under the guidance of such distinguished figures as Hans Richter, Sir Hamilton Harty and Sir John Barbirolli. Last season, the Hallé and the Hallé Choir celebrated their 150th anniversary.

Sir Mark Elder, who was knighted for services to music in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2008, became Music Director in 2000, since when the Hallé has received increasing acclaim both here and abroad. The Royal Philharmonic Society honoured Sir Mark with the Conductor Award at the 2006 ceremony and, the previous year, the Hallé was presented with the Ensemble Award. The Hallé, BBC Philharmonic and the Royal Northern College of Music were recently awarded the South Bank Show classical music award for 'Shostakovich, His Heroes and Comrades', a collaboration which marked the centenary of Shostakovich's birth in a cycle of his symphonies and chamber music in 2006.

In 1996, the Hallé moved to its new home, The Bridgewater Hall, where it presents over 70 concerts a year. Making over 40 appearances annually throughout the rest of Britain, the Hallé attracts large and enthusiastic audiences both here in Manchester and beyond. Its reputation for artistic excellence and versatility has led to many international tours as well as frequent broadcasts and televised performances; it has just returned from highly successful tours of South America and of Germany and Austria, including Vienna’s Konzerthaus. 

In 2003, the Hallé launched its own CD label of studio recordings – featuring in particular, the music of Elgar and Richard Strauss, Colin Matthews, Debussy, Wagner, Nielsen and Shostakovich. The recording of the first 12 of Colin Matthews’s orchestrations of Debussy Preludes, on the Hallé’s own label, has been awarded a prestigious ‘Diapason d’Or’ award. The label has just re-launched under Sir Mark Elder’s interpretation of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius with Alice Coote, Paul Groves and Bryn Terfel and the world premiere recordings of Colin Matthews’s Alphabicycle Order and Horn Concerto.

The Hallé Choir, founded alongside the orchestra in 1858, is under the leadership of the Hallé's Choral Director, James Burton, who also directs the Hallé Youth Choir. The Hallé's Assistant Conductor, Ewa Strusinska, directs the Hallé Youth Orchestra. The Hallé Youth Choir are led by the Hallé’s Youth Choir Director, Greg Batsleer. At the beginning of the 2005-06 season, for the first time in its long history, the Hallé appointed a Principal Guest Conductor, Cristian Mandeal. He will be followed in the post, next year, by Markus Stenz. This year sees the launch of the Hallé’s Children’s Choir directed by Shirley Court.

As part of its ongoing commitment to living composers, the Hallé – as well as presenting many important UK and Manchester premieres – has given the first performance of works by Elgar and Vaughan Williams, and more recently, by Thomas Adès, John Casken, Luke Bedford, Mark-Anthony Turnage and John McCabe, a tradition which continues with new works by its Associate Composer, Colin Matthews.

Last season over a quarter of a million people heard the Hallé. More than 20,000 of these were young people inspired by the Hallé's pioneering education programme which generates over 40 projects a year and exists to create a wider enjoyment and understanding of music throughout the whole community. The Hallé is a society and registered charity that exists to ensure the continued success and development of the orchestra and its family.

To find out more about the Hallé, and for information on how to join the Hallé Choir, Youth Choir, Youth Orchestra or the Children’s Choir as well as how to support the Hallé Concerts Society and for details of the work of Hallé Education, visit www.halle.co.uk or telephone 0161 237 7008