Philharmonia Orchestra

The wait is over! Our 80th birthday season is now on sale. 🎉🎶 We’ve invited some fantastic artists to join us at the @southbankcentre to help us make our birthday season the best one yet. Pianist Víkingur Ólafsson (@VikingurMusic ), our Featured Artist, plays Beethoven, Adams and Kurtág. Music by our Featured Composer Gabriela Ortiz (@GOrtizcomposer) brings a flavour of Latin America to the programme. @marinalsop conducts Laura Karpman’s ‘tennis opera’ Balls. Our Principal Conductor Santtu conducts music from Rachmaninov to Bernstein. Look out for pianists Evgeny Kissin, Fazıl Say and @Bruceliupiano, violinists Hilary Hahn (@violincase), @lisabatiashvili and Nicola Benedetti, and soprano @MasabaneCecilia Rangwanasha. We're giving away 80 free tickets for every concert in the season to first-time bookers - if you've never booked for a Philharmonia concert before, that means you. Book your tickets today: philharmonia.co.uk/seasons/2025-2… #Philharmonia80 #Orchestra #SouthbankCentre

The epic finale of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 🙌✨   A behind-the-scenes glimpse from yesterday’s rehearsals, ahead of our sold-out performance at the Royal Festival Hall with conductor Kent Nagano, soprano Jane Archibald, mezzo-soprano Christina Bock, and the Philharmonia Chorus.   Were you there? Let us know in the comments 👇   #Mahler #ClassicalMusic #Orchestra #LiveMusic #Maestro

Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with Kent Nagano 😍🎶

We’re getting ready for tonight’s sold out performance at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre.

Here’s a sneak peek from rehearsals earlier this week. 👀✨

#Mahler #Symphony #ClassicalMusic #Orchestra #Philharmonia

"In every room we play, we could be inspiring the next generation of musicians" 😍💬 Philharmonia violinist Nuno shares his experience being part of an Orchestra Unwrapped concert, and sparking musical inspiration in thousands of primary school children across London, Leicester, Bedford, Basingstoke and Canterbury. Our @BigGive campaign is live until Mon 23 March at 12pm. Every gift made is match-funded, meaning your generosity goes even further. Donate today and DOUBLE your impact: philharmonia.co.uk/biggive #BigGive #ArtsForImpact

Epic Mahler moments 🥁💪 As we gear up for this week’s performance of Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 2 with conductor Kent Nagano, enjoy the electrifying finale of his Symphony No. 3, featuring this thunderous timpani climax. 🎟️ Love Mahler? Don’t miss it - limited tickets remain for Symphony No. 2 on Thu 19 Mar at the Royal Festival Hall, London: philharmonia.co.uk/whats-on/nagan… #Mahler #Symphony #Orchestra #ClassicalMusic #Timpani

Wagnerian brass beauty in Bruckner’s Eighth 😍🎶 A moment from rehearsals at the Royal Festival Hall with conductor Lawrence Renes, featuring a beautiful Wagner tuba solo. Fun fact: in this symphony, 4 out of the 8 horn players switch to Wagner tubas, creating a sound designed to mimic the church organs that Bruckner loved. What’s your favourite moment in Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8? Tell us in the comments ⬇️ #Bruckner #Symphony #Orchestra #ClassicalMusic

A moment of musical magic for Mother’s Day. 💐😍 Ravel’s Mother Goose is inspired by the timeless Mother Goose fairy tales that have been shared across generations. Enjoy this extract from Danse du rouet et scène (Spinning wheel dance and scene), conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen at the Royal Festival Hall. #Ravel #Orchestra #ClassicalMusic #MothersDay

@MarinAlsop conducts 'Mexico’s second national anthem'! 🇲🇽🎶 Our Principal Guest Conductor leads a vibrant programme featuring Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, the London premiere of Gabriela Ortiz's Cello Concerto 'Dzonot' with cellist Alisa Weilerstein, and Márquez’s iconic Danzón No. 2. Here’s a glimpse from rehearsal earlier this week! 🎟️ Last-minute tickets: philharmonia.co.uk/whats-on/marin…

@marinalsop returns this week for concerts in Canterbury, London and Manchester! 😍🎶 This week, our Principal Guest Conductor leads a vibrant programme featuring Márquez’s Danzón No. 2, the UK premiere of Gabriela Ortiz’s Cello Concerto, 'Dzonot', and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. Here's an extract from rehearsals during her last visit in February, rehearsing 'Jupiter' from Holst’s The Planets. 🪐 ✨ Join us this week: 📍 The Marlowe Theatre | Wed 11 March, 7.30pm 📍 Royal Festival Hall | Thu 12 March, 7.30pm 📍 Bridgewater Hall | Fri 13 March, 7.30pm 🎟 Book your tickets: philharmonia.co.uk/series/marin-a… #Jupiter #Holst #ThePlanets #ClassicalMusic #Orchestra

This week we’re delighted to welcome back American cellist Alisa Weilerstein 🤩🎶 Ahead of tomorrow evening's UK premiere of Gabriela Ortiz's Cello Concerto, 'Dzonot' in Canterbury, enjoy this beautiful extract from Dvořák's Silent Woods for cello and orchestra, recorded at Battersea Arts Centre with conductor Jakub Hrůša. ✨ Join us this week: 📍 The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury | Wed 11 March, 7.30pm 📍 Royal Festival Hall, London | Thu 12 March, 7.30pm 📍 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester | Fri 13 March, 7.30pm 🎟 Book your tickets: philharmonia.co.uk/series/marin-a…

Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe in rehearsal with Esa-Pekka Salonen! 🩰🎶 To celebrate Maurice Ravel's 151st birthday today, we're sharing a rehearsal extract from one of our favourite moments in 'Daphnis and Chloe', performed last week with Conductor Laureate @esapekkasalonen at the Royal Festival Hall in London. #Ravel #Philharmonia #DaphnisAndChloe #Ballet #Orchestra

Gabriela Ortiz's ‘Si el oxígeno fuera verde’ 😍🙌 This season, we’re celebrating the bold, distinctive voice of contemporary classical composer @GOrtizcomposer as our Featured Composer. Ahead of the UK premiere of her Cello Concerto ‘Dzonot’ with Alisa Weilerstein next week, enjoy our performance of ‘Si el oxígeno fuera verde’, performed earlier this season with Principal Conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali. ✨ Join us next week: 📆 The Marlowe, Canterbury | Wed 11 March, 7.30pm 📆 Royal Festival Hall, London | Thu 12 March, 7.30pm 📆 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester | Fri 13 March, 7.30pm 🎟 Book your tickets today: philharmonia.co.uk/series/marin-a…

Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in rehearsal with Frank Dupree. 🎹🙌 We’re getting ready for an evening of American classics at the Royal Festival Hall tonight, celebrating music by Bernstein, Copland and Gershwin, including the iconic Rhapsody in Blue with pianist Frank Dupree and Principal Conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali. Here’s a glimpse into rehearsals earlier this week. 🎶 After the concert, stay for our free Big Band performance at 9.45pm, with Santtu swapping his baton for drumsticks! 🥁 🎟️ Limited tickets available - book now: philharmonia.co.uk/whats-on/santt…

A world premiere of Jonathan Dove's 'Rainbow' with former Principal Clarinettist Mark van de Wiel! 😍🎶 We caught up with them both during rehearsals and a recording session this week at Fairfield Halls, London to discuss the brand new Clarinet Concerto, written specifically for Mark. Join us tomorrow night at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall for an evening celebrating the clarinet, with Dove's 'Rainbow', Copland's Clarinet Concerto and that iconic opening to Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. 🎟️ Limited tickets available: philharmonia.co.uk/whats-on/santt…

Frank Dupree performs 'Caravan' 😍🎶 This week, we’re delighted to welcome back German pianist Frank Dupree, bringing his infectious energy to George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Here’s a throwback to his last visit, performing Duke Ellington’s 'Caravan' as an encore with our Principal Double Bassist Tim Gibbs, Principal Conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali and our brilliant percussion section. Will there be another surprise on Thursday...? 👀 📆 Join us this Thursday 5 March at the Royal Festival Hall for Bernstein, Copland, Gershwin and more. 🎟️ Book now: philharmonia.co.uk/whats-on/santt… #ClassicalMusic #Jazz #Piano #Orchestra #Caravan #Whiplash

Celebrating Kurtág at 100 with Víkingur Ólafsson 🎉 Last night at the Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall, we marked the 100th birthday of György Kurtág with a special concert honouring his extraordinary legacy. The programme wove together music by Kurtág and composers across the centuries, each paying tribute to those who came before them. A huge thank you to our Featured Artist Víkingur Ólafsson, conductor Elena Schwarz, presenter Tom Service and Ólafsson’s wife Halla Oddný Magnúsdóttir for making the evening so memorable. Here are a few of our favourite shots from the performance. 📸: Alejandro Sanchez-Garrido #Philharmonia80 #Kurtag #VikingurOlafsson

Esa-Pekka returns for Daphnis and Chloé - plus a UK premiere from Víkingur Ólafsson! ✨ Last night at the Royal Festival Hall, we were thrilled to welcome back our Conductor Laureate @esapekkasalonen for Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé with the Philharmonia Chorus, alongside @VikingurMusic as our Featured Artist in the UK premiere of 'After the Fall' by John Adams. Here are a few of our favourite moments from the night 📸 Let us know if you were there in the comments below! 👇 📸: Marc Gascoigne #Philharmonia80

A sneak peek at John Adams’s 'After The Fall' with @VikingurMusic! 👀🎹✨ Tomorrow night, we present the UK premiere of John Adams's Piano Concerto, written especially for our Featured Artist. We're also thrilled to welcome back our Conductor Laureate @esapekkasalonen for this exciting programme, including the complete ballet score of Ravel's Daphnis and Chloé. Join us at 7.30pm at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre for what promises to be an unforgettable evening. 🎟️ Book now: philharmonia.co.uk/whats-on/esa-p…

Esa-Pekka Salonen + Ravel = pure magic 🪄🎶 This week we’re thrilled to welcome our former Principal Conductor @esapekkasalonen back to the podium for Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé at the Royal Festival Hall. To set the scene, here’s an extract from another of Ravel’s masterworks. Enjoy the climactic finale of Mother Goose, conducted by Salonen in 2020. ✨ Join us this Wednesday 25 February for Daphnis and Chloé, with our Featured Artist Víkingur Ólafsson performing the UK premiere of John Adams’s After the Fall - written especially for him. Don’t miss it. 🎟️ Book now: philharmonia.co.uk/whats-on/esa-p…

Happy 100th Birthday to György Kurtág! 🎉 Our Featured Artist @VikingurMusic reflects on his friendship with the legendary Hungarian composer and on bringing his extraordinary music to London as we celebrate Kurtág at 100. Join us on Sunday 1 March 2026, 5pm at the @southbankcentre's Queen Elizabeth Hall, as we perform his music alongside works by composers across the centuries - each paying tribute to those who came before. Cellist István Várdai joins Ólafsson and the Orchestra for Kurtág’s elegiac Double Concerto, conducted by Elena Schwarz. 🎟️ Book now: philharmonia.co.uk/whats-on/vikin…

🎼 Applications are now open for the 2026/27 Philharmonia Instrumental Fellowship Programme! The Fellowship offers an extensive range of training opportunities for young musicians who aspire to become professional orchestral musicians. Aspects of the programme include: ✅Coaching and mentoring from a member of the Orchestra ✅ Recital opportunities in professional arts venues across the UK ✅ CPD workshops (Continuing Professional Development) ✅ Paid Learning & Engagement project work ✅ Behind the scenes access to observe the Orchestra in rehearsals ✅ Potential paid patches with the Orchestra Find out more and apply now: philharmonia.co.uk/instrumental-f…