The University of Liverpool is delighted to announce the appointment of Allerton Brass and Liverpool Mozart Orchestra (LMO) as the first Affiliate Organisations at The Tung Auditorium in the new Yoko Ono Lennon Centre.
The appointments come at the end of an open call to community music organisations in Merseyside and a competitive tendering process that reflected the great wealth of music activity in the region.
Allerton Brass and Liverpool Mozart Orchestra will benefit from a tailor-made package to enable each group to present up to three concerts in the Tung's 2022-2023 season.
The Tung Auditorium is a high-performance acoustic space and the package includes use of back-stage facilities, Front-of-House staffing, technical support, and inclusion in The Tung Auditorium's marketing and publicity materials. The activities of both groups will also involve working with Department of Music staff and students.
Tony Jackson, Band Chairman of Allerton Brass, said, "Allerton Brass is delighted to have been selected as one of the inaugural Affiliate Organisations in the Tung Auditorium.
"This appointment represents a significant milestone in the Band's development and offers a unique opportunity to work with the University to our mutual benefit.
"It will provide a platform to raise the profile of Brass Bands within the City Region and expand on the public engagement and support we have already achieved.
"It will also allow us the freedom to explore more innovative programming ideas and engage with a wider audience whilst supporting performance and education opportunities through collaborations with Music Staff and students."
Jonny Stone, Chairman of the Liverpool Mozart Orchestra, said, "The LMO was founded by alumni of the University of Liverpool as an avenue for them to continue making music after they graduated, so it seems apt that it is the University that is giving us the opportunity to begin a new chapter, in this, our 70th anniversary season.
"The Tung Auditorium will be a unique concert hall in Liverpool and will enable us to explore a wider range of repertoire and formats for our performances, so we are delighted to have been appointed as an Affiliate Organisation and have the chance to become resident in such a fantastic new venue."
Richard Hartwell, Artistic Director of The Tung Auditorium, said, "We'd like to thank every organization who applied for Affiliate Status as we received many excellent proposals.
"We were particularly impressed with how Allerton Brass and Liverpool Mozart Orchestra envisage the new space as an opportunity to develop and prosper as community music organisations.
"In addition, both groups demonstrated imaginative, practical ideas which will contribute to learning and teaching, research, the student experience on campus, and community engagement.
"We look forward to working with them."