Player Appeal 2025
An ask from Minn Majoe on behalf of the Orchestra
ORCHLAB PROJECT PARTNER
PRINCIPAL SUPPORTERS
As musicians of this incredible Orchestra, we dedicate ourselves to making exceptional music and sharing it with as many people as we can – people like you.
As individuals we bring our passion, energy and enthusiasm to every single performance, so that as a collective we can inspire and entertain.
Now, more than ever, our sector relies upon the generosity of its supporters. If, like us, you believe in the value and power of music, or you have enjoyed the work that we do, please consider making a donation to support us and help ensure a music-filled tomorrow for all.
Donations to the Orchestra help us to showcase amazing music, and are vital in enabling us to nurture and develop the next generation of music-makers and music-lovers.
Donate online at lpo.org.uk/playerappeal, scan the QR code, or call the Individual Giving Team on 020 7840 4212 or 020 7840 4225.
LPO CORPORATE CIRCLE
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PREFERRED PARTNERS
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WELCOME
Welcome to the Spring/Summer 2025 edition of Tune In It’s been an exciting autumn, launching our London season with Edward Gardner and Joyce DiDonato, and touring to Japan, the USA, Austria, Germany and China, as well as performing around the UK. We welcomed new cohorts in each of our Rising Talent schemes, and celebrated many of our Education & Community programmes, both in London and on the South Coast. Catch up with all the details on page 5 (tours), page 11 (Rising Talent), and pages 8 & 10 (Education & Community).
We are delighted to announce that Sir George Benjamin will become our Composer-in-Residence next season. One of the most important artistic voices of today, Sir George will mentor our Young Composers during his time with us, as well as both conducting and composing for the Orchestra. Find out more about George on page 4.
And, while welcoming George to the LPO family, we will say farewell to Neville Creed, who has been Artistic Director of the London Philharmonic Choir for a remarkable 30 years. On page 12 we reflect on Neville’s time with the Choir and Orchestra, and the immense legacy he leaves. We still have some final concerts with Neville to look forward to, as the Choir joins us for John Adams’s moving On the Transmigration of Souls at the Royal Festival Hall under Vladimir Jurowski on 18 January, and with Ed Gardner’s Mahler 8 closing the season on 26 April. As well as these concerts, other particular highlights coming up this spring include Karina Canellakis conducting
EDITOR Rachel Williams rachel.williams@lpo.org.uk
PUBLISHER London Philharmonic Orchestra
PRINTER John Good Ltd
COVER PHOTOGRAPH Carnegie Hall, New York, LPO Tour October 2024
© Marco Borggreve
ELENA DUBINETS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
DAVID BURKE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Sibelius’s Lemminkäinen Suite on 29 January, alongside a performance of Mozart by pianist Benjamin Grosvenor; Ed conducting Strauss’s mighty Alpine Symphony on 21 February; and an evening with star soprano Renée Fleming on 5 March. We also invite you to join us for a threeconcert mini-series at the Queen Elizabeth Hall (details on page 6), and our Chamber Sessions performances at St John’s Waterloo (page 7), or to come and see us on tour across the UK, from Glasgow to Bristol. Finally, this summer we celebrate 20 years of the LPO recording label. There will be more about this in the next edition, but a reminder that there is an amazing catalogue of works on the Label: live concerts with former Principal Conductors including Bernard Haitink, Klaus Tennstedt, Kurt Masur and Vladimir Jurowski; Ed Gardner’s first recordings with the Orchestra; landmark
CONTENTS
NEW & NOTEWORTHY 04–07
CREATING CONNECTIONS 08
STREAM AND SCREEN 09
ORCHLAB FESTIVAL DAY 10
LPO PEOPLE 11
NEVILLE CREED 12
CONCERT LISTINGS 13–15
BACKSTAGE: KATE BIRCHALL 16
recordings of the great symphonies by Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Mahler and many others; and albums showcasing past LPO Composers-in-Residence like Mark-Anthony Turnage and Julian Anderson – with a new release by Brett Dean recently joining the calatogue. The LPO receives over 140 million streams of its content each year, making it one of the world’s most streamed orchestras, so if the LPO Label isn’t yet on your playlist, do dive in and explore! Read more on page 9.
We hope you enjoy reading this edition of Tune In, and look forward to seeing you at concerts this spring.
With best wishes,
STAY CONNECTED
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The paper used for all LPO brochures and concert programmes has been sourced from responsibly managed forests, certified in accordance with the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). It is also Carbon Balanced, meaning the carbon impact of its production is offset by the World Land Trust through the purchase and preservation of ecologically important forestry under imminent threat of clearance.
NEW & NOTEWORTHY LPO NEWS
GEORGE BENJAMIN: LPO COMPOSER-IN-RESIDENCE
We’re delighted to announce that renowned British composer Sir George Benjamin will be the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s next Composer-in-Residence. He will hold the post for three seasons, succeeding Tania León in September 2025.
Benjamin is one of the leading figures in contemporary classical music. Born in 1960, he studied with Olivier Messiaen at the Paris Conservatoire and with Alexander Goehr at King’s College, Cambridge. His early work Ringed by the Flat Horizon was performed at the 1980 BBC Proms when he was just 20, marking the start of a remarkable career. Since then, his music has been performed by notable conductors and orchestras worldwide, and his groundbreaking opera collaborations with playwright Martin Crimp have created modern classics like Into the Little Hill, Written on Skin, and Lessons in Love and Violence. His most recent opera, Picture a day like this, was premiered at the 2023 Aix-en-Provence Festival.
As a conductor, Benjamin has been responsible for numerous premieres including significant works by Wolfgang Rihm, Unsuk Chin, Tristan Murail, Gérard Grisey and György Ligeti. Now the Henry Purcell Professor of Composition at King’s College London, he has received numerous international awards, including a knighthood in 2017 and the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize in 2023.
On the announcement, George Benjamin said: ‘What a delight it was for me to hear the LPO give a terrific performance of Sudden Time – a piece of mine which they premiered in 1993 – under Edward Gardner at the Royal Festival Hall a couple of years ago. I now hugely look forward to collaborating with this illustrious orchestra and their wonderful Principal Conductor over the seasons ahead, as well as playing a role in their renowned Young Composers programme.’
LPO YOUNG COMPOSERS PROGRAMME CELEBRATES ITS 20TH YEAR
As LPO Composer-in-Residence, George Benjamin will also serve as mentor to the five participants selected each year for the LPO Young Composers programme, which aims to support the progression of talented orchestral composers. The Young Composers spend a season with the LPO, each creating a new work for chamber orchestra. These are performed by LPO and Foyle Future First musicians at the public ‘Debut Sounds’ showcase concert at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall at the end of the season.
The 2025/26 season marks a landmark 20th intake of Young Composers, and we can’t wait to see what they produce under George Benjamin’s mentorship. To find out more, visit lpo.org.uk/youngcomposers
THE LPO YOUNG COMPOSERS PROGRAMME IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY JERWOOD FOUNDATION, LARK MUSIC, ART MENTOR FOUNDATION LUCERNE, SALLY GROVES MBE AND VAUGHAN WILLIAMS FOUNDATION.
ELENA DUBINETS
After four seasons as the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Artistic Director, Elena Dubinets will step down from her role in May 2025 to become Artistic Director of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam.
Elena joined the LPO in September 2021, building on the Orchestra’s longstanding reputation for ambitious programming that creates meaningful explorations through all types of music. She has been deeply supportive of the Orchestra’s Rising Talent schemes, particularly the LPO Young Composers and the LPO Conducting Fellowship. She led on the development of the latter, which seeks to support the growth and progression of outstanding early-career conductors from under-represented backgrounds.
In her final season, Elena has overseen the Orchestra’s tours to Japan, the USA, Europe and China. The USA tour was the Orchestra’s longest for a decade, and included a highly-praised concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall.
Elena said: ‘After much personal reflection, I have decided that now is the right time for me to leave London. I am deeply grateful for the invaluable experiences I have gained while being a part of this remarkable organisation and for the opportunities I have had to contribute to our shared musical vision.’
We thank Elena for all her hard work and her dedication to the work of the LPO, and wish her well for the future.
George Benjamin
© Matthew Lloyd
NEW & NOTEWORTHY LPO NEWS
AUTUMN TOUR ADVENTURES
In September 2024, the Orchestra travelled to Japan with conductor Robin Ticciati and pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii, performing in Hamamatsu, Nagoya and Osaka, as well as three concerts at Tokyo’s Suntory Hall. The Orchestra was delighted to be sponsored by HSBC for this tour.
October saw our first major USA tour in a decade, when we embarked on an ambitious two-week tour with Principal Conductor Edward Gardner and violinists Randall Goosby and Patricia Kopatchinskaja (pictured left). Spanning the USA from West to East Coasts, and taking in 11 venues across six states, the tour began in California, before performances in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York and Connecticut, including a concert at Carnegie Hall on 19 October. Many of the concerts were sold out, and the reception from both audiences and the press across the country was glowing: the San Francisco Classical Voice wrote that Gardner ‘led with flowing but fiercely concentrated focus, and the Orchestra displayed a lush sound and muscular mass’, while the New York Classical Review marvelled at how Kopatchinskaja and the Orchestra ‘matched hot licks in tight ensemble as the music accelerated to a blazing finish, touching off a long-lasting ovation’.
During November we toured a little closer to home, performing across Germany and at Vienna’s renowned Musikverein with Edward Gardner, pianist Víkingur Ólafsson and cellist Pablo Ferrández. And as we go to print, we’re preparing for another big trip – a tour of China at the end of December. With conductor Paavo Järvi and cellist Julia Hagen, we’ll perform in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing, before returning to the UK in the New Year.
FULL TOUR LISTINGS ON PAGE 15
AROUND THE UK
As well as performing on tour worldwide, we’re equally committed to sharing our music with audiences all over the UK. In addition to our longstanding residencies in Brighton, Eastbourne and Saffron Walden, we’re looking forward to performing in several other cities across the UK this spring.
At the end of January, LPO Principal Guest Conductor Karina Canellakis makes her first visit to Nottingham, where on 28 January she will conduct the Orchestra at the city’s Royal Concert Hall in a programme of Sibelius, Tchaikovsky, and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 with soloist Benjamin Grosvenor. Following their Royal Festival Hall concert the following evening, they will perform the same programme at Bristol’s Beacon on 30 January.
Later in the spring, conductor Robin Ticciati leads the Orchestra on a mini-tour of the UK, with concerts at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall 15 March, The Glasshouse in Gateshead on 16 March, and Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall on 17 March, all with pianist Francesco Piemontesi, before performing the same programme – Schumann’s Piano Concerto and Mahler’s Fifth Symphony –at London’s Royal Festival Hall on 19 March. Check out all our dates on pages 14–15. We hope you can join us at one of our concerts around the UK!
THERE’S SOMETHING MAGICAL ABOUT WATCHING CLASSICAL MUSIC SHED ITS TRADITIONAL CONSTRAINTS WHILE MAINTAINING ITS SUBLIME POWER . SUNDAY’S PERFORMANCE AT EASTBOURNE’S CONGRESS THEATRE PROVED THAT THE LPO CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF OUR MOST VITAL CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, BRINGING FRESH ENERGY TO BELOVED CLASSICS. GSCENE MAGAZINE (REVIEW OF LPO CONCERT IN EASTBOURNE, 28 OCTOBER 2024)
LPO players relax in New York’s Central Park, October 2024
NEW & NOTEWORTHY
WONDER FOR EVERYONE
As part of our mission to share the wonder of music as widely as possible, this spring we’re offering concerts and post-concert events with something for every musical taste.
On Wednesday 22 January, following her performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, LPO Co-Leader Alice Ivy-Pemberton will give a relaxed postconcert performance in the QEH foyer with fellow LPO members, showcasing varied facets of the violin including the American bluegrass ‘fiddling’ of her musical roots. This event is free to concert ticket-holders (£10 to others) and begins at 9.45pm.
In our Royal Festival Hall concert on Saturday 25 January, renowned sarod player Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash (above) join the LPO for an evening celebrating Indian classical music. Khan will perform his own Samaagam (Concerto for Sarod), which fuses elements of Indian and Western classical music, and the concert will also feature highlights from AR Rahman’s popular film scores including Slumdog Millionaire and Bombay
Wednesday 12 March sees another culture-crossing concert, juxtaposing the psychedelic sounds of Frank Zappa with Bohuslav Martinů’s lush Sixth Symphony, before a new clarinet concerto by Sri Lankan-born Canadian composer Dinuk Wijeratne, performed by the phenomenal Syrian clarinettist Kinan Azmeh.
On Saturday 29 March, Colin Currie, described as ‘the world’s finest and most daring percussionist’, will follow his LPO concert in the Queen Elizabeth Hall –featuring Tan Dun’s extraordinary Water Concerto – with an informal QEH foyer performance alongside an LPO string quartet. The event is free to concert ticketholders (£10 to others) and begins at 9.30pm. See all the latest details at lpo.org.uk
LONDON SOUNDTRACK FESTIVAL
The LPO is renowned for its contributions to iconic film soundtracks, one of the most famous being Howard Shore’s unforgettable score for The Lord of the Rings. And on 22 March 2025, we’ve been invited to perform in a Gala Concert at the Royal Festival Hall to open the London Soundtrack Festival, a brand new event celebrating film, TV and games music.
Composer Howard Shore will be the concert’s guest of honour, and the first recipient of the Festival’s Inspiration Award. He said: ‘It’s an honour to be invited to the inaugural London Soundtrack Festival, and to be the first recipient of the Inspiration Award. After many years of recording with the great London Philharmonic Orchestra, I am so looking forward to reuniting with them at the Gala Concert.’
The Orchestra first worked with Shore on David Cronenberg’s The Fly back in the 1980s, and quickly became his go-to orchestra of choice for soundtrack recordings, with many memorable collaborations such as Philadelphia, Hugo and The Hobbit trilogy.
Conducted by Ben Palmer and featuring the London Philharmonic Choir and guest vocalist Lior, the concert on 22 March will feature music from Shore’s Oscar-winning scores for The Lord of the Rings, together with other highlights from his incredible career including excerpts from The Fly and The Aviator. The evening also includes music by the festival’s other featured artists including Harry Gregson-Williams, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Stephen Barton and Anne Dudley, brought to the stage by special guest presenters. londonsoundtrackfestival.com
AFTER MANY YEARS OF RECORDING WITH THE GREAT LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA , I AM SO LOOKING FORWARD TO REUNITING WITH THEM AT THE GALA CONCERT. HOWARD SHORE
LPO ILLUMINATE GALA 2025
BATTERSEA ARTS CENTRE TUESDAY 17 JUNE 2025
For this year’s LPO Gala, we return to the dazzling Battersea Arts Centre. Under the baton of Principal Conductor Edward Gardner, we will celebrate the best of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and raise essential funds, enabling us to continue our mission of sharing the wonder of orchestral music with the world.
If you would like to register your interest in this event, please email gala@lpo.org.uk Invitations and further details will be circulated later in January 2025.
LPO 2023 Gala at Battersea Arts Centre
NEW & NOTEWORTHY
The Chamber Sessions
This spring you’re invited to join us for ‘The Chamber Sessions’, a series of hour-long 6.30pm concerts at St John’s Church, Waterloo. It’s great to continue our partnership with St John’s, bringing audiences closer to the music and highlighting the talents of our musicians in a more intimate setting.
The series launches on Thursday 23 January, when LPO Wind Principals perform a programme of quintet works by Mozart, Hindemith and Valerie Coleman. On Saturday 22 February, an LPO string trio will bring Andrew Norman’s Companion Guide to Rome to life – a captivating musical journey inspired by the city’s churches. Following this, the New London Chamber Choir will join us for Morton Feldman’s Rothko Chapel, an evocative soundscape paying homage to the visionary artist Mark Rothko. Finally, on Friday 7 March, we present an exciting programme of contemporary works in a vibrant mix of styles, by LPO Composer-in-Residence Tania León and former LPO Young Composers Daniel Kidane and Hannah Kendall, as well as Jessie Montgomery and Brian Raphael Nabors.
TICKETS
£12–£15: ON SALE NOW lpo.org.uk/thechambersessions
DIGITAL CULTURE AWARDS
Two LPO projects have made it through to the second round of the 2025 Digital Culture Awards, run by Arts Council England to showcase digital and tech innovation in the cultural sector. Our OrchLab programme is up in the Digital Inclusion category, and LPO Social Media is in the running for the Digital Marketing category. The shortlists will be announced in February and the winners in March. Keep your fingers crossed for us!
READ MORE ABOUT ORCHLAB ON PAGE 10 digitalculturenetwork.org.uk/awards
GLYNDEBOURNE FESTIVAL 2025
This summer, during our annual residency at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, we’ll reunite with Glyndebourne Music Director Robin Ticciati for performances of Janáček’s Káťa Kabanová, and the Festival’s first ever staging of Wagner’s Parsifal. We’ll also perform in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia under conductor Rory Macdonald, and Verdi’s Falstaff conducted by Sian Edwards. glyndebourne.com/festival
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE LPO
Following seven inspirational years as Chairman of the American Friends of the London Philharmonic Orchestra (AFLPO), Simon Freakley stepped down from the role at the end of 2024. We are incredibly grateful to Simon for his exceptional commitment and generosity to AFLPO. Under his leadership, the AFLPO has raised over a million dollars to support the Orchestra and in particular our American activities, the pinnacle of which was the recent USA tour. We extend our sincere thanks to Simon and look forward to seeing him at many AFLPO events in the future.
We are delighted that Simon is succeeded by Hannah Young, former HM Consul General to New York. We are looking forward to working with Hannah to build on the legacy that Simon leaves with AFLPO.
The next AFLPO Gala will take place at Carnegie Hall on 11 February 2025. lpo.org.uk/aflpo
LPO ENSEMBLE: YOUR MUSICAL LEGACY
The power of music has the ability to touch us all. It moves us to feel and marvel and wonder. This spring, the London Philharmonic Orchestra is launching its ‘LPO Ensemble’ community, and we are asking those of you who can, to consider leaving the Orchestra a gift in your Will. Legacy gifts to the LPO secure its future, and yours will support us to share that power and those incredible moments with even more people. If you’ve loved music in your lifetime, remembering the Orchestra in your Will is a wonderful way to make a long-lasting, impactful donation, confident that your belief in the value of music lives on through your support.
I HAVE BEEN A REGULAR ATTENDEE OF LPO CONCERTS FOR MANY YEARS; ATTENDING A PERFORMANCE IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF ANY WEEK ! I HAVE DECIDED TO LEAVE A GIFT IN MY WILL TO HELP THE ORCHESTRA TO CONTINUE TO BRING GREAT MUSIC TO FUTURE GENERATIONS OF CONCERT-GOERS. LPO ENSEMBLE MEMBER
If you have already made a provision, or intend to do so, we would love to hear from you and be able to say a huge thank you. We understand that your Will is a personal matter, but letting us know your intentions helps us plan for the future and means we can better understand what you want your musical legacy to look like and how you would like to be thanked. Please remember that you can also ask for your gift to be kept anonymous.
To find out more, visit lpo.org.uk/legacies or call Rosie Morden, Senior Development Manager, on 020 7840 4212.
CREATING CONNECTIONS LPO NEWS
As the autumn season unfolded, the LPO embraced a variety of exciting collaborations and community projects, continuing the momentum from a busy summer.
We kicked off the season by strengthening our partnership with Sussexbased music-making charity Soundcastle, following a successful series of rehearsals and performances earlier in the year. On 1 October, LPO musicians returned to Shoreham to take part in a ‘LAB Day’ workshop. Violinist Cassandra Hamilton and tuba player Adam Collins guided participants through interactive sessions exploring rhythms, melodies, and the experience of playing in an orchestra. This engaging and educational day, attended by Soundcastle members, further reinforced our shared commitment to using music as a tool for mental health recovery and community wellbeing.
The LPO’s community connections in Bognor Regis were also deepened further in September, with our second chamber concert as part of the Regis Centre’s ‘2 O’clock Club’ at the Salvation Army. An LPO wind trio gave an hour-long performance, followed by a meet-and-greet with the audience which created a real connection
between musicians and the community. This concert series continues to strengthen our ties with West Sussex, providing a relaxed, intimate setting for music-lovers to get to know our musicians.
On 21 November, LPO musicians gave a free afternoon chamber concert for Age Concern Eastbourne members and their families at the charity’s drop-in Venton Centre. We’re excited to continue collaborating with Age Concern to bring the joy of music to all!
WHAT A DELIGHTFUL TREAT ... WE FEEL SO SPECIAL THAT YOU CAME TO SEE US!
AGE CONCERN MEMBERS IN EASTBOURNE
This term has also been a fantastic opportunity for the LPO to connect with young people across the region. We welcomed 90 students from the music education hubs of East and West Sussex to our resident venues in Brighton and Eastbourne. In October, a flute choir from West Sussex Music gave an impressive performance in the foyer of Brighton Dome. They also had the chance to quiz LPO Principal Conductor Ed Gardner and violinist Minn Majoe about their musical journeys, and gain some invaluable professional insights. Later in the autumn, we hosted groups from Create Music (Brighton and East Sussex’s music hub) at both Brighton Dome and the Congress Theatre. These lively sessions included performances, behind-the-scenes insights, and interviews with LPO musicians and guest artists including pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason.
As one 16-year-old participant remarked: ‘It was exceptionally enlightening! I learned how the audition process works and about the relationship between the conductor and orchestra.’ These collaborations are just a few highlights from a truly rewarding autumn season. The LPO remains deeply committed to bringing music to diverse communities and supporting creative expression through local collaborative engagement.
As we look to the future, the spring will see us performing at Shinewater Disabled Trust, a charity supporting those with acquired brain injuries, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and disabilities relating to accidents and strokes. This partnership is part of the LPO’s 2024/25 season theme, ‘Moments Remembered’, exploring the relationship between music and memory. We’re also excited to start our work with AudioActive, a charity that supports young adults in using music to advocate for change and express their views on societal issues. Watch this space for further updates!
THE LPO’S ACTIVITIES WITH SOUTH COAST COMMUNITIES ARE GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY GARFIELD WESTON FOUNDATION, TIOC FOUNDATION, AND DONORS TO THE LPO’S ARTS FOR IMPACT BIG GIVE CAMPAIGN.
Students from West Sussex Music meet LPO violinist Minn Majoe and Principal Conductor Ed Gardner (back) for a Q&A at Brighton Dome on 5 October 2024
Soundcastle LAB Day
SHARING THE WONDER
STREAM AND SCREEN
A NEW PODCAST FROM THE LPO
In November we launched a brand new podcast, ‘Pitch me Classical’. With a new episode out every other Thursday, host YolanDa Brown and players from the LPO pitch their thoughts on some of classical music’s most-asked questions, in an attempt to get to the bottom of some contentious conundrums. Is Mozart the greatest of all time? Does all classical music really sound the same? Should we be ditching bow ties?
Tune in to ‘Pitch me Classical’ every other Thursday wherever you get your podcasts. Scan the QR code to listen now, or visit lpo.org.uk/podcast
LPO ON MARQUEE TV
This season we’ve once again joined with Marquee TV, the premium streaming service for arts and culture, to bring the LPO concert experience to you at home. A selection of our live concerts are streamed to watch free of charge for the first 48 hours, with no subscription required. You can watch on a smart TV, tablet, computer or smartphone.
In addition, Tune In readers can benefit from an exclusive 50% discount on a year’s subscription to Marquee TV, including new releases as well as its extensive back catalogue of the world’s best music, opera, theatre and dance. Head to discover.marquee.tv/50lpo and use code 50LPO
THIS SPRING’S CONCERTS ON MARQUEE TV
STRAUSS & BRAHMS
Streamed from 23 February 2025
Filmed live on 15 January 2025
R Strauss Metamorphosen Brahms Symphony No. 2
Edward Gardner conductor
AN ALPINE SYMPHONY
Streamed from 23 March 2025 Filmed live on 21 February 2025
Grieg Piano Concerto
R Strauss An Alpine Symphony
Edward Gardner conductor
Alexandra Dovgan piano
BENJAMIN GROSVENOR PLAYS MOZART
Streamed from 26 July 2025
Filmed live on 29 January 2025
Sibelius En Saga
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21, K467
Sibelius Lemminkäinen Suite
Karina Canellakis conductor Benjamin Grosvenor piano
20 YEARS OF THE LPO LABEL
In May 2005 the LPO launched its own brand-new record label. The first set of releases comprised two archive recordings under Klaus Tennstedt and Bernard Haitink, and two new live recordings of Shostakovich and Rachmaninoff, conducted by thenPrincipal Conductor Kurt Masur and his successor Vladimir Jurowski. Since then, the Label has gone from strength to strength, and now has over 130 releases, with several new titles each season. These recordings document LPO history and history-in-themaking: most of them are captured at live concerts, and among them are archive recordings, works from the core repertoire, and premieres by living composers.
The two latest additions to the Label were released in November 2024. The first, a disc of works by Michael Tippett conducted by Edward Gardner, pairs the Piano Concerto, performed by Steven Osborne, and the Symphony No. 2 (LPO-0129).
The second is an album of works by former LPO Composer-in-Residence Brett Dean. It captures seven performances –including several premiere recordings – from his residency, including In spe contra spem, Amphitheatre, The Players, and the viola and cello concertos (LPO-0130). Both releases are available as physical CDs from retailers, as well as to stream or download via all major platforms.
Next month sees the release of Elena Langer’s humorous, Lear-inspired The Dong with a Luminous Nose, recorded at the work’s 2023 world premiere by the London Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir under Andrey Boreyko. This digital release will be available on all major platforms from 7 February. And, looking ahead, in April we will release a collection of orchestral works by Thomas Adès. Conducted by the composer and including the Luxury Suite from Powder her Face, Five Spells from The Tempest and the Inferno Suite, it will be available in both physical and digital formats.
EDUCATION & COMMUNITY
ORCHLAB FESTIVAL DAY
In late November, we threw the doors of our Southbank Centre home open for our biggest OrchLab Festival Day yet! This event was a celebration of our year-round OrchLab programme, which works with disabled adults and their support staff to make and enjoy music accessibly, supporting wellbeing and self-confidence.
We run our OrchLab programme in partnership with Drake Music, who specialise in music, disability and technology. The programme includes workshops in care settings, using recordings of the LPO and live musicians to inspire creative musicmaking, and accessible technology such as iPads, motion-sensitive instruments and new accessible instruments we create, inspired by our participants and the Orchestra. There are also training opportunities for care staff to support continuing music-making, and a free website containing a wealth of fun music activities to keep our OrchLab community engaged throughout the year.
This year’s OrchLab Festival Day welcomed around 200 disabled guests to the Royal Festival Hall – a new record! Groups joined us from organisations including our community partners Shaftesbury, Look Ahead Care Housing and Support, and Garwood Foundation. We were also delighted to welcome new groups including Act Up! Newham, Barnet Mencap, Bede House, Headway East London, Pursuing Independent Paths, and Tower Project, as well as various individual disabled guests.
The Clore Ballroom was decked in colourful lights and big screens featuring OrchLab photos, as well as live music onstage while guests enjoyed refreshments
and the opportunity to have a go on our accessible OrchLab instruments. These include adapted versions of orchestral instruments such as our brand new Touch Violin, as well as OrchLab Soundmakers – online instruments that can be played on any device. One guest remarked: ‘I’ve been struggling to play instruments as I know what I want to do in my head, but when it comes down to actually playing something the “normal” way, it’s hard. But with your instruments it’s extremely easy to get a good effect. It’s taken away a frustration that I’ve had for a long time, because my disability makes doing certain things harder for me. Today I’ve really found a way to make music and I’m going to go away and use these instruments.’
Festival Day guests were also invited into the auditorium to hear the Orchestra rehearse – an experience they relished. ‘It was amazing, so intense’, commented Philip, a participant from Garwood Foundation. Another guest danced on the spot throughout the visit, using two drumsticks as an ‘air violin’!
Later, we all came together for the world premiere of a film created with participants from Antill Road (Look Ahead) and New Court Place (Shaftesbury), the centres we’ve worked closely with throughout 2024. The film featured participants’ original music inspired by Holst’s The Planets, which they devised at OrchLab sessions earlier in the autumn. We also sang songs together and all joined in with a lively interactive activity called ‘Planet OrchLab’!
Part of the day included interviews onstage with some of our OrchLab community: Mark, a support worker at Antill Road; and Shaz and Michelle, residents at New Court Place, who described their OrchLab experiences.
Mark: ‘It’s been amazing. When you first arrived, I was thinking “How’s this going to work?” But as time went on and you introduced all the instruments that you’d adapted and the iPad instruments, it was just fantastic. We have customers that it takes
OrchLab participants Michelle, Shaz and Mark interviewed onstage
a lot for them to join in. We’ve got one person, and normally he’d have left the room after ten minutes. But he spent the whole day with you, and that was amazing. The best thing for me was just everyone being as a group and really enjoying it and focusing. The engagement was just amazing.’
Michelle told us about her experience with the Touch Violin: ‘I’ve never done anything like that before in my life, it was something new. During OrchLab I found that I fell in love with the violin. I’ve always liked it anyway, but when you guys came, I started choosing it on the iPads. So when Gawain came with the Touch Violin, he asked me if I don’t mind trying it out first. I prefer using the bow because I can’t use my fingers. He helped me hold it on my shoulder.’
Shaz summed up the project: ‘I played the Touch Oboe, I loved it. It was magical. My favourite thing was getting up to see you guys in the morning. I loved getting together and doing all the songs. My favourite one was “Ground Control to Major Tom”. It was absolutely brilliant, I loved it.’
We can’t wait for more OrchLab in 2025 and beyond, celebrating the joy of musicmaking with our wonderful OrchLab community of disabled musicians.
ORCHLAB IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY JTI.
Photos © James Tye
An OrchLab guest tries out the Touch Violin
LPO PEOPLE LPO NEWS
We’re delighted to introduce our new cohorts of talented young musicians who are spending this season with the LPO as participants in our Rising Talent programmes.
FOYLE FUTURE FIRSTS
Our annual Foyle Future Firsts programme bridges the transition between education and the professional platform for outstanding orchestral musicians at the start of their careers. It’s designed to nurture and develop talented orchestral players, forming the base for future appointments to the London Philharmonic Orchestra and other world-class orchestras and ensembles. This year we welcome Izzy Howard, Emmanuel Webb, Melissa Doody, Olivia Da Costa, James Trowbridge, Japheth Law, Ewan Millar, Thomas Knollys, Keane Lui, Hannah Williams, Lucas Houldcroft, Joe Smales, Callum Davis, Stien De Neef, Justine Gormley and Charlie Hodge.
THE FOYLE FUTURE FIRSTS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME 2024/25 IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY THE FOYLE FOUNDATION WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM THE BARBARA WHATMORE CHARITABLE TRUST AND INDIVIDUAL CHAIR SUPPORTERS. INSTRUMENT CHAIRS ARE KINDLY SUPPORTED BY DAVID BURKE & VALERIE GRAHAM (CLARINET), MICHELLE CROWE HERNANDEZ (TUBA), JOHN & SAM DAWSON (PERCUSSION), MARIE POWER (PIANO), JUDY WRIGHTSON & TONY LLEWELLYN (VIOLIN).
LPO YOUNG COMPOSERS
The LPO Young Composers programme aims to find and support the progression of talented, early-career orchestral composers. Under the mentorship of Composer-inResidence Tania León, they will spend the season with the LPO, composing new works for our Debut Sounds concert on 2 July 2025. Welcome to our 2024/25 Young Composers Joy Nkoyo, Niamh O’Donnell, Jorge Ramos, Zach Reading and Daniel Soley.
THE LPO YOUNG COMPOSERS PROGRAMME 2024/25 IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY JERWOOD FOUNDATION, LARK MUSIC, ART MENTOR FOUNDATION LUCERNE, SALLY GROVES MBE AND VAUGHAN WILLIAMS FOUNDATION.
LPO JUNIOR ARTISTS
LPO Junior Artists is our orchestral experience programme for talented young musicians aged 15–19 from backgrounds currently under-represented in professional UK orchestras.
This season we’re delighted to be working with Rebecca Nicolas, Maya Patel, Diego Jurado Hoshino, Hassan Marzban, Carys Wood, Nayan Shah, Benjamin Abraham and Nathan-Asher Toluwanimi Oriakhi.
THE LPO JUNIOR ARTISTS PROGRAMME 2024/25 IS GENEROUSLY FUNDED BY TIOC FOUNDATION, MARIA BJ Ö RNSON MEMORIAL FUND AND THE JOHN S COHEN FOUNDATION.
MEMBER NEWS
Congratulations to Karen Hutt, who joined the LPO Percussion section in 2023 and has recently been promoted to the position of Co-Principal Percussion.
In February 2025 we welcome Oliver Yates as Sub-Principal Percussion. As a freelancer for the last 20 years, Olly has performed with all of London’s symphony and opera orchestras, and was acting Co-Principal Percussion of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra from 2007–15. It’s great to welcome him as an LPO member!
IN THE OFFICE
In October Ineza Grabowska joined the team as PA to the Executive and Office Manager, and in January we welcome Olivia Highland, who will be covering the role of Development Director while Laura Willis is on maternity leave.
January sees some updates to roles and job titles within the Orchestra’s administrative team. These changes reflect the growing responsibilities and contributions of our dedicated staff members. Rosie Morden takes on the title of Senior Development Manager, and Jean-Paul Ramotar becomes IT Manager & Finance Officer. In our Marketing & Communications team, Sophie Lonergan becomes Senior Marketing Manager, and Alicia Hartley becomes Digital & Marketing Manager.
WHO’S WHO AT THE LPO? lpo.org.uk/who-we-are
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to Development Director Laura Willis and her husband David on the birth of their daughter Ottilie Grace, who arrived on 8 December.
LONDON
PHILHARMONIC CHOIR
NEVILLE CREED
Neville Creed, Artistic Director of the London Philharmonic Choir, will retire this summer after 30 remarkable years at the helm of this outstanding ensemble. His Choir colleagues pay heartfelt tribute to his extraordinary leadership and reflect on the enduring legacy he leaves behind.
It’s 1994: the Channel Tunnel connects Britain and France for the first time since the Ice Age; Jeff Bezos founds Amazon from his garage; Friends is aired for the first time; Oasis release their debut album Definitely Maybe, and Neville Creed is appointed Chorus Director for the London Philharmonic Choir. A seminal year indeed. What is particularly remarkable about all the events listed above is the growth, success and sheer longevity of them: all have endured and flourished over the last three decades, and Neville’s tenure as Chorus Director (and later, Artistic Director) is no different.
Little did the LPC know back in 1994 that Neville’s artistic leadership would guide them through 30 years of remarkable musicmaking, crafting performances that have transformed them into one of the UK’s foremost symphony choirs, and leaving a lasting mark on the British choral tradition with concerts that resonate in the memories of audiences and Choir members alike. Neville’s skill is in his ability to draw out high-quality musicianship, week in, week out, from hundreds of amateur singers from all walks of life. However, it is his talent in preparing the Choir for myriad styles of conductors that truly sets him apart. There is a big difference between knowing a piece of
music well, and being able to respond to a conductor’s style of working quickly and with musicality, and this is something that Neville prepares the Choir for meticulously, for each and every concert, and in particular for each of the three Principal Conductors of the LPO with whom Neville has worked during his tenure, producing many notable and standout performances.
Under Kurt Masur: Britten’s War Requiem on 8 May 2005 – a moving call for peace on the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, with Neville both preparing the Choir and conducting the chamber orchestra. Under Vladimir Jurowski for the Choir’s 60th birthday in May 2007: a performance of Mozart’s Requiem in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, with Neville again both preparing the Choir and conducting the concert’s first half, of a cappella Bruckner motets; for the Choir’s 70th birthday in 2017: a logistically and vocally complex performance of Tallis’s Spem in alium segueing directly into Mahler’s Eighth Symphony. For Edward Gardner’s first concert as Principal Conductor, Neville steered the Choir back from the lengthy Covid absence to rise to the challenge of Tippett’s The Midsummer Marriage, the recording of which later won a Gramophone Award.
Indeed, Neville has never shied away from demanding excellence from the Choir when preparing for challenging and ambitious works, and his tenacity and guidance have produced many other memorable and impressive performances such as Mark-Anthony Turnage’s A Relic of Memory at the 2006 BBC Proms; Magnus Lindberg’s Triumph to Exist, written in Swedish for 16 voice parts; and Ligeti’s Requiem at the 2023 BBC Proms.
The LPC exists to make music to a professional standard, and Neville has been instrumental in achieving this over the last 30 years; raising the standard of musicianship and quality of the Choir through his dedication and ambition. However, it is not just his musical ability and
commitment that will leave a lasting impression on the members. Neville’s impact goes beyond music alone. From his nicknames of ‘Nevsky’ (following performances of Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky with Jurowski in 2003, and simply ‘Nev’, coined by Sir Neville Marriner (‘I’ll be Snev, you be Nev...’) and reincarnated when we worked with the London International Gospel Choir and their director Naveen Arles (‘Nev and Nav’), to his fail-safe chorusmaster uniform of a trusty red jumper, boat shoes and a suitably battered satchel, Neville has helped to foster an atmosphere of real warmth and community within the Choir. Many of the members describe LPC rehearsals as a respite from the demands of daily life, a place where friendships flourish, and where their love for choral music finds a joyful outlet. Celebrating birthdays and weddings, hosting post-rehearsal and concert gatherings, and taking part in overseas tours – the LPC family culture is as much a part of Neville’s legacy as the music itself.
The legacy of Neville Creed is deeply etched into the LPC’s history. Under his direction, the Choir has not only survived the changing tides of the choral world, but has thrived, marking its 75th anniversary in 2022 and looking towards future milestones with optimism and pride. The LPC thanks Neville for all that he has done, and looks forward to his continuing connection with the Choir as Chorus Director Emeritus.
Neville in action rehearsing the LPC
Photos © Louise Kragh Photography
CONCERT LISTINGS LPO SPRING 2025
SOUTHBANK CENTRE
Unless otherwise stated: Tickets £14–£51 | Premium seats £70
LPO Ticket Office
020 7840 4242 (Mon–Fri 10am–5pm) lpo.org.uk
Booking fees apply: £3.50 online, £4 telephone
Southbank Centre Ticket Office 020 3879 9555
Mon–Fri 10am–5pm | Sat–Sun 12pm–5pm southbankcentre.co.uk
Booking fees apply: £3.50 online, £4 telephone. No transaction fees for in-person bookings, Southbank Centre Members, Supporters Circles and Patrons.
Unless otherwise stated, all Southbank Centre concerts are at the Royal Festival Hall and start at 7.30pm.
Edward Gardner’s position with the LPO in the 2024/25 season is generously supported by Aud Jebsen.
Concerts indicated by this icon are part of the ‘Moments Remembered’ series.
Wednesday 15 January 2025
Strauss, Berg & Brahms
R Strauss Metamorphosen
Berg Violin Concerto
Brahms Symphony No. 2
Edward Gardner conductor
Isabelle Faust violin
6.00pm | Free pre-concert performance
Royal Festival Hall
The LPO Foyle Future Firsts perform music inspired by memory, with students from the Royal Academy of Music and members of the LPO, conducted by Edward Gardner.
Saturday 18 January 2025
On the Transmigration of Souls
Haydn Missa in tempore belli
György Kurtág Petite musique solennelle
John Adams On the Transmigration of Souls
Vladimir Jurowski conductor
Anna Devin soprano
Hanna Hipp mezzo-soprano
Rupert Charlesworth tenor
Trevor Eliot Bowes bass
London Philharmonic Choir
Tiffin Youth Choir
6.15–6.45pm | Free pre-concert event
The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall
LPO 2024/25 Writer-in-Residence
Jeremy Eichler gives a talk on this evening’s programme.
Wednesday 22 January 2025
Queen Elizabeth Hall (Please note venue)
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
Perry Requiem for Orchestra
Evan Williams Dead White Man Music (Concerto for Harpsichord and Chamber Ensemble)
Vivaldi The Four Seasons
Richard Egarr conductor/continuo
Olga Pashchenko harpsichord
Alice Ivy-Pemberton violin
9.45pm | Post-concert performance
Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer
LPO Co-Leader Alice Ivy-Pemberton showcases the versatility of the violin and the art of ‘fiddling’. Free to concert ticketholders, no separate ticket required (£10 for others).
Saturday 25 January 2025
An evening with Amjad Ali Khan
Reena Esmail RE|Member
Amjad Ali Khan Samaagam (Concerto for Sarod)
AR Rahman Selections from film soundtracks including Slumdog Millionaire, Bombay and others
Lidiya Yankovskaya conductor
Amjad Ali Khan sarod virtuoso
Amaan Ali Bangash sarod
Ayaan Ali Bangash sarod
Anubrata Chatterjee tabla
Natasha Agarwal soprano
Wednesday 29 January 2025
6.30pm (Please note start time)
Benjamin Grosvenor plays Mozart
Sibelius En Saga
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21
Sibelius Lemminkäinen Suite
Karina Canellakis conductor
Benjamin Grosvenor piano
Concert generously supported by Victoria Robey CBE
Wednesday 19 February 2025
Symphonic Dances
Glazunov Concert Waltz No. 1
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1
Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances
Juraj Valčuha conductor
Boris Giltburg piano
Friday 21 February 2025
An Alpine Symphony
Tania León Pasajes
Grieg Piano Concerto
R Strauss An Alpine Symphony
Edward Gardner conductor
Alexandra Dovgan piano
6.00pm | Free pre-concert performance
Royal Festival Hall
The LPO Junior Artists perform alongside LPO musicians, Foyle Future Firsts and Junior Artist alumni under the baton of Matthew Lynch, LPO Fellow Conductor 2024/25.
Wednesday 26 February 2025
Symphonie Fantastique
David Sawer Sphinx (world premiere)*
Britten Violin Concerto
Berlioz Symphonie fantastique
Edward Gardner conductor
Augustin Hadelich violin
*Commissioned by the London Philharmonic Orchestra with support from the Nicholas Berwin Charitable Trust.
Saturday 1 March 2025
Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider plays Tchaikovsky
Mahler/Schnittke Piano Quartet, arranged for piano and strings
Haydn Symphony No. 49 (La Passione)
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
Omer Meir Wellber conductor/piano
Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider violin
LPO SPRING 2025
CONCERT LISTINGS
Wednesday 5 March 2025
Renée Fleming sings Strauss
Wagner Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde
R Strauss Four Last Songs
Wagner Overture and Venusberg Music from Tannhäuser
Wagner Prelude to Act I of Lohengrin Wagner Overture, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Thomas Guggeis conductor Renée Fleming soprano
Wednesday 12 March 2025
Queen Elizabeth Hall (Please note venue)
Crossing Generations
Zappa The Dog Breath Variations/Uncle Meat; Outrage at Valdez; G-Spot Tornado
Dinuk Wijeratne Clarinet Concerto (European premiere)
Martinů Symphony No. 6 (Fantaisies symphoniques)
Kevin John Edusei conductor Kinan Azmeh clarinet
Wednesday 19 March 2025
Mahler’s Fifth
R Schumann Piano Concerto
Mahler Symphony No. 5
Robin Ticciati conductor Francesco Piemontesi piano
Saturday 22 March 2025
London Soundtrack Festival Gala Concert Book via londonsoundtrackfestival.com
See page 6
Sunday 23 March 2025 | 12 noon
FUNharmonics Family Concert: The Snail and the Whale
Juya Shin conductor*
Lucy Hollins presenter
Join the London Philharmonic Orchestra on an aquatic adventure, based on the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, as the Orchestra performs live with the Magic Light Pictures film on the big screen.
Free pre-concert foyer activities from 10am–12 noon (concert ticket-holders only).
Adults £16–24, children £8–12
*LPO Fellow Conductor 2024/25. The LPO Conducting Fellowship is generously supported by Patricia Haitink with additional support from Gini and Richard Gabbertas.
Wednesday 26 March 2025
6.30pm (Please note start time)
Alina Ibragimova plays Prokofiev
Saariaho Orion
Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1
Nielsen Symphony No. 5
Hannu Lintu conductor
Alina Ibragimova violin
Saturday 29 March 2025
Queen Elizabeth Hall (Please note venue)
Tan Dun’s Water Concerto
Pärt Symphony No. 1 (Polyphonic)
Tan Dun Water Concerto
Lutosławski Symphony No. 3
Eva Ollikainen conductor
Colin Currie percussion
9.30pm | Post-concert performance
Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer
Percussionist Colin Currie performs alongside an LPO string quartet. Free to concert ticketholders (£10 for others).
Wednesday 2 April 2025
War and Peace
Prokofiev Selection from Semyon Kotko Mussorgsky (arr. Denisov) Songs and Dances of Death
Lyatoshynsky Symphony No. 3
Vladimir Jurowski conductor
Matthew Rose bass
6.00pm | Free pre-concert performance
Royal Festival Hall
Members of Crisis UK – all adults who have experienced homelessness –perform original music they have devised with LPO musicians and a workshop leader during a week-long creative project.
Saturday 5 April 2025
Tragedy to Triumph
Beethoven Coriolan Overture
R Schumann Violin Concerto
Schubert Symphony No. 9 (The Great)
Vladimir Jurowski conductor
Vilde Frang violin
In association with Arts for Dementia
Saturday 12 April 2025
Jan Lisiecki plays Beethoven
Sibelius Pohjola’s Daughter
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 (Emperor)
Sibelius Symphony No. 2
Tarmo Peltokoski conductor
Jan Lisiecki piano
Wednesday 23 April 2025
6.30pm & 8.30pm
(Please note start times)
Daphnis and Chloé
Ravel Daphnis et Chloé
Ravel La valse
Edward Gardner conductor
BBC Singers
Circa
Saturday 26 April 2025
Mahler 8
Mahler Symphony No. 8 (semi-staged)
Edward Gardner conductor
Sarah Wegener soprano
Emma Bell soprano
Jennifer France soprano
Christine Rice mezzo-soprano
Jennifer Johnston mezzo-soprano
Andreas Schager tenor
Tomasz Konieczny bass-baritone
Derek Welton bass-baritone
London Philharmonic Choir
London Symphony Chorus
Tiffin Boys’ Choir
Concert generously supported by a group of individual donors
Saturday 31 May 2025 | 12 noon
FUNharmonics Family Concert: Petrushka
Matthew Lynch conductor*
Rachel Leach presenter
Roll up, roll up! Explore the heady sights and sounds of the fair where we meet Petrushka, the playful star of the puppet show. The story is told by presenter Rachel Leach, through dazzling music by Igor Stravinsky, and vivid animations on the big screen.
Free pre-concert foyer activities from 10am–12 noon (concert ticket-holders only).
Adults £16–24, children £8–12
*LPO Fellow Conductor 2024/25. The LPO Conducting Fellowship is generously supported by Patricia Haitink with additional support from Gini and Richard Gabbertas.
CONCERT LISTINGS LPO SPRING 2025
AROUND THE UK
Thursday 23 January 2025 | 6.30pm
St John’s Church, Waterloo, SE1 8TY
The Chamber Sessions: Wind Quintets –Past to Present
Book via LPO Ticket Office (see page 13)
Valerie Coleman Tzigane for Wind Quintet
Hindemith Kleine Kammermusik for Winds
Mozart Quintet in E-flat major for Piano and Winds
Featuring LPO Wind Principals
Generously supported by TIOC Foundation
Tuesday 28 January 2025 | 7.00pm
Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham
Sibelius En Saga
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4
Karina Canellakis conductor
Benjamin Grosvenor piano
Thursday 30 January 2025 | 7.00pm Beacon, Bristol
Sibelius Lemminkainen’s Return Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4
Karina Canellakis conductor
Benjamin Grosvenor piano
Saturday 1 February 2025 | 7.30pm
Brighton Dome Concert Hall
Ravel Pavane pour une infante défunte
Ravel Piano Concerto for the Left Hand
Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade
Juya Shin conductor*
Nicholas McCarthy piano
*LPO Fellow Conductor 2024/25. The LPO Conducting Fellowship is generously supported by Patricia Haitink with additional support from Gini and Richard Gabbertas.
Saturday 15 February 2025 | 7.30pm
Saffron Hall, Saffron Walden
Beethoven Missa Solemnis
Edward Gardner conductor
University of Cambridge Choirs
Saturday 22 February 2025 | 6.30pm
St John’s Church, Waterloo, SE1 8TY
The Chamber Sessions: Rothko Chapel Book via LPO Ticket Office (see page 13)
Andrew Norman The Companion Guide to Rome
Feldman Rothko Chapel
Featuring the New London Chamber Choir
Sunday 23 February 2025 | 3.00pm
Congress Theatre, Eastbourne
Chevalier de Saint-Georges Symphony No. 2
Mozart Concerto for Flute and Harp
Dvořák Symphony No. 9 (From the New World)
Matthew Lynch conductor*
Juliette Bausor flute
Alexander Boldachev harp
*LPO Fellow Conductor 2024/25. The LPO Conducting Fellowship is generously supported by Patricia Haitink with additional support from Gini and Richard Gabbertas.
Friday 7 March 2025 | 6.30pm
St John’s Church, Waterloo, SE1 8TY
The Chamber Sessions: Echoes of Now Book via LPO Ticket Office (see page 13)
Tania León String Quartet No. 2
Jessie Montgomery Break Away
Brian Raphael Nabors Jump
Daniel Kidane Foreign Tongues
Hannah Kendall Vera
Saturday 8 March 2025 | 7.30pm
Brighton Dome Concert Hall and
Sunday 9 March 2025 | 3.00pm
Congress Theatre, Eastbourne
R Schumann Overture, Genoveva
Beethoven Violin Concerto
Brahms Symphony No. 4
Adam Hickox conductor
Hyeyoon Park violin
Saturday 15 March 2025 | 7.30pm
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Sunday 16 March 2025 | 3.00pm
The Glasshouse, Gateshead
Monday 17 March 2025 | 7.30pm
Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
R Schumann Piano Concerto
Mahler Symphony No. 5
Robin Ticciati conductor
Francesco Piemontesi piano
Sunday 6 April 2025 | 3.30pm
Saffron Hall, Saffron Walden
Beethoven Coriolan Overture
R Schumann Violin Concerto
Schubert Symphony No. 9 (The Great)
Vladimir Jurowski conductor
Vilde Frang violin
Sunday 13 April 2025 | 3.00pm
Congress Theatre, Eastbourne
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 (Emperor)
Sibelius Symphony No. 2
Tarmo Peltokoski conductor
Jan Lisiecki piano
INTERNATIONAL CONCERTS
Wednesday 5 February 2025 | 8.15pm
De Doelen, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Thursday 6 February 2025 | 8.15pm
Muziekcentrum Frits Philips, Eindhoven, Netherlands
Friday 7 February 2025 | 8.00pm
DeSingel, Antwerp, Belgium*
Saturday 8 February 2025 | 8.00pm
Concertgebouw, Bruges, Belgium
Sunday 9 February 2025 | 2.00pm
TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht, Netherlands
Lotta Wennäkoski Hava
Sibelius Violin Concerto
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5
Dima Slobodeniouk conductor
Christian Tetzlaff violin
*Daniel Lozakovich violin (Antwerp only)
Monday 7 April 2025 | 8.00pm
Auditorio de la Diputación, Alicante, Spain
Tuesday 8 April 2025 | 7.30pm
Palau de la Música, Valencia, Spain
Wednesday 9 April 2025 | 7.30pm
Auditorio Nacional de Música, Madrid, Spain auditorionacional.mcu.es
Beethoven Coriolan Overture
R Schumann Violin Concerto
Beethoven Symphony No. 5
Vladimir Jurowski conductor
Vilde Frang violin
It’s been a busy few months of touring for the LPO, with visits to Japan, the USA, Austria and Germany in recent months, and China still to come over the New Year. What have been your highlights?
Touring with the LPO gives us the opportunity to play in some of the best concert halls in the world, and this autumn has been stellar in this regard – Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Carnegie Hall in New York and the Musikverein in Vienna. The Japan tour came hard on the heels of the Glyndebourne season, so my husband joined me towards the end of the tour and we stayed on for a walking holiday afterwards. We travelled to Shikoku island and followed one of the old pilgrimage routes, visiting temples along the way, often in incredibly remote locations high in the mountains surrounded by cypress forests. We also stopped off at Naoshima Art Island to see the work of architect Tadao Ando that houses an astonishing array of art on the island.
What were your first impressions when you joined the LPO in 2003, and how has life in the Orchestra changed since then?
My first concerts with the LPO were under [then-Principal Conductor] Kurt Masur, and I was immediately impressed by the warmth and depth of the string sound. Even in rehearsals, everyone was giving their all and not ‘saving’ it for the performance. Masur would go over and over a passage if we weren’t playing it to his liking, and the phrase ‘Last chance, friends...’ became legend – it never was the last repetition! There was quite an intense work ethic when I joined; it wasn’t uncommon to be expected to work for three weeks without a day off, which for me, coming from a BBC orchestra, was unheard of. I think since Covid there’s increasing awareness about supporting the health and wellbeing of the players, which is welcome.
As well as the concert work, you’ve also been a regular part of the LPO’s OrchLab inclusive music-making project for a number of years. What has that experience been like?
An OrchLab workshop can sometimes be the first time an adult with a disability has expressed themselves through music and
LPO PEOPLE
BACKSTAGE
KATE BIRCHALL
Kate has been a member of the LPO’s Second Violin section since 2003, and was elected VicePresident of the Orchestra‘s Board of Directors in May 2024. We caught up with her to find out more about her experience of life with the LPO.
sound, thanks to the bespoke OrchLab instruments and accessible technology provided by our partner charity Drake Music. This non-verbal communication is incredibly powerful, and the sense of control and agency this provides is palpable. I love to see how the participants grow in confidence over the year, making artistic decisions, selecting sounds and instruments, directing who should play what and when, and writing their own lyrics. My own contribution will often be largely improvised, responding to the room, or playing half-remembered fragments or something jotted down on a scrap of manuscript paper. It’s very free-flowing and couldn’t be more different from a typical day in the LPO, where I have to adhere strictly to the music in front of me. It’s also a lot of fun meeting and engaging with the participants!
You’ve served on the LPO Board of Directors for several years, and earlier this year were elected Vice-President. How does having LPO players on the Board shape the way the Orchestra operates?
The seven Player Directors sit on the Board alongside the Non-player Directors, who come from a wide range of backgrounds including law, politics, finance and marketing. Whilst they bring a huge amount of experience to the table, an orchestra is a unique organisation – very different from other arts organisations or not-forprofit corporations. We’re often called on to explain just how we maintain our high artistic standards and what the practicalities are of delivering so many performances and recordings across the season. We oversee the recruitment of musicians and feed into the implementation of the LPO’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion policy, and look at advance scheduling to try and ensure the best working conditions for the members. It’s also important to have Player Directors elected from different sections and positions within the Orchestra to ensure that we truly represent the players.
Which of this spring’s London concerts are you most looking forward to?
I’m really looking forward to hearing Augustin Hadelich perform the Britten Violin Concerto on 26 February. He’s such an inspiring musician, and during Covid I was an avid fan of his ‘Ask Augustin’ YouTube series where he unveils some of the secrets of his phenomenal technique. Tarmo Peltokoski, the latest young conductor to come out of Finland, is causing quite a stir, so it will also be exciting to work with him for the first time on 12 April, in a mostly Sibelius programme.
How do you relax when you’re not working? I love walking and being in the countryside, so I make the most of the South Downs during the Glyndebourne season. I’m a keen gardener and sometimes I’ll go out to do five minutes of deadheading and then find that the whole afternoon has disappeared! For me, reading is the best way to relax, especially on tour when I get plenty of guilt-free reading time on flights and train journeys. In recent years my suitcase has got much lighter thanks to the Kindle!
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