Schools Concerts

An exciting programme of music based on a theme, presented by a music education specialist and played by the Philharmonia, one of the world’s great orchestras.

INSET teacher training, equipping teachers with the skills to maximise the concert experience for their pupils. Classroom exercises introduce the concert repertoire, as well as developing personal creativity, expression, confidence and group work skills.

An opportunity for children to take part in an interactive audience participation piece with the Philharmonia live in concert.

Accompaying in-school creative workshops designed to prepare children for the concert visit, bringing to life the players, instruments and programme.

Art projects linked to the repertoire, giving pupils the chance to have their work displayed during the concert.

Suitable for all children; as well as mainstream schools, Orchestra Unwrapped concerts are regularly attended by special schools, hospital schools and home educated children. Materials and activities can be tailored as required.

Partnerships with music hubs: enable young instrumentalists to perform side-by-side within the Orchestra during the audience participation piece. Young musicians receive coaching from Philharmonia players in advance.

Click here to access our Orchestra Unwrapped resources

Booking for our 2025/26 Orchestra Unwrapped concerts in Bedford, London and Leicester will open in September. 

Booking for our 2025/26 Orchestra Unwrapped concert in Basingstoke will open in the summer term. 

2025/26 concert dates:

• Tuesday 4 November 2025: Basingstoke (The Anvil)
• Thursday 16 April 2026: London (Royal Festival Hall)
• Wednesday 6 May 2026: Leicester (De Montfort Hall)
• Thursday 21 May 2026: Bedford (Bedford Corn Exchange)

All concerts start at 1pm and last for one hour.

Cost: the cost of participating in Orchestra Unwrapped is £4 per student, plus 1 free teacher ticket per 10 students. Additional staff tickets are priced at £4 per teacher. If you are a SEND provision, please make this clear in your booking so we can accommodate any additional needs and support staff required.

How to book: once booking for Orchestra Unwrapped is open, please fill out the booking form that will appear on this page. If you would like to join the waiting list for a sold-out concert, please complete a booking form to register your interest.

What next? Once you have submitted your online booking form, you will receive an automated response acknowledging your request for tickets. The Philharmonia Learning & Engagement team will review all booking requests and, if your application has been successful, you will receive a booking confirmation and invoice.

You can expect to receive a response from the Learning & Engagement team within one month of submitting your booking request form. Please note that your booking is not guaranteed until you have received a booking confirmation and invoice.

Can I make changes to my booking request once I’ve submitted the form? Yes – if you would like to make any changes, please contact the Philharmonia Learning & Engagement team on orchestra.unwrapped@philharmonia.co.uk or call 020 7921 3904.

In the 2025/26 season, the Philharmonia celebrates its 80th anniversary. We’d love to invite you and your students to join us on an unforgettable journey through time. Step into our musical time machine as we celebrate eight decades of the Philharmonia’s rich and remarkable history – from our very first concert in 1945 to today.

Together, we’ll visit milestone moments in the Philharmonia’s history. Along the way, we’ll explore the historic events that shaped not just the world, but the Orchestra itself.

Come and celebrate 80 years of music, memories and magic with us!