Sir Mark Elder has renewed his contract with Manchester’s Hallé Orchestra, extending their much-praised partnership through until at least 2020. 

Elder took up the role with the Manchester ensemble in 2000, since which the partnership has become highly acclaimed for the strong and successful rapport between musicians and maestro. It’s a relationship which record-buyers have been able to follow on the orchestra’s own Hallé label, not least the recent Gramophone Award-winning release of Elgar’s The Apostles. Click this link to watch an interview with Sir Mark Elder discussing The Apostles. 

Meanwhile, the Hallé will be playing a key role in Manchester’s celebration next year of the music of Richard Strauss, to mark 150 years since the composer’s birth. Other ensembles to participate in the series are the BBC Philharmonic and the Manchester Camerata, along with soloists including Susan Gritton, Soile Isokoski, Steven Isserlis and Roderick Williams. 

Starting on January 9, and running until March 8, nine programmes will feature all Strauss’s orchestral songs and many of his great orchestral works including a performance of An Alpine Symphony with musicians from both the BBC Philharmonic and Hallé performing together. 

It follows past collaborations between Manchester-based ensembles in celebrations of the music of Shostakovich and Mahler. The honorary patron of the festival – which is called Strauss’s Voice – is Michael Kennedy, who will give a keynote talk on January 22. There are also preview talks, pre-concert performances and workshops. Full details can be found at the Strauss's Voice website.