Upcoming RPO London season promises to ‘make your heart soar’

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) has this morning announced details of its 2025-26 London season. The season, which brings 26 concerts four London venues – Royal Albert Hall, Cadogan Hall, Royal Festival Hall, and St Paul's Cathedral – builds on conclusions from the RPO’s audience research to reflect the preferences of London audiences.

Symphonic highlights across the upcoming season are set to include three Mahler symphonies, plus Shostakovich's tenth Symphony and Scriabin's third Symphony as well as Dvorak Symphony No.7, Tchaikovsky Symphony No.5, and Beethoven’s 7^th Symphony. For fans of stage and screen, the RPO will present concerts including Best of Broadway and The Music of Bond as well as music from Studio Ghibli composer and RPO composer-in-association Joe Hisaishi.

RPO music director Vasily Petrenko said: ‘When you conduct a great orchestra like the RPO, you think big. This season, we're aiming high – from the cosmic visions of Wagner to the joy of Bernstein – creating music that speaks directly to you, whether in the grandeur of the Royal Albert Hall or the intimacy of Cadogan Hall. We want to move you, surprise you, and make your heart soar. Even the greatest music can only speak if there are ears to listen. This season, we want to move you and surprise you: join us, and make the conversation – and the art – complete.’

The upcoming season also prioritises diversity and inclusion, following RPO research which revealed that 89 per cent of London residents identify as having a relationship with orchestral music. While core symphonic repertoire is popular among 49 per cent of Londoners, many also look for family-orientated concerts (23 per cent), orchestral concerts that feature rock or pop (27 per cent) and concerts that feature music from films, musicals or gaming (25 per cent).

The 2025-26 London season also sees the orchestra perform under the leadership of a variety of conductors. Kevin John Edusei joins the orchestra as conductor-in-residence at Cadogan Hall, while other conductors for the new season include Sir John Rutter, Emilia Hoving and Adam Hickox. Guest artists include violin virtuoso Clara-Yumi Kang Violin performing Britten’s Violin Concerto and pianist Benjamin Grosvenor playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.1.

RPO director of artistic planning and partnerships Tom Philpott said: ‘In such a richly diverse city as London, orchestral music has to be for everyone… In curating our new London season, we have taken time to research the views of London's concert-goers and understand why they return to the concert hall. Whilst excellence is a given, everything points to a hunger for diversity. Londoners told us they wanted concerts that inspired them to discover more music; that they were excited by attending a variety of different forms of orchestral concert; that they wanted to choose concerts their family members would like - and they wanted experiences that benefitted their mental health and well-being.’