On November 2, the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) will open its second concert of the season at Brighton Dome with the same piece the orchestra launched with in May 1925, Schubert’s Marche Militaire.

“The Dome has a lot of very distinguished orchestras playing throughout the season, but I think the Brighton public feel an affinity with their own orchestra,” says Barry, who is in his 26th year as musical director.

The evening promises to be a spectacular one, as the orchestra will be joined by the Brighton Festival Chorus – a total of 170 musicians on stage. Barry himself will be conducting.

Other pieces on the November 2 concert programme include works by Parry, Strauss, and Elgar.

This season comprises eight concerts in total, all held at Brighton Dome, the orchestra’s home venue.

“When you only have eight concerts a year, you have always got to be thinking what the audience will be engaged and stimulated by,” says Barry. “There really is something here for everybody.”

He adds that the orchestra performs works from early classical all the way through to those that are fairly contemporary.

The BPO was formed by Herbert Menges in 1925 as the Symphonic String Players, originally based at Hove Town Hall. By 1928 they had moved to the Brighton Dome and become the Symphonic Players.

Since 2002, more than 138,000 tickets have been sold for BPO concerts at the Brighton Dome.

Celebrated composers Ralph Vaughan Williams and Benjamin Britten have both served as president of the orchestra over the years, while Barry is the third principal conductor in the history of the BPO, having been appointed in 1989.

As well as the BPO Barry is music director of the Royal Ballet Covent Garden, and in 2006 he became conductor laureate of the BBC Concert Orchestra, having served as its principal conductor since 1989.

He is also music director laureate of the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

During a long and distinguished career, he has appeared with many of the world’s leading orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony, and the Seoul Philharmonic, and made many appearances at the BBC Proms.

Barry’s first album with Bryn Terfel and the London Symphony Orchestra for Deutsche Grammophon, won a Grammy Award in 2007.

The BPO has a reputation for attracting high-calibre players from all over the country.

“Brighton is one of the special events in their calendar,” says Barry.

He says that the occasion of the 90th season is a time to look to the past, but more to look to the future.

“I think Brighton is very devoted to its orchestra. If there is to be a continued professional orchestra presence in Brighton, we need to be always doing new things to make sure the public know we exist.”

In recent years outreach work with schools is becoming an increasingly important way of getting the message out. This includes opening up rehearsals to school parties.

In fact the final concert of the 90th season on March 22, 2015, includes Holst’s The Planets, and the orchestra will be working with local schools as part of the BBC’s Ten Pieces project – Mars, from The Planets being one of the pieces.

“I think we have concentrated more and more on contact with the audience, developing our Friends associations and outreach work,” explains Barry.

The BPO receives no public funding, says Barry, which makes it especially important that the orchestra connects with its public.

“We are entirely self-sufficient. It is our supporters in the audience who make it all happen.”