Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra

Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra is the first fully professional orchestra in Hastings since the 1930s when the Hastings Municipal Orchestra was based at the White Rock Theatre, then a major national centre for classical music and the favourite recording studio for the Decca Record Label. For this reason, when the orchestra had their debut in the autumn of 2016 - performing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Hastings Philharmonic Choir - they chose the White Rock Theatre as their opening venue.

The 1930s-60s was a dynamic period for classical music in the south-east, and Hastings was pivotal to this dynamism. Many great names of the classical music world came to Hastings: renowned conductors Sir Henry Wood, Sir Adrian Boult, Sir Thomas Beecham and Sir John Barbirolli; and many brilliant soloists, including Sergei Rachmaninov (in 1935 and 1936), Vladimir Horowitz and Arthur Rubinstein, and the Spanish cellist Pablo Casals. These were the golden years of classical music in Hastings when our town was at the heart of a vibrant classical music scene.

In founding a new professional orchestra in Hastings, the artistic director and principal conductor of Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra, Marcio da Silva, set himself the challenge of putting Hastings back on the map as a centre of excellence for classical music - one that will be recognised both nationally and internationally. The orchestra has recently been described as 'a jewel of Hastings cultural life.'

HPO will soon enter their Ninth Season (September 2024 - July 2025). In the  years that have passed since their inaugural concert, they have developed a loyal and highly appreciative audience who relish their vibrant and energetic playing and take great pleasure in the unique and historic atmosphere of the orchestra's home at the White Rock Theatre - whether they are the Orchestra in Residence.