2025/26 London Season
Welcome to our 80th birthday season at the Southbank Centre.
The Philharmonia Orchestra gave its first ever performance in October 1945. Over the past 80 years we’ve built a reputation as one of the world’s great orchestras. Throughout our history we’ve performed around the world with leading conductors and soloists, made definitive recordings, created innovative projects, and embraced new technology to enable more people to experience the music we love. And this season is no exception.
In our 2025/26 London season you’ll find plenty of opportunities to see our Principal Conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali and Principal Guest Conductor Marin Alsop on the podium – highlights include Marin Alsop conducting Laura Karpman’s ‘tennis opera’ Balls, and Santtu’s recreation of the last concert Richard Strauss himself conducted with the Philharmonia.
Pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, our Featured Artist, joins us to play Beethoven, Adams and Kurtág. And as our Featured Composer, Gabriela Ortiz injects the distinctive energy of Latin America into our programmes.
We’re joined by many more fantastic artists, including pianists Evgeny Kissin and Bruce Liu, violinists Nicola Benedetti and Hilary Hahn, cellist Alisa Weilerstein and soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha. And throughout the season we’re exploring how music shapes our identity, as an orchestra, as artists, or as listeners – come along to our free Philharmonia debates… series and join the conversation.
To celebrate our 80th birthday, 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. Find out more here.
Multibuy offer:
Book 3 – 4 concerts and get 10% off
Book 5 – 7 concerts and get 15% off
Book 8 – 10 concerts and get 20% off
Book 11 – 14 concerts and get 25% off
Book 15 or more concerts and get 30% off
Santtu and Víkingur Ólafsson
Santtu-Matias Rouvali – conductor
Víkingur Ólafsson – piano
- Ortiz Si el oxígeno fuera verde (UK premiere, Philharmonia commission)
- Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3
- Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3, 'Organ'
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Philharmonia debates... Music & Identity
Speakers to be announced
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Gilbert & George: Sex, Money, Race, Religion
Jessica Cottis – conductor
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Philharmonia debates... Music & Politics
Speakers to be announced
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Santtu conducts Sibelius, Lindberg & Shostakovich
Santtu-Matias Rouvali – conductor
Christian Lindberg – trombone
- Sibelius Finlandia
- Lindberg Trombone Concerto, 'Golden Eagle'
- Shostakovich Symphony No. 5
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Wagner, Strauss and Tchaikovsky: Last Songs
Lorenzo Viotti – conductor
Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha – soprano
- Wagner Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde
- Strauss Four Last Songs
- Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6, ‘Pathétique’
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Paavo Järvi conducts Bruch and Sibelius
Paavo Järvi – conductor
Alena Baeva – violin
- Brahms St Anthony Variations
- Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1
- Sibelius Symphony No. 5
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Philharmonia Chamber Players: Transfigured Night
Rebecca Chan – violin
David López Ibáñez – violin
Scott Dickinson – viola
Sylvain Séailles – viola
Ella Rundle – cello
Silvestrs Kalniņš – cello
- Montgomery Break Away
- Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht
Join the Friends to access priority booking from 10am on Thursday 24 April.
Jakub Hrůša conducts Mahler 7
Jakub Hrůša – conductor
- Mahler Symphony No. 7
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Evgeny Kissin: one concert, three concertos
Lawrence Foster – conductor
Evgeny Kissin – piano
- Rimsky-Korsakov Piano Concerto
- Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 1
- Rachmaninov The Rock
- Scriabin Piano Concerto
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Philharmonia debates... Music & Gender
Speakers to be announced
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Balls: Marin Alsop conducts Laura Karpman
Marin Alsop – conductor
Sandi Toksvig – narrator
Nikola Printz – Billie Jean King
Nicky Spence – Bobby Riggs
- Walton Façade
- Karpman Balls (World premiere of orchestral version)
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Philharmonia Chamber Players: A Portuguese Quartet
Players to include:
Nuno Carapina – violin
Silvestrs Kalniņš – cello
Piano tbc
Eunsley Park – violin
Emma Lisney – violin
Daichi Yoshimura – viola
Alexander Rolton – cello
- Freitas Branco String Quartet
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Rafael Payare conducts Berlioz and Ortiz
Rafael Payare – conductor
Pacho Flores – trumpet
- Berlioz Roman Carnival Overture
- Ortiz Trumpet Concerto, 'Altar de Bronce' (London premiere)
- Berlioz Symphonie fantastique
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Vidya Patel: Artist in Residence
Vidya Patel – dance artist and choreographer
Santtu and Fazıl Say
Santtu-Matias Rouvali – conductor
Fazıl Say – piano
- de Falla El Amor Brujo Suite (orchestral version)
- Say Mother Earth (Piano Concerto) (UK premiere)
- Dvořák Symphony No. 8
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Philharmonia debates... Music & Exile
Speakers to be announced
Santtu and Hilary Hahn
Santtu-Matias Rouvali – conductor
Hilary Hahn – violin
- Stravinsky Divertimento from The Fairy's Kiss
- Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2
- Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Marin Alsop conducts Star Wars and The Planets
Marin Alsop – conductor
Sean Shibe – guitar
- Williams Star Wars Suite
- Rodrigo Guitar Concerto, 'Concierto de Aranjuez'
- Holst The Planets
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Philharmonia Chamber Players: Goldberg Variations
Players to include:
Rebecca Chan – violin
Scott Dickinson – viola
Richard Birchall – cello
- Bach Goldberg Variations
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Runnicles conducts Bruckner 8
Donald Runnicles – conductor
- Bruckner Symphony No. 8
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Philharmonia Chamber Players: Conductors Compose
Players to include:
Julian Milone – violin
8 other players tbc
- Svetlanov 24 Hours in the Country for Wind Quintet
- Sinopoli Numquid for Oboe Quartet
- Salonen Homunuculus
- Klemperer String Quartet No. 7
- Markevitch Galop
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Esa-Pekka Salonen and Víkingur Ólafsson
Esa-Pekka Salonen – conductor
Víkingur Ólafsson – piano
- Adams Piano Concerto, 'After the Fall' (London premiere, Philharmonia co-commission)
- Ravel Daphnis and Chloé (complete ballet score)
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Víkingur Ólafsson celebrates Kurtág at 100
Elena Schwarz – conductor
Víkingur Ólafsson – piano
István Várdai – cello
- Kurtág Hommage à J. S. B.
- Kurtág Double Concerto, Op. 27 No. 2
- Schumann Fugue on B-A-C-H, Op. 60
- Kurtág Hommage à R. Sch.
- Simpson Hommage à Kurtág
- Kurtág ...quasi una fantasia... Op. 27, No. 1
- Bach Music for solo cello and solo piano
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Santtu conducts Bernstein, Copland and Gershwin
Santtu-Matias Rouvali – conductor
Mark van de Wiel – clarinet
Frank Dupree – piano
- Bernstein On the Waterfront Suite
- Dove Clarinet Concerto, 'Rainbow' (World premiere, commissioned by Mark van de Wiel and the Philharmonia)
- Copland Clarinet Concerto
- Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Philharmonia Big Band
Santtu-Matias Rouvali – drums
Musicians to be announced
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Philharmonia debates... Composing across Cultures
Speakers to be announced
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Music of Today: Gabriela Ortiz curates
Musicians to be announced
- Cortés-Álvarez Transcendiendo Muros
- Vázquez Son Crepuscular
- Ortiz Corpórea
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Marin Alsop and Alisa Weilerstein
Marin Alsop – conductor
Alisa Weilerstein – cello
- Márquez Danzón No. 2
- Ortiz Cello Concerto, 'Dzonot' (London premiere)
- Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Philharmonia debates... Music & Belief
Speakers to be announced
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Nagano conducts Mahler's Resurrection Symphony
Kent Nagano – conductor
Philharmonia Chorus
- Hildegard of Bingen O vis aeternitatis
- Mahler Symphony No. 2, 'Resurrection'
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Lisa Batiashvili plays Tchaikovsky
Santtu-Matias Rouvali – conductor
Lisa Batiashvili – violin
- Bacewicz Divertimento
- Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
- Walton Symphony No. 1
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Philharmonia Chamber Players: Strings
Fabrizio Falasca – violin
Rebecca Chan – violin
Eunsley Park – violin
David López Ibáñez – violin
Scott Dickinson – Viola
Sylvan Séailles – viola
Richard Birchall – cello
Ella Rundle – cello
- Montgomery Strum
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Denis Kozhukhin plays Beethoven
Ruth Reinhardt – conductor
Denis Kozhukhin – piano
- Ortiz Tzam (UK premiere)
- Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5, 'Emperor'
- Mendelssohn Symphony No. 3, 'Scottish'
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Philharmonia debates... Music & Sexuality
Speakers to be announced
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Bruce Liu plays Ravel
Ryan Bancroft – conductor
Bruce Liu – piano
- Britten Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes
- Ravel Piano Concerto in G
- Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Nicola Benedetti plays Elgar
Cristian Măcelaru – conductor
Nicola Benedetti – violin
- Elgar Violin Concerto
- Chaminade Callirhoë Suite
- Debussy La Mer
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Hard Rock Hallelujah: Philharmonia x Heavy Metal All-Stars
Santtu-Matias Rouvali – conductor
Plus special guests
Philharmonia debates... Music & Mentoring
Speakers to be announced
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Music of Today: Composers' Academy
Musicians to be announced
Composers to be announced
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Kavakos conducts Dvořák, Schumann & Brahms
Leonidas Kavakos – conductor
Kian Soltani – cello
- Dvořák Vanda Overture
- Schumann Cello Concerto
- Brahms Symphony No. 1
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.
Santtu conducts a Strauss extravaganza
Santtu-Matias Rouvali – conductor
Benjamin Grosvenor – piano
- Strauss Don Juan
- Strauss Burleske
- Strauss Symphonia Domestica
- Strauss Waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier (first sequence)
General booking opens 10am Tuesday 29 April. Join the Friends to book today.