2023 saw the Orchestra perform in breathtaking concert halls around both the UK and the rest of the world, as well as in schools, cathedrals, car parks and shopping centres, bringing the thrill of orchestral music to audiences old and new.
On Wednesday 15 November, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra returned to St Paul's Cathedral with John Rutter to perform an impressive programme of Rutter's own works, including his life-affirming Requiem. Joined by The Bach Choir and Lucinda Cox, the splendour of the cathedral was the perfect setting for a concert of sacred music by one of Britain's greatest living composers.
Read on to view photos and reactions from the day.
On Sunday 29 October, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra opened its 2023–24 season Icons Rediscovered in Southbank Centre with Music Director Vasily Petrenko, performing to a packed Royal Festival Hall. The concert began the series' dive into the music of two Romantic icons: Elgar and Rachmaninov, two contemporary composers who never met but defined the music of their respective homelands, and both faced upward hills towards their eventual recognition. Elgar's Symphony No.1 was paired with Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2, which featured soloist Nikolai Lugansky.
Read on to view more photos and reactions from the evening.
Fancy an encore? As part of our #MoreMusic series for Icons Rediscovered, we delve further into the worlds of Elgar, Rachmaninov, Verdi, Wagner, Tchaikovsky and more composers. In our More Music playlists, we expand on the concert programme with music that gives a broader view of the composers featured in the series, alongside works by their contemporaries and the influences on the repertoire.
