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

Influenced by Czech folk and expressionism, Haas’s Study for Strings is an energetic, introspective work now seen as a key piece of 20th-century Czech music. Themes of fate, migration and Martinů’s own journey echo through The Rock, reflecting nature, strength, and the enduring human spirit. Dissonance and overlapping melodies define Ives’s Three Places in New England – a bold blend of American folk and modernist experimentation. For our curtain call, Bernstein’s On the Town bursts with energy, fusing classical with popular jazz styles to make a dazzling finale.

Bernstein’s ‘On the Town’

MediaCityUK

Joshua Weilerstein makes his triumphant return to the Philharmonic in this musical postcard celebrating the 250th anniversary of American Independence. Three joyous works each cast a different light on the sights and sounds of the USA, culminating in a performance of Antonín Dvořák’s love letter to America – his ‘New World’ Symphony. One of the most beloved and enduring works in the orchestral repertoire, Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 explores themes of identity, belonging, and the emotional pull of home.

New World Symphony

The Bridgewater Hall

Elegant and virtuosic, Haydn’s Cello Concerto in D Major is celebrated for both its charm and technical brilliance, filled lyrical melodies, high-register passages and rapid runs.

Spring Symphony

Wolfe was two blocks from the Twin Towers when the planes hit on September 11, 2001. Big Beautiful Dark and Scary is the sound of that aftermath: an ominous, awesome wall of sound. When he wrote his Violin Concerto, Tchaikovsky was also recuperating from personal turmoil: after a collapsed marriage and a failed suicide attempt, he escaped to the shores of Lake Geneva. In the company of a violinist muse – Josef Kotek – Tchaikovsky created a concerto of romance, peace and jollity, and a celebrated classic of the repertoire.

Big Beautiful Dark and Scary

We continue our thrillingly up-close series at the RNCM with a heavyweight artistic collaboration – our Chief Conductor John Storgårds joins the acclaimed pianist Tamara Stefanovich in this exploration of the pure power of the piano.

Grand Pianola Music

RNCM (Royal Northern College of Music)

Angel’s Bone is a Pulitzer Prize-winning contemporary opera by Chinese American composer Du Yun and librettist Royce Vavrek. A dark fable exploring modern-day slavery and human trafficking, it draws inspiration from a range of musical genres from classical to cabaret and punk. Its UK premiere is the result of a collaboration between English National Opera, Factory International and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, in a new production specifically imagined for the dramatic Warehouse space at Aviva Studios.

Angel's Bone

Aviva Studios

A stormy opening from the 19th century prolific German composer Emilie Mayer – think drama, boldness and romance. Meanwhile, Brahms’s Symphony No.2 is music of bittersweet contrasts. It begins quietly with horns and woodwind, starting a lyrical journey that ends in a jubilant orchestral whirlwind of breathlessness and flourish.

Brahms: Symphony No. 2

In this striking exploration of Nordic soundscapes, Chief Conductor John Storgårds will flex every Finnish musical muscle as he leads the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra from the icy beauty of the Arctic to a Danish climax that revels in the raw power of human resilience.

Northern Lights

The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra returns to Aviva Studios for their next groundbreaking collaboration with Factory International.

Philharmonic Sessions: The Rite of Spring

‘The whole thing sounds as though it came to us from some other world. I think there is no one who can resist it. One is battered to the ground and then raised on angel’s wings to the highest heights.’ – Gustav Mahler

Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, ‘Resurrection’

‘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