RPO announces 2024-25 season

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) has announced details of its upcoming 2024-25 season. The concerts will embrace a broad range of orchestral repertoire performed across three London venues: the Royal Albert Hall, Cadogan Hall, and the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall.

For a diverse musical experience, concerts will feature the RPO’s principal associate conductor Alexander Shelley and music director Vasily Petrenko alongside guest conductors including Martyn Brabbins, Shiyeon Sung, Jac van Steen, Daniel Hyde, Stephanie Childress, and Gemma New. The upcoming season will also welcome international soloists as well as the RPO’s new artist in residence, violinist Johan Dalene. The season’s focus on diversity and inclusivity follows a new report by the RPO which found that one in four people (25%) are interested in discovering or learning more about orchestral music.

RPO managing director James Williams said: ‘The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2024–25 season is designed to engage and inspire audiences through the thrill of live orchestral music, wherever they are on their musical journey. We are absolutely delighted, not only to be working with some of the very best conductors and soloists, but also to perform an eclectic mix of repertoire showcasing the depth and diversity of orchestral music.’

At Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, Vasily Petrenko teams up with soloists Paul Lewis, Roderick Williams OBE, Jeneba Kanneh-Mason and Bruce Liu to present Lights in the Dark, a series featuring music of resistance, courage and hope by composers including Shostakovich, Beethoven, Florence Price and Dorothy Howell.

Cadogan Hall will host a 14-concert series where Alexander Shelley will conduct Brahms alongside guest conductors Jac van Steen, Long Yu, and Gemma New. The venue will also see artist in residence, violinist Johan Dalene perform three concerts, while pianist Daniel Ciobanu pairs Prokofiev with Four Sea Interludes from Britten's Peter Grimes and violinist Esther Yoo play Bernstein alongside works by Mussorgsky orchestrated by Rimsky-Korsakov and Ravel.

The Royal Albert Hall will feature concerts looking beyond the classical repertoire including Let's Face the Music, Symphonic Soul: A Celebration of Motown and More, ABBAphonic, American Classics, and Film Music Gala: And the Winner Is... In May 2025, Vasily Petrenko joins pianist Yunchan Lim to present a musical piece inspired by nature and teams up with violinist Maxim Vengerov for a musical illustration of the Russian fairytale, The Firebird.

Williams said: ‘With interest in orchestral music remaining strong and ever-increasing numbers looking to broaden their musical horizons, we invite audiences to join us in celebrating the rich tapestry that orchestral music provides, performed by one of the world’s most revered orchestras.’