Southbank Centre launches Autumn-Winter programme

The Southbank Centre has today announced the programme for its upcoming Autumn-Winter season in 2024 and 2025. Following a newly expanded five-day opening weekend the season will feature the venue’s six resident orchestras – Aurora Orchestra, Chineke! Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO), London Sinfonietta, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE) and Philharmonia Orchestra – and a range of international guests.

Stretching the term ‘opening weekend’ to encompass five days of performance from 25 to 29 September, the Southbank Centre will kick off the new season with a collaboration between the LPO (led by principal conductor Edward Gardner) and Joyce DiDonato at the Royal Festival Hall which forms part of its Moments Remembered series exploring ideas of memory and music.

The Centre’s head of classical music Toks Dada said: ‘Classical music has always had reinvention at its core. In Autumn/Winter 2024/25, we capture that trailblazing spirit with works that broke the mould across the ages, brand new approaches to timeless classics and forward-thinking artists who are broadening the horizons of the artform. This is writ large throughout the programme, in particular during our newly expanded Opening Weekend, reflecting the strong appetite for classical music with everything from powerful large-scale symphonic works to adventurous virtual reality experiences. With this programme, we are welcoming all audiences, however they choose to experience classical music.’

The opening weekend is also set to feature the first performance of Philharmonia Orchestra’s Nordic Soundscapes series, plus a free virtual reality experience from the Philharmonia Orchestra, a Royal Festival Hall solo recital debut from pianist Igor Levit and a programme inspired by fairytales from new resident artist, violist Lawrence Power. The Multi-Story Orchestra also makes its return with Verified – a new project exploring authenticity in the age of social media – while cellist Matthew Barley presents the world premiere of his latest project Light Stories.

The LPO will present an all-Rachmaninov programme featuring Leif Ove Andsnes and the London Philharmonic Choir while the Scottish Ensemble returns to London for the first time in five years and the Philharmonia Orchestra builds on its Nordic Soundscapes series with a collaboration with violinist Bomsori Kim. The Paraorchestra also makes its return to close the opening weekend with an immersive concert of Gorecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs.

Later in the season Power returns to present lockdown-inspired commissions in Lock In, before appearing with the Philharmonia Orchestra for the UK premiere of Magnus Lindberg’s Viola Concerto. Returning resident artist Manchester Collective collaborates with pianist Zubin Kanga who also takes over the Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer with work from his multi-year research project Cyborg Soloists.

Organist James McVinnie continues his residency with two performances, while critic and scholar Jeremy Eichler will join the LPO as its first-ever writer-in-residence, giving pre-concert talks and writing programme notes to enhance audiences' experience of the Moments Remembered series. The Southbank Centre will also welcome the West-Eastern Divan Ensemble and Daniel Barenboim to the Royal Festival Hall in November.

The Philharmonia Orchestra’s new featured artist violinist Nemanja Radulović will give her first concert in the role, while OAE appears with a performance of Bruckner’s Symphony No.5 and a programme of all six of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos. Yuja Wang teams up with former resident artist Víkingur Ólafsson for a programme of works for two pianos and the Borodin Quartet celebrates its 80th anniversary with a concert of Brahms and Tchaikovsky.

The upcoming season is also set to feature performances aiming to demystifying classical music. Aurora Orchestra’s performance of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite from memory will include an introduction and detailed discussion of the work by broadcaster and journalist Tom Service while OAE’s Baroquebusters concert aims to introduce new audiences to live music from the period. The Multi-Story Orchestra also returns with Living Programme Notes programme, deconstructing works through demonstrations, action and movement.