News and Press

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is greatly saddened to hear of the death of André Previn, one of the most versatile and respected musicians of the past century.

André Previn was appointed as the RPO’s first Music Director in 1985, a position he held for three years until 1988, when he became the Orchestra’s Principal Conductor whilst simultaneously holding the role of Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.  Previn’s artistic partnership with the RPO which lasted until 1992, was celebrated both on the stage and in the TV and recording studios, providing a golden age of benchmark recordings for all the major labels, including William Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast which launched the RPO’s own RPO Records label in 1986.  

Music can affect us in powerful ways, eliciting emotions and transcending language with rhythms, harmonies and pauses.

In recognition of the unique way that music speaks to us individually, we asked the members of Wendover Arts Club to respond to the repertoire in our upcoming concert in Aylesbury with an exhibition of their work. 

It’s been a busy week in Resound, with three largescale projects running in three residency areas. A project with Northamptonshire Music & Performing Arts Trust has sent a team of musicians to special schools to support pupils devising Mozart-inspired music in preparation for the RPO’s all-Mozart programme at the Royal & Derngate on 17^th February. A second Resound team have been supporting 95 young people with additional needs from three Berkshire special schools to explore Aaron Copland’s Hoe Down, in preparation for a side-by-side performance with Berkshire Youth Symphony Orchestra and RPO members at Royal Albert Hall in March. Perhaps most excitingly, though, this week was the official launch of the three-year STROKESTRA programme in Hull, a project that has played an important part in the development of Resound’s health & wellbeing strand and one that is very close to the Orchestra’s hearts.