Our Mission
Our goal is to drive and support the live performance of symphonic, chamber and choral music in Bermuda, by bringing together professional and amateur musicians of our community through the vehicle of the Philharmonic Orchestra and Subsidiary Ensembles.
We also encourage the appreciation of and education in music through community initiatives and scholarships.
Our History
Established by Geoffrey Tankard in 1960, the Bermuda Philharmonic was founded as both an orchestra and a choir. At the time, instrumental music education was limited in Bermuda, and there was little local tradition of classical instrumental performance. The orchestra was made up of a small group of music teachers and professional musicians working in Bermuda’s hotel circuit. Its first conductor was Canadian music teacher George Fox, who was succeeded by Roy Ricketts, a mathematics and music teacher at Warwick Academy. The organization rehearsed weekly and was supported through choir member dues and community donations.
The Philharmonic’s founding coincided with the establishment of the Menuhin Foundation, whose teachers played an important role in supporting the orchestra and developing generations of student and amateur musicians. This partnership helped strengthen Bermuda’s growing classical music community and provided a pathway for young musicians to gain orchestral experience.
Following the death of Roy Ricketts, leadership of the orchestra passed to Graham Garton, who had been recruited to direct the Dunbarton School of Music, which later became the Bermuda School of Music. As Bermuda’s international community expanded, talented expatriate musicians joined the ensemble, while professional musicians were brought in to augment the orchestra for major performances. This enabled the Philharmonic to undertake increasingly ambitious programming, including large-scale works such as Verdi’s Requiem and Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony, alongside a variety of popular concerts.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bermuda Philharmonic has entered a dynamic new chapter under the direction of Kate Kayaian, a Grammy Award-winning cellist and career coach for high performers. Through her emphasis on creativity, collaboration, and innovation, the Philharmonic has grown to a roster of 50–60 musicians and now presents a three-concert season each year, reaffirming its role as Bermuda’s national orchestra.
Concert proceeds support the Philharmonic’s expanding educational initiatives, including scholarships and bursaries for local students and its annual concerto and composition competition. Competition winners are given the opportunity to perform with the orchestra, helping to nurture the next generation of Bermudian musical talent. The Philharmonic’s season-ending Summer Pops Concert has also become one of the island’s largest and most anticipated musical events, attracting audiences from across Bermuda and celebrating the orchestra’s commitment to artistic excellence and community engagement.