The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra's latest concert season offers a compelling mix of fantasy, folklore, and musical mastery. From honoring French musical legends Maurice Ravel and Pierre Boulez in 'Pictures at an Exhibition' to a poignant celebration of International Women's Day with works by trailblazing female composers, this season is packed with unique experiences. Adding to the excitement is a series of concerts featuring iconic works from composers like Grieg, Saint-Saëns, and Mahler, all performed by renowned conductors and soloists.

BBC Philharmonic's Orchestral Season: A Symphony of Celebrations

The BBC Philharmonic brings a stunning array of orchestral concerts, celebrating diverse cultures and musical mastery. From the spiritual sounds of Sofia Gubaidulina at the International Women’s Day celebration to the Nordic themes of Sibelius and Grieg, and the powerful anti-war sentiments of Britten, this season promises an unforgettable musical journey. Join us as we delve into the stories behind each performance, showcasing the talents of renowned conductors and performers across iconic venues in the UK.

Harmonies of Culture: BBC Philharmonic's Orchestral Marvels

Experience an orchestral voyage with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, featuring celebrated works by Poulenc, Beethoven, and Mahler. From the atmospheric Victoria Hall in Hanley to Manchester's reverberant Bridgewater Hall, join remarkable artists like Anna Lapwood, Elena Schwarz, and Jess Dandy as they bring to life rich symphonies and captivating narratives. These performances promise to resonate deeply, whether through the powerful chords of Poulenc's Organ Concerto or Mahler's soul-stirring Symphony No. 3, creating unforgettable evenings of music that transcend time and space.

BBC Philharmonic's Musical Odyssey: From Beethoven to Mahler

As the summer of 2025 unfolds, music enthusiasts are gifted with an array of harmonious celebrations that span continents and genres. From the tranquil corners of Halle, Germany, with the Handel Memorial Ceremony, to the vibrant streets of Manchester, UK, hosting a series of spectacular choral events, these gatherings capture the essence of artistic brilliance. Conductors and performers alike bring to life the works of musical legends, offering attendees a chance to delve into the soul of music, nature, and cultural heritage. Join us as we explore the symphony of events that define this musical season.

A Symphony of Summer: Exploring the Grand Celebrations of Music

The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra brings together a dazzling array of orchestral performances in 2025, showcasing the genius of composers like Poulenc, Beethoven, and Mahler. With renowned conductors and performers like Adam Hickox, Anna Lapwood, Elena Schwarz, and John Storgårds taking the stage, audiences are set for an unforgettable musical journey. These events, spanning from the evocative notes of Poulenc's Organ Concerto to the elemental power of Mahler's Symphony No. 3, promise to captivate music lovers across Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester.

BBC Philharmonic's 2025 Musical Odyssey: From Beethoven to Mahler

Dive into the symphonic world with a series of breathtaking musical events that spanned across Europe. From the solemn Ceremony at the Handel Memorial in Halle to the emotionally charged 'The Voice of Nature' in Manchester, music lovers experienced a diverse range of performances that celebrated the richness of chamber and choral music. The events, featuring renowned conductors and artists, offered audiences an unforgettable musical journey, concluding with the exuberant Manchester Classical 2025 Finale and an awe-inspiring Summer Concert at The Bridgewater Hall.

Harmonious Celebrations: A Journey Through Chamber and Choral Classics

In 2025, the BBC Philharmonic takes center stage with an extraordinary lineup of concerts that span a range of musical genres and stories. From Mahler's introspective symphonies to Shostakovich's operatic tragedies, and an innovative blend of classical and AI in Robert Laidlow's TECHNO-UTOPIA, audiences will experience a musical journey like no other. With performances at iconic venues such as The Bridgewater Hall and the Royal Albert Hall, these events promise to captivate and inspire all who attend.

A Symphony of Storytelling: BBC Philharmonic's Diverse 2025 Concerts

John Storgårds

Jess Dandy

Hallé Choir

CBSO Children’s Chorus

BBC Philharmonic

‘How should I describe such a colossal crisis?’ Mahler wrote in 1909. ‘Yet I am thirstier than ever for life …’ Personal and professional loss had taken the composer to the brink, but even as he faced tragedy he experienced the pleasures of living with renewed intensity. It’s this strange, urgent ecstasy that runs through Das Lied von der Erde (‘The Song of the Earth’) – a collision of symphony and song, life and loss. This epic musical farewell meets the witty musical parting of Haydn’s ‘Farewell’ Symphony, with its famous final movement of ever-shrinking forces. Bushra El-Turk’s Mosaic opens the concert with nods to Das Lied, in a meditation on identity, otherness and exoticism.

Mahler’s ‘Song of the Earth’

Royal Albert Hall

Mendelssohn’s evocative Scottish Symphony caps this concert which also features brand new music inspired by Maggi Hambling’s art as she marks her eightieth year, alongside the exuberant Dances of Galánta by Kodály.

Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony

Snape Maltings

Only 22 people in the world are EGOTs – winners of the coveted quartet of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards. One of those is Alan Menken, the American composer whose acclaimed catalogue of shows, songs and scores includes so many of Disney’s greatest hits. American conductor Sarah Hicks and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra are joined by special guests and performers from the National Youth Music Theatre in a celebration of this classic songwriter, including sets from The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and Enchanted. So why not ‘Be our guest’ …!

Enchanted: Alan Menken’s Music for Disney

Words and music, presented at the Philharmonic Studio as part of the BBC’s much-loved festival of music and speech.

Contains Strong Language: Live

MediaCityUK

The music of American composer Gabriella Smith is indelibly linked to nature, marvelling at its beauty, terror and joy.

Sibelius Symphony No. 5

The Bridgewater Hall

Brahms and Boulanger contemplate death and the divine, reaching contrary conclusions.

Brahms Requiem

Brucknerhaus Linz

The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra is known for its stylistic versatility and sonical precision - this evening it is under the direction of Anja Bihlmaier, who has made a name for herself with clear drawing and fine flair for musical suspense. As a soloist, the cellist Pablo Ferrández, one of the most prominent artists of his generation, appreciated for his intense musicality and his warm tone, can be experienced. Together they create a program that ranges from the colorful early work of György Ligetis to Tchaikovsky's elegant Rococo Variations to Beethoven's pulsating Seventh Symphony.

Beethoven Seventh Symphony: Dortmund

Konzerthaus Dortmund

Conductor Anja Bihlmaier returns to the Beethovenfest Bonn for the third year in a row to perform the Requiem by Brahms on the Day of German Unity – with the orchestra of the BBC and the Audi Youth Choir Academy in phenomenal cast. Brahms chose texts from the Luther Bible to tell with poignant depth and comfort of the reconciliation of man with death. As a requiem in German, it was a novelty - and as a sounding home, our festival theme "Zuhause" brings it to an end. Lili Boulanger's short psalm soundtrack with pomp and timpani forms a charming contrast to get started.

Brahms Requiem: Bonn

Beethovenhalle

In Frankfurt, it goes without saying that radio orchestras are in a class of their own. One of the most renowned is the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, which has a history spanning more than a century and has been the resident orchestra at the Proms in London for almost as long. Conductor Anja Bihlmaier, Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic since 2024, has enjoyed great success there with the orchestra on several occasions. The orchestra holds the native Swabian in high esteem. Adam Szabo, director of the orchestra, says she is 'a rare talent – courageous and daring, meticulous and brilliantly connected to the musical drama of every work she tackles'. The soloist for the evening is Spanish cellist Pablo Ferrández, who recently showcased his exceptional talent in a critically acclaimed album of Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations.

Beethoven Seventh Symphony: Frankfurt

Alte Oper

Tchaikovsky declared multiple times that his Sixth Symphony was ‘the best thing I ever composed or shall compose.’ It’s a piece about the journey towards death: of an expiring life-force that’s forced to confront the end in a way that his fateful Fourth and Fifth never quite manage. On this terrifically exciting journey, passion and pathos overflow.

Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique

Britten and Tippett shared many traits: both were pacifists; conscientious objectors during the war; homosexuals, at a time when it was publicly outlawed in Britain; and both shared a love of older forms of music. Drawing on one of Corelli’s concerti grossi, Tippett’s Fantasia views the Baroque through modern eyes in this passing from darkness into light.

British Iconoclasts

Royal Northern College of Music

Two intense chordal strikes summon the inescapability of fate underpinning Brahms’s Tragic Overture. Unearthed from a pile of old manuscripts, Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 was discovered by Robert Schumann from a trunk gathering dust years after the composer’s passing. Known as ‘The Great’, Schubert’s final symphony is inspired by his love of nature and the alps.

Schubert’s Great

‘My music is always the voice of nature.’

A hymn to the natural world, Gustav Mahler takes on the elements in a work like no
other. Writing for huge forces, Mahler was so consumed by his Third Symphony that he was convinced that it had a life of its own. Indeed, it has all the energy of an offshore wind farm – but whilst this is music of the Earth, it is also music of the soul. Here, Mahler is on
a spiritual quest, one of extreme emotional highs and lows. The earthshattering climax is a paean to love.

The Voice of Nature

Articles & News