SÓN – Southampton’s professional orchestra – are pleased to announce a new partnership with one of the UK’s leading concert halls.

Unveiled today as Orchestra in Association at the city’s Turner Sims, the partnership deepens a relationship that stretches back to the orchestra’s launch event only two and a half years ago.

In that short space of time, SÓN performances in the hall have flourished, often to a capacity audience, in concerts including their acclaimed Unwrapped series featuring David Owen Norris and Classic FM’s John Suchet, and Beethoven 20:20 cycle with pianist John Lill.

The orchestra’s debut season as Orchestra in Association begins on October 6, when they explore Vaughan Williams in The Lark Ascending Unwrapped, uniting SÓN with Turner Sims’ other new associate artist: violist Lawrence Power.

Power performs one of the nation’s favourite pieces of classical music – The Lark Ascending – as a violinist, alongside the lesser-known Flos Campi on viola.

Following the recent sell-out triumph of their Beethoven 3rd concerto, the orchestra welcome back their honorary patron, John Lill, to perform the 4th concerto in February 2019 with Lill on the hall’s renowned Steinway grand piano.

Conductor Robin Browning, SÓN Founder and Artistic Director, spoke about the new association: "I’m both humbled and excited about our association with Turner Sims. It’s especially gratifying – knowing how hard SÓN has worked in recent seasons to establish itself as a serious force in the UK professional orchestral scene – to now receive such recognition of our quality, style of performance and impact."

Kevin Appleby, Turner Sims Concert Hall Manager says: "SON have brought a refreshing new approach to orchestral music programming and its relevance to audiences with imaginative presentations and an online and social media presence and level of activity which puts to shame some far more established and resourced orchestras. I look forward to working with them more closely."