News, blog & video

On 21 May 2019, the Philharmonia announced the appointment of Santtu-Matias Rouvali as our new Principal Conductor. Three years later, our concert on 8 June 2022 marks the closing of his first London season with us in the role. So was it worth the wait? Absolutely, and more.

Not many conductors have enjoyed a career as extensive as Herbert Blomstedt’s. He was 18 when the Philharmonia was founded, and 23 when the Royal Festival Hall was opened. Read more in our timeline.

We spoke to Jessie Montgomery ahead of our performance of her work, Strum, about her process as a composer, the importance of art in the community and much more.

Ahead of his first performance with the Philharmonia in more than 10 years, we asked Joshua about Antonín Dvořák’s Violin Concerto and his relationship to Paavo Järvi. And we also learned how he fell in love with his Stadivarius.

A profile by Alex Prideaux

Bruce Liu joins us on 10 March for an all Tchaikovsky programme with Santtu-Matias Rouvali. We spoke to last year’s Chopin Competition winner about the approach to his musicianship and what to look out for in Tchaikovsky’s second piano concerto.

We spoke to Zeb and James Mayhew, illustrator of the Gaspard the Fox books, about their first musical experiences and what character of the books they relate to most.

Ahead of our concert on Thursday 10 February, we spoke to John Wilson about how he started to conduct and his relationship to the First Symphony by Elgar.

A listening guide to Rimsky-Korsakov’s piece telling the tale of Scheherazade, the young bride from the Arabian Nights who protects herself from death by telling nightly stories.

Ahead of our concert on Sunday 16 January, we asked Steven Isserlis about his relationship to the Philharmonia, his musical storybooks and humour in Haydn’s music.

Cymbal crashes, fairies and dancing flowers – follow Clara’s musical adventure in Tchaikovsky’s timeless Nutcracker Suite.

This award will enable the organisation to fulfil its ambitious return to large-scale orchestral performances in its London home and across its UK residencies

Ahead of our concert András Schiff: a Feast of Mozart, we spoke to Benjamin Marquise Gilmore about Mozart and his role as a Concert Master.