Since Thomas Søndergård’s opening concert with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, this partnership has cultivated a special relationship with the music of Sibelius, resulting in three recordings of the composer’s music. In 2017 they performed Symphonies 2 and 7 at the BBC Proms receiving widespread acclaim, with critics describing the performances as ‘radiant’, ‘masterful’ and ‘quite, quite beautiful’.

Prior to this first recording Søndergård made his excitement clear: ‘I can’t wait to discover Sibelius all over again with my new orchestra.’

With their nationalist themes Symphonies 2 and 7 were perfect repertoire for Søndergård and his orchestra to make their symphonic recording debut. Symphony no.2 marked a major step in Sibelius’s development as a composer, and remains one of his most popular works. Symphony no.7 is notable for being a one-movement symphony and is completely original in form, subtle in its handling of tempi, individual in its treatment of key and is considered Sibelius’s most remarkable compositional achievement.

Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård is Principal Conductor of BBC NOW and Principal Guest Conductor of Royal Scottish National Orchestra; a rare honour to hold titled positions with two major British orchestras. Søndergård’s most recent season includes debuts with Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Bern Symphony Orchestra, Gurzenich-Orchester Köln, SWR Baden-Baden, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg and return visits to Sydney Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse and Norske Opera.

BBC NOW plays an integral role in the cultural and classical landscape of Wales and performs annually at the BBC Proms and biannually at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. The orchestra celebrated its ninetieth anniversary in April 2018.

‘Søndergård and the BBC NOW should be considered an important voice of Sibelius...’ – Hi-Fi+

‘I can only welcome, with fast-beating heart, one of the great new Sibelian teams into the record business... Søndergård’s Sibelius Two is breathtaking...Their flawless performance of the Seventh Symphony, if you love this music, will break your heart.’ – The Herald

‘The BBC National Orchestra of Wales [was] in top form under Thomas Søndergård’s direction.’ – The Independent