The annual Three Choirs Festival in Hereford, celebrated its historical roots and musical grandeur with a series of spectacular performances by the Philharmonia Orchestra. The festival opened with Mathias's 'This Worlde’s Joie', continued with Howells’s poignant 'Hymnus Paradisi', honored Coleridge-Taylor's 'The Atonement', and concluded with Mendelssohn’s epic 'Elijah'. Each concert featured exceptional artists and highlighted the power of choral music to express joy, grief, and spiritual transcendence, captivating audiences with their emotional depth and artistic mastery.

Harmony and Heritage: The Immersive Experience of the Three Choirs Festival 2025

The 2025 Three Choirs Festival promises a captivating exploration of choral music's grandeur and emotional depth. Held at the historic Hereford Cathedral, the festival features an eclectic lineup, from William Mathias's exuberant 'This Worlde’s Joie' to Mendelssohn's dramatic 'Elijah.' Audiences will be treated to performances by acclaimed artists like Eleanor Dennis and Geraint Bowen, with works by Dvořák and Howells adding to the festival's rich tapestry. Join us as we delve into each event's unique offerings and the timeless beauty of choral compositions.

Three Choirs Festival 2025: A Celebration of Choral Masterpieces

The Philharmonia Orchestra, known for its vibrant performances and musical excellence, is set to dazzle audiences in 2025 with a series of captivating concerts and events. From the premiere of new works by emerging composers at the Composers’ Academy to the majestic finales of renowned festivals, this year’s lineup promises an exhilarating range of experiences. Join us as we explore the highlights and unique contributions of the artists involved, making this a year to remember in the world of classical music.

Philharmonia Orchestra's 2025: A Year of Unforgettable Musical Journeys

As the summer sun casts its warmth over Hereford, the Three Choirs Festival 2025 unfolds with a symphony of voices and orchestral brilliance. From the jubilant tones of Mathias’s 'This Worlde’s Joie' to the poignant strains of Howells’s 'Hymnus Paradisi', this year's festival promises a choral feast that transcends the ordinary. The Philharmonia Orchestra, accompanied by a stellar lineup of performers, brings to life the works of Dvořák, Coleridge-Taylor, Mendelssohn, and more, creating a tapestry of sound that resonates with both historical depth and contemporary artistry.

Echoes of Harmony: A Journey Through the Three Choirs Festival 2025

The Three Choirs Festival 2025 in Hereford promises a profound journey through the realms of choral music. From the exuberance of Mathias’s 'This Worlde’s Joie' to the profound depths of Howells’s 'Hymnus Paradisi', and the celebration of Coleridge-Taylor's legacy, the festival's line-up is a testament to the power of musical storytelling. Join us at the majestic Hereford Cathedral as we explore these emotive performances, which culminate in the epic drama of Mendelssohn’s 'Elijah'.

Voices of Harmony: A Journey Through the Three Choirs Festival 2025

In the summer of 2025, the melodious soundscapes of choral music will resonate across Hereford, United Kingdom, as the Three Choirs Festival returns with a series of spellbinding performances. Featuring an array of masterpieces, the festival's highlights include Mathias’s spirited 'This Worlde’s Joie' and Howells’s poignant 'Hymnus Paradisi.' With the Philharmonia Orchestra as the driving force, the festival offers an exploration of human emotions through music, culminating in Mendelssohn’s epic 'Elijah.' Beyond Hereford, the Philharmonia Orchestra's journey extends to the vibrant Mikkeli Music Festival and the grand Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, where renowned artists join to celebrate the universal language of music.

A Symphony of Voices: Exploring the 2025 Three Choirs Festival and More

Matthew Brook

Anthony Gregory

Geraint Bowen

Jess Dandy

Katherine Broderick

Philharmonia Orchestra

Three Choirs Festival Chorus

The theme of the 2025/26 Orchestra Unwrapped concerts is centered around the history of the Philharmonia Orchestra, which was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge and celebrates its 80th birthday in 2025. Legge worked for a company called EMI, who was responsible for making recordings of classical music. 

The pieces you’ll hear take us on a journey through time linking to the exciting history of the Philharmonia, from 1945 to today – a history you are all part of by being part of Orchestra Unwrapped in its 80th year!

Leicester: Orchestra Unwrapped

De Montfort Hall

Two world-class musicians join forces for a charming programme of classical hits.  

Schumann’s Cello Concerto remains a beloved favourite in the cello repertoire. The three movements seamlessly flow as one continuous piece of music packed with emotional intensity. Full of tender lyricism, soulful melodies and a daring solo cello part, it’s perfectly suited to Kian Soltani’s “piercingly beautiful tone and utterly pure intonation” (The Times).  

Brahms’s magnificent First Symphony was many years in the making. And it may never have seen the light of day without the support and friendship of Robert Schumann and his wife Clara – an article by Robert Schumann launched Brahms’s composing career when the three first met, and they soon became devoted friends. The symphony is a 45-minute journey through all the poetry and power an orchestra can conjure.   

Leicester: Leonidas Kavakos and Kian Soltani

This programme puts the relationship between musical mentors centre stage. 

Schumann’s Cello Concerto is considered one of the great cello works of the Romantic era. The challenge for the soloist is to make sure this demanding music sounds lyrical and serene. That should be no problem at all for Kian Soltani, known for the joy he brings to every performance and his ability to create an immediate rapport with his audience.  

Brahms’s magnificent First Symphony was many years in the making. And it may never have seen the light of day without the support and friendship of Robert Schumann and his wife Clara – an article by Robert Schumann launched Brahms’s composing career when the three first met, and they soon became devoted friends. The symphony is a 45-minute journey through all the poetry and power an orchestra can conjure.  

Kavakos conducts Dvořák, Schumann & Brahms

Southbank Centre

Join us for the last of our series of debates. Ahead of our concert featuring music by Dvořák, Schumann and Brahms, we look at the role of musical mentors. The crucial relationship between teacher and pupil creates a sense of continuity in musical interpretation. Is this always a positive thing, or are there hidden dangers?

Philharmonia debates… Music & Mentoring

Be the first to hear three new pieces created by our Composers’ Academy Fellows. Every year we select three composers who work closely with Philharmonia musicians and mentors. As the culmination of their fellowship, each of them composes a ten-minute piece for this performance.  

Music of Today: Composers’ Academy

Two world-class musicians join forces for a charming programme of classical hits.
Schumann’s Cello Concerto remains a beloved favourite in the cello repertoire. The three movements seamlessly flow as one continuous piece of music packed with emotional intensity. Full of tender lyricism, soulful melodies and a daring solo cello part, it’s perfectly suited to Kian Soltani’s “piercingly beautiful tone and utterly pure intonation” (The Times).

Athens: Leonidas Kavakos and Kian Soltani

Athens Concert Hall

Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto is a masterpiece in piano music writing, a deeply intimate work that remains one of the composer’s best loved. Tonight, we hear it in the hands of Alim Beisembayev, winner of the prestigious Leeds International Piano Competition in 2017. 

Canterbury: Alim Beisembayev plays Beethoven

The Marlowe

Bedford: Orchestra Unwrapped

Bedford Corn Exchange

Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto is a masterpiece in piano music writing, a deeply intimate work that remains one of the composer’s best loved. Tonight, we hear it in the hands of Alim Beisembayev, winner of the prestigious Leeds International Piano Competition in 2021.  

Brahms’s magnificent First Symphony was many years in the making. The wait was worth it – it’s a 45-minute journey through all the poetry and power an orchestra can conjure.  

Bedford: Mendelssohn, Beethoven and Brahms

Join us at the Southbank Centre for the launch of our latest Virtual Orchestra experience – an exciting, hands-on journey that invites you to pick up a virtual instrument and play alongside the full symphony orchestra. Designed with families in mind, this immersive experience welcomes curious kids, first-time concertgoers and seasoned music lovers alike.

Play along: Virtual Orchestra

The Philharmonia’s 80th birthday celebrations reach their grand finale – a reconstruction of a 1947 concert conducted by Richard Strauss himself.  

Strauss was 83, and the Philharmonia just two years old, when he conducted the orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in a concert of his own works. Santtu, an acclaimed interpreter of Strauss’s music, now steps into his formidable shoes to recreate that extraordinary occasion.  

Don Juan gets the concert off to a swashbuckling start. A gorgeous oboe solo paints a sensuous love scene, before heroic horns herald the libertine’s final duel.   

Basingstoke: Santtu and Benjamin Grosvenor in a Strauss extravaganza

The Anvil

The Philharmonia’s 80th birthday celebrations reach their grand finale – a recreation of a 1947 concert originally conducted by Richard Strauss himself.  

Strauss was 83, and the Philharmonia just two years old, when he conducted the orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in a concert of his own works. Santtu, an acclaimed interpreter of Strauss’s music, now steps into his formidable shoes to recreate that extraordinary occasion.  

Don Juan gets the concert off to a swashbuckling start. A gorgeous oboe solo paints a sensuous love scene, before heroic horns herald the libertine’s final duel.   

Santtu conducts a Strauss extravaganza  Royal Festival Hall

We close this year’s Three Choirs Festival with Mendelssohn’s masterpiece, Elijah.

A breathtaking oratorio and epic drama of biblical proportions, prepare to be blown away by the full forces of the Festival Chorus and the Philharmonia Orchestra. The story of the prophet Elijah is brought to life through majestic choruses, beautiful solo arias, and dramatic orchestral passages, building to a fiery climax with Elijah’s ascent to heaven in a flaming chariot.

Three Choirs Festival: Mendelssohn’s Elijah

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