Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia is a team of 80 musicians, of 16 different nationalities. Santtu-Matias Rouvali is our Principal Conductor. We are Resident Orchestra at the Southbank Centre in the heart of London, and also have residencies in Bedford, Canterbury, Leicester, Basingstoke, at Garsington Opera and the Three Choirs Festival.
We tour all over Europe, and to the USA, Japan and China, and our online performances are enjoyed by listeners from Fiji, Sudan and Indonesia to the Arctic Circle in Norway.
We make recordings, play for movie and video soundtracks, and create groundbreaking Virtual Reality experiences. Our Learning & Engagement projects, our films and our pioneering use of technology enable more people to experience world-class music-making, and we’re committed to nurturing the next generation of orchestral musicians and composers.
We are a registered charity, thankful to our family of supporters, and proud to be funded by Arts Council England. philharmonia.co.uk/
Philharmonia Orchestra
Iconic artists Gilbert & George famously never listen to music, declaring it ‘the enemy’. However, for one night only they’re collaborating with us, presenting Sex, Money, Race, Religion – a unique multimedia concert.
Tickets are still available for the Philharmonia Orchestra's concert this Sunday 5 October, 7pm, at Royal Festival Hall at Southbank Centre in London: philharmonia.co.uk/whats-on/gilbert-george-sex-mon…
This one-off event is capped with songs hand-picked by Gilbert & George.
Is music the enemy? There’s only one way to find out…
Discounts for students available.
Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/h-VCvN3KStk
5 days ago | [YT] | 17
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Philharmonia Orchestra
All of us at the Philharmonia are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Christoph von Dohnányi. Principal Conductor from 1997 until 2008, Christoph had an association with the Orchestra that stretched over 50 years, with him also holding the roles Principal Guest Conductor (1994-1997) and Honorary Conductor (from 2008). Our thoughts and best wishes are with his family at this difficult time.
4 weeks ago | [YT] | 86
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Philharmonia Orchestra
A very Happy Birthday to our former Principal Conductor, Riccardo Muti!
Enjoy this throwback to his 2010 rehearsal of Beethoven’s Eroica, as part of our all-Beethoven 65th anniversary concert at Royal Festival Hall.
youtube.com/shorts/smUaXLK6S3Q
2 months ago | [YT] | 69
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Philharmonia Orchestra
🎼 Born on this day: Richard Wagner, composer and conductor (1813-1883)
Wagner is best known for his operas such as The Ring of the Nibelung and Tristan and Isolde, and developed the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, in which all elements of opera come together to form a "total work of art". Instead of arias and recitatives, opera would be one, continuously sung narrative. He built his opera house in Bayreuth to properly present his vision of what opera should be.
Hear his Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde on 6 November 2025 as part of our 80th anniversary season at Royal Festival Hall in London. The programme also features acclaimed soprano, Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, singing Strauss's Four Last Songs, which was premiered by the Philharmonia Orchestra in 1950. In the second half, Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony.
🎟️ TICKETS: philharmonia.co.uk/whats-on/wagner-strauss-and-tch…
4 months ago | [YT] | 67
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Philharmonia Orchestra
🎹 Get to know pianist Nikolai Lugansky on the Philharmonia Orchestra's blog!
philharmonia.co.uk/get-to-know-nikolai-lugansky/
🎼 Nikolai Lugansky performs Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3 to close our season at Royal Festival Hall in London, conducted by Principal Conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali. The programme also includes Ravel's Alborada del gracioso and La Valse, and Respighi's rousing Pines of Rome complete with the Royal Festival Hall's enormous organ.
🎟️ Book tickets: philharmonia.co.uk/whats-on/santtu-and-nikolai-lug…
4 months ago | [YT] | 33
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Philharmonia Orchestra
🎵 Applications are now OPEN for the Philharmonia's Composer Academy!
Are you an emerging composer ready to take your music to the next level? We’re looking for bold, original voices from all backgrounds to join our 2025 programme.
What’s on offer:
✨ Masterclasses + workshops with leading composers and Philharmonia musicians
🎻 Rehearsal time with a dedicated ensemble
🎤 A public performance at the Royal Festival Hall, London
🎧 A professional recording of your work, released via NMC Recordings
This is your chance to develop your craft, connect with professionals, and hear your music come to life.
👉 Apply now or find out more:
philharmonia.co.uk/what-we-do/talent-development/c…
#PhilharmoniaAcademy #CallForComposers #NewMusic #TalentDevelopment #ContemporaryClassical
4 months ago | [YT] | 17
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Philharmonia Orchestra
🎼 On this day in 1911, composer and conductor Gustav Mahler passed away — a visionary who reshaped the symphonic world.
We're remembering him with an extract from the final movement of his Symphony No. 3, conducted by our Conductor Laureate Esa-Pekka Salonen at the Royal Festival Hall in 2017.
LINK: https://youtu.be/MONTqsCR_O0
Salonen returns for our 80th birthday season, joining forces with Víkingur Ólafsson for a thrilling programme of Adams and Ravel.
You can watch the whole of Mahler's Third Symphony on our channel: https://youtu.be/LVVoGYFu49E
🎟️ Love Mahler? Don’t miss Mahler's Symphony No. 2 ‘Resurrection’ with Kent Nagano and the Philharmonia Chorus on Thursday 19 March.
Book now:
👉 philharmonia.co.uk/seasons/2025-26-london-season/
4 months ago | [YT] | 114
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Philharmonia Orchestra
Born on this day: Otto Klemperer, conductor and composer (1885-1973)
Maestro Klemperer formed a deep relationship with the Philharmonia Orchestra starting with his first post-war performance in 1948 and flourishing in the 1950s and 60s. He was the Philharmonia's first Principal Conductor. In 1964 he stood by the Philharmonia musicians when the Philharmonia's original founder, Walter Legge, threatened to disband the orchestra. The musicians reformed as the self-governing New Philharmonia Orchestra and elected Klemperer as its president.
We're celebrating 80 years in our 2025/2026 season. Discover what's on: philharmonia.co.uk/whats-on/
Image: Otto Klemperer and Daniel Barenboim in 1968
4 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 72
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Philharmonia Orchestra
🎉 Happy Birthday, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, born on this day in 1840! 🎂
To mark the occasion, we are re-sharing our performance from the finale of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 2, with pianist Bruce Liu and our Principal Conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali. The Canadian pianist joins us in Bedford, Leicester and London for our 80th birthday season, in a programme of Britten, Ravel and...Tchaikovsky 🙌
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/nw5pn2QXyGQ
Book your tickets now:
philharmonia.co.uk/series/piano/
#Tchaikovsky #HappyBirthdayTchaikovsky #PhilharmoniaOrchestra #ClassicalMusic #PianoConcerto
5 months ago | [YT] | 159
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Philharmonia Orchestra
Happy Birthday to Maurice Ravel, born on this day in 1875.
Ravel is best known for his impressionist music, characterised by rich textures, innovative harmonies, and orchestral colour.
For our closing concert of the season, 11 June, the Philharmonia will be performing two of Ravel's work's - 'Alborada del gracioso', a beguiling short piece with a Spanish flavour, and 'La Valse', a Viennese waltz said to represent the cataclysmic impact of the First World War.
Book tickets now: philharmonia.co.uk/whats-on/santtu-and-nikolai-lug…
Enjoy our playlist on Ravel here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq...
7 months ago | [YT] | 168
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