Philharmonia appoints Ben Larpent as Director of Artistic Planning

The Philharmonia Orchestra is delighted to announce that Ben Larpent will join its senior management team in the new role of Director of Artistic Planning. Ben joins the Philharmonia in June from Southbank Centre where he is Head of Classical Music.

The new post of Director of Artistic Planning was conceived alongside the recruitment of incoming Chief Executive Alexander Van Ingen, with whom Ben will work closely to build the Philharmonia’s artistic programme in London, at its Southbank Centre home; at its residencies across England; and for international touring.

Ben Larpent said: “I am thrilled to be joining the Philharmonia Orchestra as its Director of Artistic Planning. I’ve admired the orchestra since I first heard them perform under conductor Giuseppe Sinopoli as a teenager, and have enjoyed collaborating with them during my 10 years at the Southbank Centre.

“I am excited to be part of a new chapter in the orchestra’s long history, and to work with Principal Conductor Designate Santtu-Matias Rouvali and incoming Chief Executive Alexander Van Ingen to develop an artistic programme that is relevant to the 21st century, and that both excites and challenges its audiences.”

Michael Fuller, Interim Managing Director, said: “The new position of Director of Artistic Planning is a key piece of the Philharmonia’s future leadership that was planned in tandem with our Chief Executive search. We believe this move, along with our new governance structure, incoming Chief Executive and Chair position us strongly for all our future challenges and opportunities, including operating in a post Covid-19 world. We are thrilled Ben is joining us and he is the just the right person for the job.”

Incoming Chief Executive Alexander Van Ingen said: “I am very pleased to welcome Ben Larpent to the Philharmonia as Director of Artistic Planning. Ben’s extensive musical knowledge and his curatorship of one of the UK’s leading classical music programmes at London’s Southbank Centre, make him an ideal partner to the Philharmonia. His visionary flair combined with the Philharmonia’s sector-leading innovations both in digital areas and on the concert platform will ensure that the orchestra delivers an exciting and enticing future of the highest quality for our diverse audiences.”

Ben Larpent joined Southbank Centre in 2010 as Classical Music Programmer, prior to which he was Tours & Projects Manager at Intermusica Artists’ Management. He studied music at the University of Edinburgh.