The London Philharmonic Orchestra announces 2025/26 London season

Tue 22 Apr, 2025

Key highlights:

•  The LPO’s 2025/26 season theme, Harmony with Nature, explores humanity’s bond with the natural world and issues a call to protect it – through the power of music that confronts, celebrates and inspires.
• Contemporary voices throughout the season such as Gabriela Lena Franks’s Contested Eden (responding to wildfires), Gustavo Díaz-Jerez’s Tajogaite (volcanoes) and Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s CATAMORPHOSIS (a sense of urgency driven by shifting polar forces) offer a contrasting reflection to the idyllic scenes of oceans, forests and mountains of Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Sibelius.
• The season also features seven-time Grammy Award-winning composer and trumpeter Terence Blanchard, who, alongside his own jazz quintet, will perform the UK premiere of A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina) with the Orchestra.
• An array of star guests includes legendary violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, pianists Yefim Bronfman and Alexandre Kantorow, soprano Jennifer France and baritone Stéphane Degout.
• More guest soloists this season include pianists Paul Lewis, Anna Vinnitskaya and Pavel Kolesnikov, as well as violinists James Ehnes, Alina Ibragimova and Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider.
• The LPO’s performing and community activity in its Brighton, Eastbourne and Saffron Walden residencies is also announced today. Highlights include an evening of song with Danielle de Niese in Brighton, and Edward Gardner conducting a selection of Elgar works in Eastbourne.
• The LPO will perform 9 premieres across the season including (in London and Birmingham) Tan Dun’s Nine – an ‘ode to peace’ commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society as a companion piece to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in its 200th anniversary year.
• LPO Principal Conductor Edward Gardner presents ‘Phoenix Lands’, a two-concert focus exploring his fascination of 20th-century composers from Central Europe.

 

Today the London Philharmonic Orchestra announces its 2025/26 London season at the Southbank Centre, where it is a Resident Orchestra. Our opening concert on 27 September 2025 begins with a modern British masterpiece by the LPO’s new Composer-in-Residence: George Benjamin’s Ringed by the Flat Horizon. The evening’s programme also sees pianist Yefim Bronfman perform Beethoven’s ‘Emperor’ Piano Concerto No. 5, and Principal Conductor Edward Gardner lead Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. The season closes on 25 April 2026 with a semi-staged performance of Berg’s harrowing opera Wozzeck, also conducted by Gardner. Principal Guest Conductor Karina Canellakis and Conductor Emeritus Vladimir Jurowski also take to the podium through the season. The LPO will also be helmed by returning conductors Tan Dun, Mark Elder, Maxim Emelyanychev, Jonathon Heyward, Paavo Järvi, Kirill Karabits, Robin Ticciati, Kahchun Wong and Lidiya Yankovskaya. The following conductors will make their LPO debuts this season: Daniela Candillari, Elim Chan and Pablo Rus Broseta.

 

Edward Gardner, Principal Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, says: ‘Our fantastic Orchestra is known for the bravery and range of its programming, and I’m proud to be conducting some wonderful concerts in the 2025/26 season. From the landmark symphonies of the opening concerts – Tchaikovsky’s Fifth and Mahler’s Fourth – to a celebration of our rich tradition in an evening dedicated to Elgar, and modern classics by George Benjamin and Hans Abrahamsen, this season showcases the Orchestra’s virtuosity and range at its finest.’

 

Harmony with Nature

This season explores the profound capacity of classical music to inspire environmental consciousness under the theme Harmony with Nature; a reminder that protecting the natural world is not only a moral imperative but also a cultural one, echoed and elevated through music’s enduring voice. Exploring the different elements of nature – water, forests, mountains, wildlife and more – reflected in music, the season includes Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ Symphony and works by Sibelius, Mendelssohn, Elgar and Dvořák; masterpieces of an era that saw nature as a mirror of human emotion. Closer to our own time, voices as diverse as Duke Ellington, John Luther Adams, Anna Thorvaldsdottir and Terence Blanchard have all found an unquenchable source of creative energy in the processes of nature.

 

Throughout the season, the force of nature can be felt across varied works including Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and The Firebird Suite, Vaughan Williams’s A Sea Symphony and Saint-Saëns’s The Carnival of the Animals accompanied by enchanting animations by Sandra Albukrek. Concerts across the season open with thought-provoking contemplations on our and other planets with Dvořák’s In Nature’s Realm and his storm-swept Symphony No. 7, UK premieres of Gabriela Lena Frank’s Contested Eden and Chinary Ung’s Water Rings, and the world premiere of Robert Laidlow’s Exoplanets. A very special programme will see Terence Blanchard and his quintet join the LPO for a rare UK appearance to perform the UK premiere of A Tale of God’s Will: A Requiem for Katrina, his tribute to the resilience of hurricane-stricken New Orleans. This is paired with Duke Ellington’s reflection on man, God and nature, The River Suite.

 

Harmony in Nature is woven through every element of the concert on 21 March 2026 that opens with John Luther Adams’s Become River, followed by the European premiere of Clarice Assad’s earth-inspired concerto Terra: Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra and ending with an intimate portrait of changing seasons in the home of tango with Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, which will be accompanied by live dance. Another nature-focused programme on 8 April 2026 opens with CATAMORPHOSIS, full of the brooding, volcanic power of Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s native Iceland, and concludes with Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ Symphony No. 6.

 

Throughout the season, the LPO will examine its sustainable practices, partnering with local environmental organisations, and presenting speakers, writers, activists and thinkers on this vital, timely topic.

 

Elena Dubinets, Artistic Director of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, says: ‘Harmony with Nature is more than just a season of concerts; it is a call to action, a reminder of our collective responsibility to protect our planet, and an inspiring journey through the intersection of art and environmentalism. We aim to showcase the intersections where classical music meets environmental consciousness.’

 

Principal Conductor Edward Gardner

2025/26 sees Edward Gardner return as Principal Conductor for his fifth season to conduct ten concerts. As well as his Harmony with Nature programmes, other highlights include Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, Brahms’s Symphony No. 4 alongside the composer’s Tragic Overture, and Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 3. Gardner will also lead the London Philharmonic Choir and BBC Symphony Chorus in John Adams’s Harmonium, alongside Beethoven’s Violin Concerto performed by James Ehnes. Another standout programme includes a collection of masterpieces: Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Three Screaming Popes, Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 1 featuring Alina Ibragimova, and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.

 

On 26 November 2025, Gardner will take to the podium for a very special concert dedicated to The Duke of Kent on the occasion of his 90th birthday and the 45th anniversary of his Patronage of the LPO. Supported by the Elgar Society, this concert presents four pieces from one of Britain’s greatest composers, from the musical sunburst In the South to the deep sorrow of Sospiri and the windswept longing of Sea Pictures, culminating in the Enigma Variations.

 

Gardner also champions Phoenix Lands, a celebration of 20th-century Central European music. A programme titled ‘Bohemian Rhapsodies’ spotlights works by Bacewicz, Martinů, Lutosławski and Janáček. This is complemented by a second concert that centres around Bartók’s The Wooden Prince and also includes work by Kaprálová and Szymanowski. ‘I’m excited about sharing my passion for the music of these regions, and exploring with you their unique, intoxicating musical languages’, says Gardner.

 

Principal Guest Conductor Karina Canellakis

Karina Canellakis conducts three concerts in 2025/26. In October, she leads a programme centred around Stravinsky’s riot-inducing The Rite of Spring, complimented by the composer’s darkly emotional Funeral Song and Lili Boulanger’s sensuous Faust et Hélène. This is  followed by Rachmaninov’s enduringly beloved romantic Symphony No. 2, paired with a varied portrait of Mozart including his Overture to Idomeneo, the Masonic Funeral March and the Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K503, performed by Paul Lewis. In 2026, Canellakis takes to the Royal Festival Hall’s stage for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, after which she is joined by Anne-Sophie Mutter for Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto.

 

Conductor Emeritus Vladimir Jurowski

Vladimir Jurowski returns for two concerts in 2025/26. He starts 2026 with a symphony of iron and steel: Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 2, as part of a programme that also includes Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. This season also sees Jurowski take to the podium to interpret Rudolf Barshai’s completion of Mahler’s Tenth Symphony, a huge impassioned meditation on life, death, and all that lies between.

 

Premieres

In 2025/26, the Orchestra gives eight premieres throughout the season, including world premieres of Robert Laidlow’s Exoplanets, Lotta Wennäkoski’s Zelo and Ryan Carter’s Piano Concerto. In March, the Orchestra gives the UK premiere of Tan Dun’s choral concerto Nine, with the London Philharmonic Choir and London Chinese Philharmonic Choir. Tan Dun himself conducts this programme which also includes Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9: the inspiration behind his new work, which combines ancient poetry from China and Europe to create an ‘ode to peace’. The season also includes UK premieres of Gabriela Lena Frank’s Contested Eden and Gustavo Díaz-Jerez’s Tajogaite (Concerto for Piano and Orchestra) with the composer as the soloist, along with the European premiere of Clarice Assad’s Terra: Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra performed by LPO Principal Bassoon Jonathan Davies.

 

Other highlights

The rest of the season showcases a roster of highly-acclaimed conductors. Elim Chan will take to the podium in November for a programme that centres on excerpts from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet. This season will also see a special evening conducted by new LPO Composer-in-Residence George Benjamin. The programme includes his own Palimpsests, music inspired by the many different tales written on medieval manuscripts, framed by masterpieces selected by Benjamin: Scriabin’s The Poem of Ecstasy, Stravinsky’s Symphonies of Wind Instruments and Ravel’s Mother Goose. In March 2026, Paavo Järvi conducts Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 2 played by Alexandre Kantorow alongside Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2. ‘Voices from Finland’ on 25 March 2026 will see Sibelius’s symphonic poem Kullervo under the baton of Robin Ticciati with soprano Miina-Liisa Värelä and bass-baritone Shenyang.

 

The Orchestra will also be joined by world-class soloists including star cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason who will perform Bloch’s Schelomo, a sumptuous vision of a biblical past and a longed-for future. Violinist Himari will make her UK debut with the Orchestra for Sibelius’s Violin Concerto, after in 2025 becoming the youngest-ever female artist to be signed to Decca Classics at just 13 years old.

 

‘Brahms’s Double’ on 10 April 2026 will see LPO Leader Pieter Schoeman and Principal Cello Kristina Blaumane perform Brahms’s Double Concerto for Violin and Cello. 3 October 2025 will see soprano Jennifer France sing Hans Abrahamsen’s song-cycle Let me tell you followed by Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 on the same programme, and Stéphane Degout rounds out the season in the titular role of Berg’s opera Wozzeck.

 

Residencies

The Orchestra is also resident at Brighton Dome, Eastbourne’s Congress Theatre and Saffron Walden’s Saffron Hall; these seasons have also been announced today. Highlights include Edward Gardner conducting an afternoon of Elgar in Eastbourne that sees him joined by cellist Jan Vogler, and Brighton Dome will host an evening of Broadway songs with Danielle de Niese conducted by LPO Fellow Conductor Wilson Ng.

 

In both Brighton and Eastbourne, the season starts with a programme centred around Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 conducted by Pablo González with Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 performed by Alena Baeva. Audiences at both venues will experience a concert led by Nodoka Okisawa with violinist Leia Zhu performing Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1 followed by Bizet’s Symphony in C. The Brighton season ends with a packed programme conducted by Dionysis Grammenos that concludes with Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite and also includes Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture, Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K488, performed by Lukas Sternath. This programme is also performed in Eastbourne in March 2026.

 

Eastbourne audiences will also be treated to a programme conducted by Erina Yashima culminating in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2, alongside Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin and Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 performed by Maria Włoszczowska. The season in Eastbourne comes to a close in April 2026 with a concert conducted by LPO Fellow Conductor Nefeli Chadouli, who is joined by soprano Nadine Benjamin to perform selections from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess.

 

On the South Coast, the LPO is expanding its work in the community through collaborating with the local music education hubs, running sectional rehearsals with local amateur orchestras, taking part in community events, and a new collaboration with AudioActive.

 

FUNharmonics Family Concerts

The LPO’s family concerts are the perfect way to introduce the exciting sounds of the orchestra to the youngest music-lovers. During these hour-long concerts, a presenter weaves in audience interaction throughout, and images are projected on the big screen above the Orchestra, creating an engaging, multi-sensory experience for the whole family. There is also an array of free activities in the foyer spaces before the concert, including lively interactive music sessions for all the family, and the chance to ‘Have a Go’ at orchestral instruments under expert instruction.

 

Across 2025/26, the LPO will present two FUNharmonics concerts linking to the season theme. The first features the music of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, a vivid musical fable about courage and the responsibility to protect even the most feared creatures, while Stan and Mabel and the Race for Space sees these two beloved characters go on an epic adventure to find a safe place to call home.

 

LPO Showcase

The LPO’s Foyle Future Firsts programme bridges the transition between education and the music profession for 16 early-career orchestral musicians each year. On 7 February 2026, our current cohort of Future Firsts joins forces with students from the Royal Academy of Music and members of the LPO for what promises to be a vibrant performance conducted by Edward Gardner.

 

The LPO Junior Artists programme supports the progression of talented teenage musicians from backgrounds currently under-represented in professional UK orchestras. Junior Artists spend a season with the Orchestra and become fully immersed in the workings of the LPO with mentorship from an Orchestra member. In a free performance on 18 February 2026, Junior Artists will perform alongside LPO musicians, Foyle Future Firsts and Junior Artist alumni in an exciting celebration of young talent.

 

On 25 March 2026, members of Crisis UK – all adults who have experienced homelessness – perform original music they have devised with LPO musicians during a week-long creative project. Crisis Creates aims to improve participants’ wellbeing and confidence through self-expression, collaboration and developing creative skills.

 

OrchLab exists to empower disabled adults to experience the joy of making music through workshops, accessible technology, a bespoke website, training and events. It is run by the LPO in partnership with Drake Music, experts in music, technology and disability. The work culminates in the OrchLab Festival Day on 26 November 2025, which offers a fun opportunity for live music, accessible instrument demonstrations, interactive workshops and the creativity of OrchLab participants.

 

Marquee TV

The LPO continues its digital residency with streaming service Marquee TV. Each concert is free to watch for the first 48 hours before joining the Orchestra’s collection of concerts available to subscribers. Details of which concerts from the coming season will be filmed for later broadcast on Marquee TV will be available in the coming weeks.