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Orchestra teams up with Dubstep act Nero and a host of Â鶹Éç radio stars to celebrate classical music across seven Â鶹Éç national radio networks

Today the Â鶹Éç Philharmonic has announced the line-up for its new Â鶹Éç Philharmonic Presents… festival which takes place from 1-17 June 2011 in the orchestra's new home at MediaCityUK, Salford Quays.

The two-and-a-half-week radio festival will celebrate orchestral music in its many different guises, by teaming the Â鶹Éç Philharmonic with high-profile artists from diverse musical worlds ranging from dubstep to ecclesiastical.

In a first for the orchestra, it will perform live on seven of the Â鶹Éç's national radio networks, playing a different genre of music to reflect each network. High profile names from each station will take part including Simon Mayo, Mark Kermode, Zane Lowe, MistaJam and Sean Rafferty.

Highlights include a "Dubstep Symphony" which has been specially commissioned by the Â鶹Éç Philharmonic and Â鶹Éç Radio 1 from dubstep and drum & bass pioneers Nero. They will perform live on Radio 1 and Â鶹Éç Radio 1Xtra as part of special dubstep simulcast which will be co-hosted by Zane Lowe and MistaJam.

Extracts of classic film scores will also be performed live as part of Kermode And Mayo's Film Review on Â鶹Éç Radio 5 Live.

Â鶹Éç Radio 3, the home station of the Â鶹Éç Philharmonic, will feature three live performances including a special gala show on Friday 17 June.

The festival takes place at the Â鶹Éç Philharmonic's new studio at MediaCityUK, Salford Quays, with nearly all the performances going out live on air. Â鶹Éç Radio Manchester will broadcast Salford Tales, a sung drama inspired by local people.

The Â鶹Éç Philharmonic will also be holding a number of community events, inviting 750 schoolchildren from across the North West of England to experience the orchestra live.

Richard Wigley, General Manager of the orchestra, says: "The Â鶹Éç Philharmonic is used to performing with the brightest stars of the classical music world, and this festival will see us joining forces with phenomenal talent from other musical genres."

Peter Salmon, Director Â鶹Éç North, adds: "The Â鶹Éç Philharmonic Presents... festival underlines the core values of Â鶹Éç North – ambition, creativity, and collaboration. The orchestra will be working with a range of talented artists to create a series of unique and free performances for thousands of people. I am excited that the festival marks a bold new start as we make MediaCityUK our home."

Throughout the festival 3,700 people will be able to attend performances in the new studio, with a third of public tickets being allocated for audiences from Salford as part of the Â鶹Éç Philharmonic's close links with Salford City Council.

Councillor John Merry CBE, Leader of Salford City Council, says: "This is fantastic news for the city and a great way to mark the Â鶹Éç's arrival in Salford. We've witnessed first hand the benefits music brings to children, families and communities, thanks to our partnership with the Â鶹Éç Philharmonic. This event will give even more people access to the arts, which we know enriches lives and raises aspirations."

Tickets are now available to book online by visiting or by telephoning Â鶹Éç Shows and Tours on 0370 901 1227.

Notes to Editors

Â鶹Éç Philharmonic Presents…
In Tune – Radio 3 Live In Concert – Discovering Music – The Early Music Show for Â鶹Éç Radio 3
1 June at 5pm, 10 June at 7.30pm, 12 June at 5pm, 13 June at 1pm, 17 June at 7.30pm

The award-winning Â鶹Éç Philharmonic will celebrate its new base in Salford with a range of programmes on Â鶹Éç Radio 3. Fittingly the Â鶹Éç Philharmonic Presents… festival opens and closes with live broadcasts for Radio 3, starting with a live In Tune on 1 June, followed by Radio 3 Live In Concert which features film music on 10 June, Discovering Music on 12 June, Early Music Show on 13 June and ending with Radio 3 Live in Concert on 17 June. Yan Pascal Tortelier, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and Chief Conductor Designate Juanjo Mena join the festivities.

Â鶹Éç Philharmonic Presents…
Friday Night Is Music Night on Â鶹Éç Radio 2
Friday 3 June at 8pm

Friday Night Is Music Night whisks the leading men of the West End to Salford Quays to celebrate the new home of the Â鶹Éç Philharmonic. West End stars Ricardo Afonso (We Will Rock You), Alex Gaumond (winner of Olivier for Best Actor in a Musical, Legally Blonde), Matt Rawle (Zorro) and up-and-coming sensation Paul Spicer, take to the stage in a glittering show. Packed with songs from West End shows, the Â鶹Éç Philharmonic is conducted by Mike Dixon (Hair, Aspects Of Love, Jesus Christ Superstar, Â鶹Éç Radio 2 Electric Proms, Dame Shirley Bassey's Arena Tour). Hosting the evening and keeping the boys in line is award-winning actress of stage and screen, fresh from her knock-out success in Sweet Charity, Tamzin Outhwaite

Â鶹Éç Philharmonic Presents…
Sunday Worship on Â鶹Éç Radio 4
Sunday 5 June at 8.10am

Â鶹Éç Radio 4's Sunday Worship swaps its traditional church setting for the Â鶹Éç Philharmonic's new studio. In a service led by Reverend Hayley Matthews, the service will celebrate "community", accompanied by Manchester Chamber Choir and the Â鶹Éç Philharmonic.

Â鶹Éç Philharmonic Presents…
Nero, Zane Lowe and MistaJam on Â鶹Éç Radio 1 and 1Xtra
Monday 6 June at 7pm

Dubstep and drum & bass masters Nero have created a unique "Dubstep Symphony" for the Â鶹Éç Philharmonic. Hear the results of this unprecedented collaboration performed from the orchestra's new state-of-the-art studio in Salford as part of a live simulcast co-hosted by Zane Lowe and MistaJam on Â鶹Éç Radio 1 and Â鶹Éç Radio 1Xtra.

Â鶹Éç Philharmonic Presents...
Kermode And Mayo's Film Review for Â鶹Éç Radio 5 Live
Friday 10 June at 2pm

Â鶹Éç Radio 5 Live's award-winning Kermode And Mayo's Film Review will see Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode joined by the Â鶹Éç Philharmonic for a special performance of extracts from popular film scores. With help from the orchestra Simon and Mark will look at what's turned these pieces into evocative classics and why music is so important in film.

Â鶹Éç Philharmonic Presents...
Kermode on Radio 3 Live In Concert for Â鶹Éç Radio 3
Friday 10 June at 7.30pm

Later that evening Mark Kermode will swap networks to present Radio 3 Live In Concert for Â鶹Éç Radio 3, when the orchestra will perform more iconic movie music plus longer versions of the music heard on Â鶹Éç Radio 5 Live that afternoon.

Â鶹Éç Philharmonic Presents…
Dreamhouse for Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone on Â鶹Éç Radio 6 Music
Saturday 11 June at 8pm

Californian composer and progressive rock musician Steven Mackey welcomes you into his Dreamhouse, his oratorio for orchestra, electric guitars and vocal quartet. Using the process of designing and building a house as a metaphor for relationships, a soloist is the "architect" while the voices and guitars form the observant chorus. This 50-minute journey into another soundworld will go out on Stuart Maconie's Sunday night show on 6 Music, Freak Zone.

Â鶹Éç Philharmonic Presents…
Salford Tales for Â鶹Éç Radio Manchester
Thursday 16 June at 8pm

Players from the Â鶹Éç Philharmonic and members of the Salford Symphony Orchestra join professional actors to perform a dark but moving drama based on the real life stories of people living and working in Salford, including teenagers, binmen and firefighters.

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