Philharmonia Debates… What Makes a Classic?

Why does some music last for centuries while other works disappear from view?

As the Philharmonia’s Beethoven cycle begins, this debate explores how great music earns its place in history. Beethoven transformed what a symphony could be, continually reinventing musical form and expanding the emotional and expressive possibilities of orchestral music. More than 200 years later, his works remain central to concert life – but why?

Our panel will discuss how music enters the canon, what defines a masterpiece, and whether there is a formula for creating art that stands the test of time. We’ll consider how composers influence one another across generations, why some ideas continue to resonate long after they were written, and what today’s composers might need to create the classics of tomorrow.

Part of the Philharmonia Debates… series, this free event invites you to think beyond the concert hall and consider the wider cultural legacy of Beethoven’s music.

Why not make a day of it? Stay for the afternoon concert, where Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 is heard alongside John Tavener’s The Protecting Veil with cellist Steven Isserlis, continuing the conversation in music (separate ticket required).