Huw Watkins - Symphony No. 2 (Mark Elder)

Information

Composer: Huw Watkins

• Fanfare for the Hallé
• Symphony No. 2
• Concerto for Orchestra

Hallé Orchestra

Mark Elder, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: Halle Concerts Society

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This album highlights the close collaboration between composer Huw Watkins, conductor Sir Mark Elder, and the Hallé Orchestra, while reflecting the profound impact of the Covid pandemic on British cultural life. Commissioned and premiered between 2020 and 2025, the works—including Symphony No. 2, Fanfare for the Hallé, and Concerto for Orchestra—blend symphonic tradition with fresh, expressive orchestration. Symphony No. 2, composed during lockdown, conveys resilience and ends on a hopeful note, while the brass-driven Fanfare celebrates the orchestra’s return to performance. The Concerto for Orchestra, premiered as Sir Mark became Conductor Emeritus, showcases the ensemble’s versatility and vitality, resulting in music that is both uplifting and richly colored.

Mark Elder (born 1947) is a distinguished British conductor and Conductor Emeritus of the Hallé Orchestra, having served as its Music Director from 2000 to 2024. In September 2025, he became Music Director of the Palau de Les Arts Valencia. Formerly Artistic Director of Opera Rara (2012–19) and Music Director of English National Opera (1979–93), Elder has conducted extensively at major opera houses, including the Royal Opera House, Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opera, and San Francisco Opera. Renowned for his recordings with leading orchestras and ensembles, he has received numerous honors, including CBE, knighthood, Companion of Honour, and the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Conductor of the Year award.

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