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We can’t wait to share many magical and momentous concerts with you this season. EDWARD GARDNER LPO PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR

THE NEW SEASON AWAITS

INSIDER VIEW

BACKSTAGE

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Edward Gardner takes up the baton as we open our 2021/22 season

Hear from participants in our Education & Community programmes

Meet one of our newest members, violinist Emma Oldfield

LATEST ON THE LPO LABEL SHOSTAKOVICH

PRINCIPAL PARTNER

OrchLab Project Partner

Symphony No. 11 (The Year 1905) Vladimir Jurowski conductor £9.99 | LPO-0118 Released September 2020

PRINCIPAL SUPPORTERS

VLADIMIR MARTYNOV Utopia

Vladimir Jurowski conductor Jun Hong Loh violin London Philharmonic Choir £14.99 | LPO-0120 Released November 2020

SIR ADRIAN BOULT A MUSICAL LEGACY

SIR ADRIAN BOULT: A MUSICAL LEGACY 5CD BOX SET Sir Adrian Boult conductor £34.99 | LPO-0119 5CD box set released December 2020 Volumes 1 & 5 available individually to download or stream. The Victoria Wood Foundation

PROKOFIEV

The Victoria Wood Foundation

Alexander Nevsky

The Victoria Wood Foundation

Kurt Masur conductor Sarah Walker mezzo-soprano London Philharmonic Choir Digital-only release: available via Spotify, Apple Music, Primephonic, Idagio and others. LPO-D913 | Released July 2021

MAHLER

Symphony No. 8 (Symphony of a Thousand) Vladimir Jurowski conductor with Judith Howarth, Anne Schwanewilms, Sofia Fomina, Michaela Selinger, Patricia Bardon, Barry Banks, Stephen Gadd, Matthew Rose, London Philharmonic Choir, London Symphony Chorus, Choir of Clare College Cambridge, Tiffin Boys’ Choir £9.99 | LPO-0121 Released September 2021

Our CDs are available from all good outlets, and all releases are available to download or stream online via Spotify, Apple Music, Primephonic, Idagio and others.

The Victoria Wood Foundation

LPO CORPORATE CIRCLE freuds Sunshine Berenberg Bloomberg Carter-Ruck French Chamber of Commerce Lazard Russo-British Chamber of Commerce Walpole

PREFERRED PARTNERS Gusbourne Estate Lidl Lindt & Sprüngli Ltd London Orthopaedic Clinic Steinway

IN-KIND SPONSOR Google Inc

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WELCOME

s we prepare to welcome audiences back to our Southbank Centre home, I cannot think of anything more appropriate than Edward Gardner launching his first season as Principal Conductor with Tippett’s The Midsummer Marriage, a wonderfully fitting celebration of hope and renewal. The Orchestra has thoroughly enjoyed being able to perform to live audiences again over the summer, at Glyndebourne, Saffron Hall, Snape Maltings and the Proms, and our opening Royal Festival Hall concert on 25 September will be the next major step in getting back to the life we love. Edward’s first season is packed full of exciting programmes, from Bluebeard’s Castle and Symphonie fantastique to Das Lied von der Erde and Brahms’s German Requiem, with a fantastic lineup of artists including Bryn Terfel, Mitsuko Uchida and Sheku Kanneh-Mason. The Royal Festival Hall will be alive with every note. If that is not enough to encourage you back, Karina Canellakis also joins us for her first full season as Principal Guest Conductor. She will conduct some of the most beautiful music ever written, including Sibelius’s glorious Fifth Symphony, and the Prelude and Liebestod from Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde. And, of course, we will still be working with Vladimir Jurowski. Following his remarkable final performance as LPO Principal Conductor at this summer’s BBC Proms – where he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society (read more on page 6) – Vladimir returns as Conductor Emeritus with Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3, Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6 and Enescu’s Symphony No. 2.

Editor Rachel Williams: rachel.williams@lpo.org.uk Publisher London Philharmonic Orchestra Printer Conquest Litho Cover photograph Edward Gardner © Helge Skodvin

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, we cannot accept liability for any statement or error contained herein. © 2021 London Philharmonic Orchestra. The paper used for printing this magazine has been sourced from responsibly managed forests, certified in accordance with the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). It is manufactured to the ISO 14001 international standard, minimising negative impacts on the environment and is manufactured from pulp that has been bleached without the use of chlorine compounds using oxygen (elemental chlorine free), which are considered harmful to the environment.

– DAVID BURKE – Chief Executive

We have lined up an exceptional season, and we need you to come. Last season forced us to be creative, and we have indeed created some truly special concerts on film, but the shared experience between musicians and audience in live performance is unique. The atmosphere of a full audience at the Royal Festival Hall is what the players of the LPO have missed most, and is what we greatly look forward to experiencing again soon. You can browse the full season listings on pages 14–15. We are also excited this autumn to be able to return to in-person sessions with our Education & Community work. It is remarkable how much we have been able to continue our work digitally, at a time when it

CONTENTS THE NEW SEASON AWAITS 04–05 NEW & NOTEWORTHY 06–08 MARQUEE TV 09 INSIDER VIEW: EDUCATION & COMMUNITY 10–11 MEMBER FAREWELLS 12 LPO PEOPLE 13 CONCERT LISTINGS 14–15 BACKSTAGE: EMMA OLDFIELD 16 lpo.org.uk – 03 –

has been needed more than ever by emerging artists whose opportunities have been so limited, and by some of the vulnerable groups with whom we work who have been cut off from their other support networks during the pandemic. You can read more from those involved in our projects on pages 10–11. There is something visceral about being in the room with project participants and LPO players, as there is being in a concert hall for a live concert. Digital has been a good friend to us during these months, and as we go forward we will continue to offer some performances and Education & Community content online for the many new audiences we have met over this time, and for those unable to attend in person. I am delighted that we welcome Elena Dubinets as Artistic Director at the start of the season: turn to page 5 to read more. Elena is very much looking forward to meeting the wider LPO family and hearing from you directly about why the Orchestra is special to you, and she is already working with our trio of titled conductors to develop plans for 2022/23 and beyond. Like me, Elena cares deeply about orchestral music’s place in our evolving society, and you should expect typically thoughtful themes running through future seasons. I am so proud of everything the Orchestra has managed to achieve over the last 18 months, and we will take forward many lessons to help share our music more widely. Now is indeed the time for hope and renewal.

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2021/22 LIVE CONCERTS

THE NEW SEASON AWAITS

fter the trials of the past 18 months, it is with joy that we prepare to open our 2021/22 season at the Royal Festival Hall, which begins on 25 September and features 34 concerts with many of the world’s leading musicians – and all in front of live audiences. A new era begins this autumn as, in addition to our new Principal Conductor, Edward Gardner, we also welcome Karina Canellakis, who begins her first full season as Principal Guest Conductor, and welcome back Vladimir Jurowski in his new role of Conductor Emeritus. The triumvirate lead a bold and ambitious season featuring soloists including Renée Fleming, Mitsuko Uchida, Jan Lisiecki, Truls Mørk, Leonidas Kavakos, and this season’s Artist-in-Residence, Julia Fischer. There’s something for everyone this season,

with a broad range of repertoire from the ‘big’ symphonies to film music, choral works and contemporary music – including 11 premieres – as well as the return of our popular FUNharmonics family concerts. Following the success of last season’s partnerships with Intersection and Marquee TV, we’re also delighted to be continuing to offer digital streams of selected concerts throughout the season. Edward Gardner opens the season on 25 September with a concert performance of Tippett’s rarely-performed opera The Midsummer Marriage. We’re thrilled that the London Philharmonic Choir are at last able to join us on stage once again, and they will be joined by the English National Opera Chorus, a nod to Gardner’s tenure as Music Director of ENO from 2006–15, alongside a cast featuring Robert Murray, Ashley Riches, Jennifer France,

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Karina Canellakis, LPO Principal Guest Conductor

Karina Canellakis © Mathias Bothor

Edward Gardner, LPO Principal Conductor, at the Orchestra’s Southbank Centre home

Toby Spence and Susan Bickley. Other treats in store with Edward this season include Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique (1 October), Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle (6 November) and, rounding off the season on 6 May 2022, Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde. Edward said: ‘I’m thrilled to be opening my first season with the LPO by performing The Midsummer Marriage, a neglected masterpiece brimming with Tippett’s unique spirituality and humanity. Coming out of this extraordinary period, with its dearth of live performance, we’ve all had time to reflect on the wonderful qualities of the LPO, and our role in the community of London. Great orchestral music inspires, comforts and transports people, and I’m thrilled to be bringing new voices and a huge range of artists to our audiences. The musicians and I have felt the lack of communion between stage and auditorium acutely. We can’t wait to share many magical and momentous concerts with you.’ This season Karina Canellakis conducts four Royal Festival Hall concerts in her first full season as Principal Guest Conductor. The programmes span a broad range of repertoire including Sibelius, Shostakovich, Wagner, Scriabin, Lili Boulanger, John Adams and Victoria Borisova-Ollas, showcasing leading soloists including Inon Barnatan (27 November), Stephen Hough (1 December), Christian Tetzlaff (19 January) and Cédric Tiberghien (22 January). Brett Dean enters his second year as LPO Composer-in-Residence, and the season features three of his works. Vladimir Jurowski conducts the world premiere of Dean’s revised Notturno inquieto (Rivisitato) on 8 December; Lawrence Power performs Dean’s 2005 Viola Concerto on 9 February; and Alban Gerhardt

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Julia Fischer, LPO Artist-in-Residence 2021/22

gives the UK premiere of Dean’s Cello Concerto on 27 April. Brett will also continue as Composer Mentor to the five participants on this year’s LPO Young Composers Programme, working with them in seminars and workshops, and culminating in the Debut Sounds concert next summer. For the 2021/22 season we are delighted to welcome violinist Julia Fischer as Artist-inResidence. During the season Julia will explore all five of Mozart’s violin concertos (2, 4 & 12 February), as well as the Elgar Concerto with Vladimir Jurowski (13 April), and will direct a chamber concert featuring works by Shostakovich, Bruch and Dvořák with our talented LPO Principal string players (6 February). She will also take part in masterclasses and education activities across the season.

As ever, the LPO continues its commitment to premiering new works, with 11 world and UK premieres across the season. A date not to be missed is 4 December, when Mark Elder conducts the long-awaited UK premiere of James MacMillan’s Christmas Oratorio, postponed from December 2020. Klaus Mäkelä conducts the world premiere of Jimmy López’s Piano Concerto with pianist Javier Perianes (23 February), and Colin Currie performs the world premiere of Danny Elfman’s Percussion Concerto (25 March), paired with epic film music by Elfman and Howard Shore. Tan Dun conducts the UK premiere of his Buddha Passion (19 February), in which the legends of Buddhism meet the tradition of Bach’s great choral Passions; and there’s a treat in store for fans of new music on 30 March, when Edward Gardner conducts four UK premieres in one concert, showcasing new works by Missy Mazzoli, Rebecca Saunders, Mason Bates and George Walker. As we enter this new stage, looking forward with optimism into 2021/22 and beyond, we would like to reassure audiences that they can book for our new season with absolute confidence: if any events are cancelled due to COVID-19, all bookers will be entitled to a full refund. The health and wellbeing of our audiences, players and staff is still of the utmost importance, and all concerts and events will have appropriate safety measures in place in accordance with Government guidelines: the Southbank Centre’s website will be kept up-to-date with all the latest information.

Julia Fischer © Felix Broede

BACK ON TOUR THIS AUTUMN! After the travel restrictions of the last 18 months, we’re delighted that this autumn will at last see the return of international touring for the Orchestra. We have been invited to perform at the George Enescu Festival in Bucharest – an annual event in honour of Romania’s most celebrated composer – where we’ve been a regular guest in previous years. With conductor Edward Gardner we will give two concerts on 8 & 9 September: the first with soloist Patricia Kopatchinskaja performing Enescu’s Violin Concerto paired with orchestral works by Tippett and Elgar; and the second featuring another Enescu work – the Symphonie Concertante for cello with soloist Nicolas Altstaedt – as well as Wagner’s Tannhäuser Overture and Sibelius’s Second Symphony. In November we travel to Germany for a busy week of concerts across the country, again with Edward Gardner along with pianist Jan Lisiecki. We return to Germany in December, this time with Vladimir Jurowski in his new role as Conductor Emeritus, before a final concert at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris. Full details of all our tour concerts are on page 15.

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ELENA DUBINETS: OUR NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Following the departure of Cristina Rocca due to personal circumstances, we’re delighted to welcome Elena Dubinets as the Orchestra’s Artistic Director from September 2021. A high-profile artistic leader and music scholar, Elena joins us from the USA, having previously held top artistic planning positions at the Atlanta and Seattle symphony orchestras. In 2018 she was named one of Musical America’s Professionals of the Year. Serving the wider music community, she has held appointments on the Recording Academy® Board of Directors and as Chair of the City of Seattle Music Commission. Elena describes herself as a ‘caring impressaria’, whose goal is to mirror the values of the community in projects that bring people together to create and enjoy deep, meaningful explorations within music genres. She has envisioned and brought to successful premieres more than 100 new works by composers from all over the globe, organised tours to four continents, and overseen multiple Grammy-winning recording projects. Also a noted musicologist, Elena has taught at universities in the USA, Russia and Costa Rica; published five books; and written hundreds of articles, liner and programme notes. Her latest book, Russian Composers Abroad: How They Left, Stayed, Returned, was published this year. In her new LPO role Elena will work side-by-side with Chief Executive David Burke, as well as in close collaboration with conductors Edward Gardner, Karina Canellakis and Vladimir Jurowski.

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LPO NEWS

NEW & NOTEWORTHY BBC PROMS 2021: FAREWELL VLADIMIR

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT A MESSAGE FROM LPO PRESIDENT & FIRST VIOLIN, MARTIN HÖHMANN

he Orchestra’s BBC Proms concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 12 August marked our final farewell to Vladimir Jurowski as the Orchestra’s Principal Conductor, and there was a surprise in store for Jurowski as he was awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Gold Medal on stage at the close of the concert. This is the Society’s most prestigious honour, awarded annually for outstanding musicianship to a musician of any nationality. In his presentation, RPS chairman John Gilhooly said: ‘You have brought revelatory energy to the UK stage ... with your sterling companions of the London Philharmonic Orchestra as Principal Conductor. You have revolutionised what that term means, investing limitless invention in every step of the creative journey. As we are witnessing tonight, you are a world-class musical storyteller, conjuring drama and magic with your orchestral colleagues.’ Bringing to a close Jurowski’s remarkable and transformative 14 years at the LPO’s helm, the Prom featured some of the 20th-century repertoire that he has championed so passionately: Stravinsky’s ballet Jeu de cartes, Hindemith’s symphony Mathis der Maler and Walton’s rhapsodic Cello Concerto with soloist Steven Isserlis. We are honoured that Vladimir Jurowski will remain a part of the LPO family as he takes up the new position of Conductor Emeritus from September, alongside his new role as General Music Director at the Bavarian State Opera . We will welcome him back for three concerts at the Royal Festival Hall in the 2021/22 season, including a premiere by Brett Dean alongside Shostakovich and Rachmaninoff (8 December); Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto with Mitsuko Uchida and Bruckner’s Sixth Symphony (9 April); and, on 13 April, Enescu’s Symphony No. 2 and Elgar’s Violin Concerto with Julia Fischer. The culmination of Jurowski’s LPO tenure was also marked in September with the release on our own LPO label of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, the so-called ‘Symphony of a Thousand’ (LPO-0121). In this live concert recording captured at the Royal Festival Hall in April 2017, more than 400 performers are brought together by Jurowski, commemorating one of his most unforgettable moments with the LPO. It features soloists Judith Howarth, Anne Schwanewilms, Sofia Fomina, Michaela Selinger, Patricia Bardon, Barry Banks, Stephen Gadd and Matthew Rose, as well as the London Philharmonic Choir, London Symphony Chorus, Choir of Clare College Cambridge and Tiffin Boys’ Choir. See page 2 for more details.

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Vladmir Jurowski/BBC Proms © Chris Christodoulou

With the new season of concerts just about to get under way, I want to thank, on behalf of my fellow musicians, all of those who have so generously supported the Orchestra, particularly during the last 18 months. The LPO has been committed to financially supporting all of its musicians, and it is only with your support that this has been possible. We are so grateful to every single member, donor and supporter who has ensured we can continue doing what we love and sharing our music with you and our audiences around the world. Your support has also ensured we have a full season of concerts in 2021/22, and the prospect of sharing all these dynamic programmes with you and showcasing the LPO at its best fills me with huge excitement. We are going to be working with some of the world’s best artists and guest conductors, and of course our titled conductors Edward Gardner, Karina Canellakis and Vladimir Jurowski. With this truly outstanding line-up we are starting a new chapter in the history of the LPO, and I cannot wait to be back on stage at the Royal Festival Hall looking out to an audience. Whilst, with your help, we can be very proud of what we have achieved during the pandemic in an artistic sense, we have of course missed the buzz and anticipation of a full RFH. After all, the experience of a live concert with you as an audience can never be replaced, no matter how technology advances in the future! We’ll be showing our thanks through the music, and those first performances back are going to be very special. I hope you’ll be there with us!

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LPO NEWS

NEW & NOTEWORTHY DEBUT SOUNDS 2021 This year’s LPO Debut Sounds concert, which took place on 30 June, was particularly noteworthy as it marked the first LPO performance to a live audience at the Royal Festival Hall since March 2020. Throughout the past year – his first as LPO Composer-in-Residence and Composer Mentor – Brett Dean guided participants on the 2020/21 Young Composers Programme to each write a new work to be premiered at the concert. The five talented composers – Robin Haigh, Sun Keting, Geoffrey King, Paweł Malinowski and Alex Tay – were each challenged to write a piece for an ensemble of LPO and Foyle Future First musicians. Their brief was to respond musically to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in five contrasting works drawing inspiration from their individual experiences of the turbulent past year. The pieces were honed across a series of seminars, professional development sessions, and a works-in-progress workshop. Summing up the year, Dean said: ‘I can only hope that the five wonderful composers who participated in the programme gained as much from the project as I did. In a time of ongoing uncertainty and endless variables, it was a heartwarming and enriching constant throughout the past year, shared in an environment of curiosity and an open-minded exchange of ideas. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know our composers and their work, and wish them every success for the future.’ In a sad twist, Brett was unable to conduct the concert due to being required to self-isolate. We are grateful to Jack Sheen for stepping in at extremely short notice, enabling these five works to be presented to a very appreciative live, socially-distanced audience. The concert was filmed and released on the LPO YouTube channel, and is available to watch at youtube.com/ londonphilharmonicorchestra. From September we welcome our five new LPO Young Composers for 2021/22: Rafael Marino Arcaro, Conrad Asman, Alex Ho, Yun-ho Jeong and Angela Elizabeth Slater. FIND OUT MORE lpo.org.uk/youngcomposers

THE 2020/21 YOUNG COMPOSERS PROGRAMME WAS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY THE ADAM MICKIEWICZ INSTITUTE, THE RVW TRUST, THE LECHE TRUST, AND THE GARRICK CHARITABLE TRUST. THE 2020/21 FOYLE FUTURE FIRSTS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME WAS GENEROUSLY FUNDED BY THE FOYLE FOUNDATION WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM THE BARBARA WHATMORE CHARITABLE TRUST AND THE FIDELIO CHARITABLE TRUST.

Gala © Lia Vittone

Brett Dean and LPO Young Composer Geoffrey King in rehearsal for Debut Sounds, June 2021

The seriousness of all these composers, and the sympathetic playing of the orchestra – half of whom were young players on the LPO’s Foyle Future Firsts mentoring scheme – was an inspiration. The pandemic may be terrible for the arts, but for this quintet, at least, it has brought a small silver lining. THE TELEGRAPH REVIEW OF DEBUT SOUNDS CONCERT, JULY 2021

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EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED: LPO GALA 2021

Our annual Gala is an incomparable opportunity to bring together friends and supporters of the LPO to celebrate the Orchestra’s achievements of the last year and to look forward to the future. After more than a year of online events, we were delighted to be able to come together in person in the stunning surroundings of Whitehall’s Banqueting House on 14 July for the LPO Expect the Unexpected Gala 2021. The theme ran throughout the event, with colourful décor, anagram table names and a performance full of surprises! The programme included a performance of a work by Composer-in-Residence Brett Dean, with the composer performing in the viola section of the Orchestra. Baritone Roderick Williams performed one of his own compositions and there was a stunning rendition of Strauss by soprano Jennifer France. The evening’s performance ended with Leopold Mozart’s Kindersymphonie, with four Gala guests making their LPO debuts, joining the Orchestra on stage to perform the ‘toy instrument’ parts! The surprises continued with a fun and creative meal provided by Zafferano Catering, with spectacular wines from Gusbourne Estate. Alongside the Gala we ran an exciting Silent Auction and our Musicians’ Appeal, asking for help to support our fantastic musicians and nurture the talent of tomorrow. We were thrilled that we not only met, but exceeded, our ambitious fundraising target thanks to the wonderful support of our guests and donors, including generous match funding from Sir Simon and Lady Victoria Robey. We are truly grateful to everyone involved in the Gala evening, the Silent Auction and the Musicians’ Appeal. This wonderful total will help the LPO continue to thrive, today, tomorrow and into the future.

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LPO NEWS

NEW & NOTEWORTHY GLYNDEBOURNE After last year’s summer of outdoor opera performances, it was a relief to return to a somewhat more normal season at Glyndebourne, the opera house in the Sussex countryside where the Orchestra has been Resident since 1964. The 2021 Festival opened with a new production of Janáček’s Kát’a Kabanová: Robin Ticciati conducted the LPO and an impressive cast led by Czech soprano Kateřina Knĕžíková. The 2021 Festival also saw the LPO perform in Glyndebourne’s first ever production of Verdi’s Luisa Miller, with conductor Enrique Mazzola. The third new production of the 2021 season was Rossini’s comedy Il turco in Italia, in which the LPO was conducted by Giancarlo Andretta, making his Glyndebourne debut. Later in the summer Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde was presented in five semi-staged concert performances under Robin Ticciati, with the LPO seated on the stage to do justice to the opera’s epic score. As well as the opera performances, for the first time this year the Orchestra also took centre-stage in a Glyndebourne concert series conducted by Robin Ticciati. On 10 & 15 June they presented ‘Rites of Passage’: a programme of music by Purcell, Vaughan Williams and Harrison Birtwistle, before the Glyndebourne premiere of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4. On 2 July, the second programme, ‘Out of Chaos’, paired music by Mahler and French Baroque composer Rebel with Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8. The 2022 Glyndebourne Festival will run from 21 May–28 August. Robin Ticciati will conduct the LPO in Ethel Smyth’s The Wreckers, a powerful cinematic psychodrama set on the Cornish coast, and the first Festival performance of an opera by a female composer. Other 2022 productions with the LPO are Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro in a revival of Michael Grandage’s five-star production, conducted by Giancarlo Andretta and Nicholas Carter; Puccini’s La bohème with conductor Jordan de Souza; and a Poulenc double-bill of La voix humaine and Les Mamelles de Tirésias, again conducted by Robin Ticciati. Public booking will open on Sunday 6 March 2022. MORE DETAILS glyndebourne.com/festival

SCHOOLS & FAMILIES: CHECK OUT OUR LATEST VIDEOS Our Education & Community Department have recently produced a number of videos for younger audiences which can be enjoyed at home for free: check them out at youtube.com/ londonphilharmonicorchestra • Rachel Leach and an LPO brass quintet tell the story of Elephants in the Custard, a charming

children’s book by Samuel Langley-Swain and Jemma Banks, suitable for children aged 5–7. • Older children (aged 7–11) can join YolanDa Brown and the LPO to explore emotions in music

in our series of three films entitled Express Yourself. • GCSE Music students can access ‘Repertoire Unlocked’, exploring key works from the syllabus

including part of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto performed by LPO Principal Benjamin Mellefont.

RECENT AWARDS In the last issue we brought you the news of VOPERA’s virtual production of Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortileges with the LPO, which won a 2020 Digital Classical Music Award following its premiere in November. We’re thrilled to announce that the production went on to win the Opera category of the 2021 South Bank Sky Arts Awards. Taking place in-person at The Savoy and presented by Melvyn Bragg, this year’s ceremony aired on 22 July on Sky Arts. L’enfant et les sortileges has also been shortlisted for the 2021 Innovation Award by Classical:NEXT, a global network that celebrates achievement in the classical music industry worldwide. Watch this space for updates! sky.com/watch/channel/sky-arts classicalnext.com/programme/award

The VOPERA creative team celebrate their win at the awards ceremony, with LPO Chairman Victoria Robey OBE (left)

The LPO is delighted to have been named as a finalist in the Community Partnerships category of the 2021 Global Good Awards, for our OrchLab project in partnership with JTI. Supported by delivery partner Drake Music, OrchLab uses accessible technology, bespoke workshops and a dedicated website to facilitate music-making for disabled adults. We have worked with 87 OrchLab participants since launching the project in 2017, and in their shortlisting selection the Awards judges noted that 100% of participants demonstrated a positive impact on skills, quality of life and wellbeing. Established in 2015, the Global Good Awards recognise and reward organisations of all kinds that are making strides towards a better world. The winners will be announced on 22 September. orchlab.org globalgoodawards.co.uk

ORCHLAB IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY JTI AND CO-DELIVERED BY DRAKE MUSIC, LEADERS IN MUSIC, DISABILITY AND TECHNOLOGY.

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EDUCATION & COMMUNITY

INSIDER VIEW The LPO’s Education & Community work reaches tens of thousands of people each year via a rich and varied programme. We invited some of the people involved to share their experiences of engaging with the LPO beyond the concert stage.

Alis

‘Being a member of the Foyle Future Firsts programme has undoubtedly been invaluable. Playing alongside my peers and LPO musicians has been hugely rewarding, especially given the limitations that the music industry has faced recently. In spring we participated in a side-by-side informal rehearsal day conducted by Edward Gardner, which was a very special experience. To meet and play with such friendly, talented musicians in a relaxed environment gave my confidence a much-needed boost, as well as reaffirming in my mind why I chose to pursue this career path. The scheme has helped to bridge the daunting gap between studying and professional work, through support, encouragement and helpful feedback. This has mostly been via my mentor, LPO Principal Harpist Rachel Masters, and through professional development and discussion sessions. Rachel has been a pillar of support and has been instrumental in keeping me motivated to continually develop my playing to a high standard, to set targets and to further my career. Plus it’s been beyond fascinating to hear about her experiences – I have learnt so much from her and I can’t wait to learn more! I believe that it is so important for orchestras to run schemes like Foyle Future Firsts to support the next generation of musicians. The professional insights it provides are fundamental in building the necessary confidence, skills and ability for early-career musicians like myself. Throughout the year I’ve heard from many of the LPO musicians about their approaches, challenges and strategies in the profession (both musically and otherwise!) which has been encouraging and reassuring. I hope that the experiences on the scheme will help me to improve my overall skills as a musician for many years to come.’

Tamara Redmond, a 16-year-old violinist from London, was an LPO Junior Artist in 2020/21. She loves playing chamber and orchestral music and also has an interest in conducting. Tamara is working towards studying music at a higher level and aspires to work in the industry. The LPO Junior Artists scheme annually supports eight young instrumentalists from backgrounds currently under-represented in the UK orchestral sector to develop their musical and personal skillsets and experience the inner workings of a professional symphony orchestra.

Tamara

‘Over the last year as an LPO Junior Artist I’ve had the opportunity to get an insight into how a professional orchestra operates, as well as make some friends along the way! I especially enjoyed the mentor sessions, working on orchestral excerpts with Tania Mazzetti, who leads the LPO Second Violins. Her perspectives and advice were invaluable. The sessions with LPO staff members who work behind the scenes were also interesting, as they opened my eyes to all the roles necessary to make a professional orchestra successful, and exactly what these jobs entail. A highlight of the scheme for me was when we got the opportunity to watch the LPO rehearse in the Royal Festival Hall. I found this a very emotional experience, as it was the first live orchestral performance that I had heard in over a year due to the impact of the pandemic. Schemes like these are so valuable for young people as they provide a peephole into the profession that can help inform decisions about some of the career options available, in addition to providing an amazing opportunity to work closely with members of a professional orchestra. I look forward to attending future LPO concerts and keeping in touch with the people I’ve met over the last year. I’m extremely grateful for my time as a Junior Artist and will not soon forget the knowledge and skills I gained during the experience, which I’m sure will stand me in good stead for the future.’ THE 2020/21 LPO JUNIOR ARTISTS PROGRAMME WAS GENEROUSLY FUNDED BY THE VICTORIA WOOD FOUNDATION, THE RADCLIFFE TRUST AND THE D’OYLY CARTE CHARITABLE TRUST.

THE 2020/21 FOYLE FUTURE FIRSTS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME WAS GENEROUSLY FUNDED BY THE FOYLE FOUNDATION WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM THE BARBARA WHATMORE CHARITABLE TRUST AND THE FIDELIO CHARITABLE TRUST.

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Alis Huws © Catrin Arwel Photography

Alis Huws, a 26-year-old harpist from Cardiff, was selected from a highly competitive field of auditionees to join the 2020/21 Foyle Future Firsts Development Programme (FFF). The scheme offers direct experience of working with the LPO through rehearsal sit-ins, side-by-side performances, mentorship from members of the Orchestra, and professional development sessions. The FFF scheme was disrupted by the pandemic, so last year’s participants will continue during 2021/22.

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Khaled Mechergui is Deputy Manager of Bramley Hill Day Centre in Croydon , part of the Garwood Foundation. He shares his experience of OrchLab, a programme working with disabled adults to enhance wellbeing and confidence and leave a long-term musical legacy through a wide range of activities and resources. Bramley Hill clients have taken part in OrchLab workshops with LPO musicians and leaders, using a mixture of acoustic instruments and accessible technology. The pandemic shifted sessions to Zoom, where we continued to make music together remotely during the national lockdowns.

Khaled

‘When I first heard we’d be working with an orchestra, I presumed something completely different. I thought the musicians would come in and play, and maybe talk to us about their instruments. But it’s much more than that. I was really impressed by the music technology instruments. Some clients thought they’d never be able to play music due to their disability, but these instruments were really accessible and they made music like it was no problem at all. It made us aware that we can do more with our service users, especially when it comes to music. When the pandemic started, the day centre closed and clients were isolating in their homes. OrchLab continued digitally, and we really looked forward to the Zoom sessions. You can never beat face-to-face interaction but the OrchLab Zoom sessions were almost as good. We had great feedback from service users and their families. Having the OrchLab team train more of our staff in music leading will, I think, have the most long-term benefit to Bramley Hill, because you’re showing us hands-on how to lead music ourselves. When you don’t have much experience in music, it seems like a big task, but the staff are now super confident in leading regular sessions. Overall, I really enjoyed it – OrchLab is fun!’

OrchLab © James Tye – Pei-Jee Ng © James Wicks/Intersection

ORCHLAB IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY JTI. ORCHLAB IS CO-DELIVERED BY DRAKE MUSIC, LEADERS IN MUSIC, TECHNOLOGY AND DISABILITY.

Pei-Jee

Australian cellist Pei-Jee Ng, LPO Co-Principal since 2015, is an active participant in the Orchestra’s Education & Community programme. He believes that ‘the educational work of the LPO is a hugely important part of what the Orchestra undertakes with its surrounding community – I always try to get involved where possible.’

Pei-Jee reminisces about his initial experience of the Orchestra: ‘I came to the UK for postgraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, and the first time I got to hear the LPO live was at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter. I managed (just!) to get a ticket, and watching the members of the Orchestra step on to the stage was an awe-inspiring moment. The performance that followed is something I’ll never forget, especially the magnetic force of the musicians. It was that evening that I reserved a space in my heart to hold a dream to play with the LPO one day. I continued honing my skills through solo and chamber opportunities until the Co-Principal Cello seat opened for audition, and I managed to get the job! During this past season, in addition to concert recordings I’ve been lucky to work on several projects run by the Education team, including teaching and mentoring Foyle Future Firsts and Junior Artists, recording chamber compositions written by teenagers, and performing in films for schools and families made in lieu of the BrightSparks schools’ concerts and FUNharmonics family concerts during the pandemic. As musicians we spend all our lives continuously learning, either as students or from our colleagues. The enormous gift my teachers gave me during my student years is something I try to pass on by working with today’s young people. It’s immensely rewarding to connect with the next generation, to try to inspire and encourage them to find their voices. There are so many advantages to orchestras like the LPO running educational programmes. I genuinely think that it can change and benefit the culture of an organisation, and that through sharing and collaborating widely with people from all walks of life we stay in touch with the remarkable wonder of music.’

Pei-Jee (left) and his LPO Junior Artist mentees, Riya and Kitan, playing a cello trio via Zoom

OrchLab session at Chipstead Lake Leonard Cheshire Centre, July 2021

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LPO NEWS

Robert Duncan, Sub-Principal Viola, left in October 2020 after 43 years’ service to the LPO, including six years on the Board. Robert’s friend and viola colleague, Kate Leek, recalls: ‘You couldn’t spend very long in Robert’s company without becoming aware of his passions in life: music, trains and cycling. And, of course, his ability to hum and whistle at the same time. ‘Oh Robert – do be quiet!’ could often be heard from Angela, our former Sub-Principal Oboe, now married to Robert and also retired. Robert’s enthusiasm for steam trains took him on many holidays, including to East Germany, and on LPO tours he never missed the chance to visit a museum. For several of us he was a handy travel companion on the commute from East Sussex to the Royal Festival Hall, as he always knew what times the trains were, which platform they departed from, and – as a bonus – the cheapest ticket to buy! That encyclopaedic ability also extended to music. Can’t remember how the second movement of Bruckner 9 goes? Robert could whistle or hum it. When was it last performed? Who conducted, where, and on what date? Robert could tell you. He was always so well-prepared for concerts – not just in his practice, but in his interest and research into the background of the music and the composer. Now, in retirement, his passions are still his life – enjoying playing the viola, playing chamber music, cycling, walking and spending time with his lifelong companion Angela – but Orchestra life is just not quite the same without him!’

In May 2021 we said farewell to violinist Tina Gruenberg, who has been a member of the First Violins for 31 years and has decided to focus on her teaching. Her friend and First Violin colleague Catherine Craig writes: ‘Tina’s contribution to the section brought not only her superb musicianship, but also the beautiful sound she produced on her glorious vintage Italian J. B. Rogeri violin. All she needed to do was elegantly touch bow to string, and her music sung like no other. Perhaps if you are lucky – like I was many years ago – you too can find a recording of Tina’s playing. Once, combing through a secondhand CD shop in Notting Hill, I came across a 1994 Franz Welser-Möst EMI recording of Amanda Roocroft singing Strauss, with Tina’s violin solo featured in the song ‘Morgen’. The CD was dearly priced, but I bought it anyway, remembering how impressed I’d been by my colleague, who never gave the impression of loftiness given her extraordinary talent. In fact, Tina was better known in the Orchestra for her wit and great sense of humour, not to mention her skills as a social butterfly. She made close friends in many sections of the Orchestra and never limited her sense of fun to just her own section. Originally appointed to the Sub-Leader seat, Tina led the Orchestra on many occasions. One such concert was with Bernard Haitink conducting Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony. The review singled out the dazzling playing of the First Violins, and proclaimed our section the best in the capital. Well done, Tina, and thank you. We will miss you.’

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Having spent the last year on sabbatical in Luxembourg, viola player Susanne Martens has decided to settle there with her partner Chris (former LPO Stage Manager). She will be much missed after 16 years in the LPO, including three years on the Board. LPO Principal Viola David Quiggle writes: ‘One of the many things I was looking forward to about Glyndebourne this summer was Susi’s return to the viola section. It was disappointing , but not entirely surprising, when she wrote to us about her decision to leave the LPO, happily remaining in Luxembourg with Chris and their dog Ruskin. I was hoping that Glyndebourne would provide us with an opportunity to catch up after so long – maybe a walk or two in the Downs or “just around the lake” (Susi was always encouraging me to get out and walk during the lockdowns and quarantines!) It was also Susi’s encouragement that led us to make a ‘viola family’ contribution to the ‘LPOnline’ series in the earliest days of the first lockdown. This resulted in the multiple-viola version of ‘Stand by Me’, still available on the LPO’s YouTube, in which she plays a great solo! Susi’s musical and personal contributions will be missed. She brought great integrity to her roles as musician, juror, board member, teacher and friend. Although we’ll miss her, it’s good to know that she has found a new home in a place with plentiful beautiful green forests. Susi once showed me some wonderful pictures of herself as a child playing homemade chamber music with a very large number of siblings. Those of us in her London musical family hope to see her again soon!’

Robert Duncan & Susanne Martens © Benjamin Ealovega

MEMBER FAREWELLS

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LPO NEWS

LPO PEOPLE BOARD UPDATE

IN THE OFFICE

Following the Orchestra’s Annual General Meeting in June, President Martin Höhmann was re-elected; Player-Directors Kate Birchall and Hugh Kluger were both newly elected; and Pei-Jee Ng and David Whitehouse stood down. Roger Barron retired by rotation having served six years, and joins the LPO Advisory Council. We are delighted that Neil Westreich rejoins the Board after a 12-month break, and we also welcome two new Directors:

As well as new Artistic Director Elena Dubinets (see page 5), there have recently been a number of other new faces in the Orchestra’s admin team. In April the Marketing department welcomed Harrie Mayhew as Website Manager and Gavin Miller as Sales and Ticketing Manager, and in August Ruth Knight as Press and PR Manager. Stef Woodford joined our Development department as Corporate Relations Manager in May; the Concerts department welcomed new Orchestra and Auditions Manager Felix Lo in July; Chantelle Vircavs joined the team as PA to the Executive in August; and in September our Education & Community department welcomed Rebecca Parslow as Education & Community Project Manager and Tilly Gugenheim as temporary Education & Community Co-ordinator.

Deborah Dolce is Senior Vice-President, Group Marketing & Corporate Responsibility Director on the Executive Committee of retailer TJX Europe (TK Maxx & Homesense). Having joined TJX Europe in 1993, she has held a number of different positions across the global retail group in Brand & Marketing, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, as well as in Business Development, Buying and Ecommerce. Deborah sits on the TJX Europe Inclusion and Diversity Governance Group. She is also a member of an Advisory Group for The Prince’s Trust, which works to improve the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable young people in the UK, and is a school governor. She is a keen amateur pianist and choral singer. Jamie Njoku-Goodwin is Chief Executive of UK Music, the body that represents the UK music industry. He is an experienced campaigner, communications specialist and former political adviser who has held senior roles at the highest levels of Government. He most recently worked as a special adviser to Health Secretary Matt Hancock and was previously a special adviser at DCMS. Before joining the Government, Jamie worked for the election strategist Sir Lynton Crosby and as a political adviser for the Conservative Party. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music and a Masters in International Relations from the University of Nottingham. He is a trained pianist and conductor, and also sits on the advisory board of English National Opera.

Education & Community Director Isabella Kernot left the LPO in September following the end of her maternity leave, to take up a new position at the charity Sound Connections alongside postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Music. As well as wishing Isabella well for the future and thanking her for her hard work, we are also extremely grateful to Lindsay Wilson, who has done a marvellous job of heading up the team during Isabella’s leave, and to Talia Lash, previously Education & Community Manager, who will take on the role of Interim Education & Community Director from September. In July we said goodbye to LPO Librarian Sarah Holmes, who retired after nearly nine years with the Orchestra. Along with our other Librarian, Sarah Thomas, Sarah has ensured that the service the LPO Library provides for the Orchestra’s players and staff is second to none. Her depth of knowledge of contemporary music and operatic repertoire in particular is remarkable and has been so valuable. We wish Sarah all the very best for a happy and enjoyable retirement, and look forward to welcoming our new Librarian Martin Sargeson, who will work alongside Sarah Thomas from October.

MEET OUR BOARD & ADVISORY COUNCIL lpo.org.uk/about/board

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CONGRATULATIONS TORIL!

We were thrilled that percussionist Toril Azzalini-Machecler was awarded the Walter Todds Bursary at the 2020 BBC Young Musician Awards, broadcast on BBC Four in May. Toril was an LPO Junior Artist in 2018/19 and a Junior Artist Fellow in 2019/20, and was mentored by Co-Principal Percussionist Henry Baldwin. Congratulations Toril – we're excited to continue following your musical career! You can still watch Toril's spectacular performance on BBC iPlayer: bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08f2kfq

CONGRATULATIONS Congratulations to Hannah Foakes (née Tripp), Education & Community Project Co-ordinator, who married Matthew Foakes on 24 July 2021 at St Mary of Eton Church in Hackney Wick. Congratulations too to Co-Principal Viola Richard Waters and his wife Bex Herman, who welcomed their first baby, son Avi Ray Waterman, on 24 May; and to Co-Principal Percussionist Henry Baldwin and his wife Lucy, whose second daughter, Alice Rose Dorothea Baldwin, was born on 9 June.

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LPO AUTUMN 2021

CONCERT LISTINGS SOUTHBANK CENTRE Unless otherwise stated, standard prices £14–£46 Premium seats £65* London Philharmonic Orchestra Ticket Office 020 7840 4242 Mon–Fri 10am–5pm lpo.org.uk *Transaction fees: £3.50 online, £4.00 telephone Southbank Centre Ticket Office 020 3879 9555 southbankcentre.co.uk *Transaction fees: £3.50 online or telephone. No transaction fees for in-person bookings, Southbank Centre Members and Supporters Circles.

Unless stated, all Southbank Centre concerts are at the Royal Festival Hall and start at 7.30pm. Saturday 25 September 2021 | 6.30pm The Midsummer Marriage Please note start time. Sung in English with surtitles.

Tippett The Midsummer Marriage

Sunday 7 November 2021 | 12.00 noon FUNharmonics Family Concert: Symphonie Fantastique Rachel Leach presenter Michael Seal conductor Berlioz’s magical Symphonie fantastique is presented in an interactive family concert designed especially to invite our youngest audience members to explore its intriguing music. Join us on an incredible journey to Paris as we explore a very unusual love story, experience a vivid dream and take a ride on the Metro!

Karina Canellakis conductor Stephen Hough piano

Adults £16–24, children £8–12

With the support of

Wednesday 10 November 2021 Landscapes and Love Songs Grieg Lyric Suite Schumann Piano Concerto Sibelius Symphony No. 2 Edward Gardner conductor Jan Lisiecki piano

Generously supported by Mrs Aline Foriel-Destezet.

Friday 6 November 2021 In Bluebeard’s Castle

Wednesday 1 December 2021 Poetry and Defiance

FUNharmonics foyer activities are generously supported by Stentor Music Co. Ltd and Bell Music.

Generously supported by a syndicate of donors. * Please note change of artists from previously advertised.

Edward Gardner conductor Nicolas Altstaedt cello

Karina Canellakis conductor Inon Barnatan piano

Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 Shostakovich Symphony No. 10

Generously supported by Victoria Robey OBE.

L Boulanger D’un matin de printemps Lutosławski Cello Concerto Berlioz Symphonie fantastique

John Adams The Chairman Dances Gershwin Piano Concerto in F Sibelius The Oceanides Sibelius Symphony No. 5

Join in the free pre-concert foyer activities from 10am–12noon (concert ticket-holders only).

Edward Gardner conductor Robert Murray Mark Rachel Nicholls Jenifer* Ashley Riches King Fisher Jennifer France Bella Toby Spence Jack Claire Barnett-Jones Sosostris* Susan Bickley She-Ancient Joshua Bloom He-Ancient* London Philharmonic Choir English National Opera Chorus

Friday 1 October 2021 Fantastic Symphony

Saturday 27 November 2021 Canellakis conducts Sibelius

Wednesday 24 November 2021 Seascapes and Visions Messiaen Les offrandes oubliées Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1 Debussy Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune Debussy La mer Klaus Mäkelä conductor Truls Mørk cello

Join us for a free pre-concert event: Crisis Creates | 6.00pm | Royal Festival Hall Members of Crisis – all adults who have experienced homelessness – perform music they have created with LPO musicians and a workshop leader during a week-long creative project. Using the music of the Orchestra as inspiration, participants bring their own experiences and creativity to collaborate and create something new and powerful.

Sung in Hungarian with English surtitles.

Haydn Symphony No. 90 Bartók Bluebeard’s Castle Edward Gardner conductor Ildikó Komlósi mezzo-soprano John Relyea bass

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Saturday 4 December 2021 Christmas Oratorio James MacMillan Christmas Oratorio (UK premiere) Mark Elder conductor Lucy Crowe soprano Roderick Williams baritone London Philharmonic Choir Commissioned by the London Philharmonic Orchestra with the generous support of The Boltini Trust, NTR Zaterdagmatinee, Radio 4’s concert series in The Concertgebouw Amsterdam, The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

Wednesday 8 December 2021 Jurowski conducts Rachmaninoff Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 Brett Dean Notturno inquieto (Rivisitato) (world premiere of new version) Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 3 Vladimir Jurowski conductor Leonidas Kavakos violin Generously supported by Victoria Robey OBE.

Join us for a free daytime event: OrchLab Festival Day | times TBC OrchLab Festival Day is the culmination of this year’s OrchLab programme, in collaboration with Drake Music – leaders in music, technology and disability. A celebration of accessible musicmaking with disabled adults, the day includes music workshops, relaxed performances and accessible instrument demonstrations, and showcases the creativity of OrchLab participants. This free but ticketed event is open to disabled adults, their families and disability staff (over 18s only). For more information visit orchlab.org/open-events

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LPO AUTUMN 2021

CONCERT LISTINGS AROUND THE UK

Sunday 28 November 2021 | 3.00pm Congress Theatre, Eastbourne 01323 412000 | eastbournetheatres.co.uk

Sunday 12 September 2021 | 5.30pm Glyndebourne Festival Opera 01273 815000 | glyndebourne.com

Beethoven Egmont Overture Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 Brahms Symphony No. 2

A Musical Celebration

Catherine Larsen-Maguire conductor Igor Tchetuev piano

Programme to include the Overture from Die Fledermaus; highlights from Carmen, Eugene Onegin, L’elisir d’amore and Porgy and Bess, plus a selection of traditional songs and Broadway hits. Ben Glassberg conductor Danielle de Niese soprano Bryn Terfel bass-baritone Saturday 18 September 2021 | 7.30pm St Nicolas Church, Newbury 0845 521 8218 | newburyspringfestival.org.uk Newbury Festival Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 Beethoven Symphony No. 7 Richard Farnes conductor Paul Lewis piano Saturday 2 October 2021 | 7.30pm Saffron Hall, Saffron Walden 0845 548 7650 | saffronhall.com

Sunday 5 December 2021 | 3.00pm Saffron Hall, Saffron Walden 0845 548 7650 | saffronhall.com

Saturday 20 November 2021 | 8.00pm Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg | elbphilharmonie.de

Commissioned by the London Philharmonic Orchestra with the generous support of The Boltini Trust, NTR Zaterdagmatinee, Radio 4’s concert series in The Concertgebouw Amsterdam, The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

INTERNATIONAL CONCERTS

Sibelius Finlandia Chevalier de Saint-Georges Violin Concerto Sibelius Symphony No. 2 David Murphy conductor Randall Goosby violin* * LPO Alexandra Jupin Award recipient: an annual award for an artist making their debut with the LPO.

Programme and artists as 14 November

Programme and artists as 14 November Friday 10 December 2021 | 8.00pm Festspielhaus, Baden-Baden, Germany festspielhaus.de Elgar Violin Concerto Rachmaninoff Vocalise Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 3 Vladimir Jurowski conductor Julia Fischer violin

Wednesday 8 September 2021 | 7.30pm

Sunday 10 October 2021 | 3.00pm Congress Theatre, Eastbourne 01323 412000 | eastbournetheatres.co.uk

Programme and artists as 14 November

Mark Elder conductor Lucy Crowe soprano Roderick Williams baritone London Philharmonic Choir

Edward Gardner conductor Nicolas Altstaedt cello

Robin Ticciati conductor Leon McCawley piano

Wednesday 17 November 2021 | 8.00pm Philharmonie, Cologne, Germany koelner-philharmonie.de

James MacMillan Christmas Oratorio

Sala Mare a Palatului, Bucharest, Romania salapalatului.ro George Enescu Festival:

Brahms Tragic Overture Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20 Brahms Symphony No. 4

Programme and artists as 14 November

Friday 19 November 2021 | 8.00pm Philharmonie, Essen, Germany theater-essen.de/philharmonie

L Boulanger D’un matin de printemps Lutosławski Cello Concerto Sibelius Symphony No. 2

Saturday 9 October 2021 | 7.30pm Brighton Dome Concert Hall 01273 709709 | brightondome.org

Tuesday 16 November 2021 | 8.00pm Alte Oper, Frankfurt, Germany | alteoper.de

Saturday 11 December 2021 | 8.00pm Meistersingerhalle, Nürnberg, Germany nuernberg.de/internet/meistersingerhalle

Tippett Ritual Dances from The Midsummer Marriage Enescu Violin Concerto (after the Violin Sonata No. 3) Elgar Enigma Variations

Elgar Violin Concerto Tchaikovsky Swan Lake Suite

Edward Gardner conductor Patricia Kopatchinskaja violin

Tuesday 14 December 2021 | 8.00pm Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris, France theatrechampselysees.fr

Thursday 9 September 2021 | 7.30pm Wagner Overture, Tannhäuser Enescu Symphonie Concertante in B minor Sibelius Symphony No. 2 Edward Gardner conductor Nicolas Altstaedt cello

Sunday 14 November 2021 | 8.00pm Isarphilharmonie, Gasteig HP8 , Munich, Germany gasteig.de Beethoven Egmont Overture Schumann Piano Concerto Sibelius Symphony No. 2 Edward Gardner conductor Jan Lisiecki piano

lpo.org.uk – 15 –

Vladimir Jurowski conductor Julia Fischer violin

Programme and artists as 10 December

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LPO PEOPLE

BACKSTAGE When did you begin playing the violin, and what was your first introduction to playing in an orchestra? I started playing the violin when I was about eight. I don’t come from a particularly musical family, so it was just luck that my primary school offered group lessons and I was given the opportunity to choose an instrument. I actually picked the flute first, then the cello, but (to my disappointment!) there was only space in the violin class, so I settled for that! I was then introduced to playing in orchestras really quickly. My teacher suggested that I audition for our local youth orchestra – Stockport Youth Orchestra – and I’m not sure if it was the music, the social side, or the amazing sweet shop at breaktime, but I loved it immediately. I played there every Friday evening until I left school and it’s funny, but I meet people all the time in the profession who began in Stockport Youth Orchestra too! What attracted to you applying for the LPO? As I approached the end of my time at the Royal College of Music, I wasn’t sure where I wanted to be, but I knew I wanted a job in an orchestra. I’d spent my student years watching London orchestras play, so when the LPO job was advertised I couldn’t not apply. When the audition came round it was during a really busy period, and I very nearly cancelled the night before because I felt so underprepared. In the end I asked myself ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ And here we are now! What’s it been like starting a new job during a pandemic? There have been pros and cons! First and foremost, I’ve felt hugely lucky and grateful to have started at the LPO this year, but it’s been pretty surreal with all the restrictions in place. From my first day we’ve been a reduced orchestra, sitting 2 metres apart and playing to an empty hall, and although people adapt so quickly, this does create a few challenges! There has been such a strong feeling of solidarity within the Orchestra though, and while I already knew the LPO was the friendliest orchestra, this has really brought to light what a close and supportive community it is, and that has been amazing to be part of.

is some of the most beautiful music ever written, as well as Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto with Truls Mørk. What music are you listening to at the moment? A friend of mine recently started up a string ensemble specifically to champion music by female composers, and so my playlist has become pretty packed with amazing music which is almost all totally new to me. Right now I’m obsessed with Caroline Shaw’s album Orange, which is from 2019, but I’ve also been listening for the first time to music by Hildegard von Bingen, who was an incredible female composer from over 900 years ago! I also have a pretty strong rotation of jazz and pop, and of course being from Manchester, Oasis is my ultimate comfort music.

– EMMA OLDFIELD – Emma joined the LPO Second Violin section in January 2021. She graduated from the Royal College of Music in 2018, and prior to her LPO appointment enjoyed building up a successful and varied freelance career in the UK and Europe. Which autumn LPO concerts are you most looking forward to? Over the past year, even when the Orchestra has been able to play, it hasn’t been easy to perform big symphonies due to restrictions on people and space, so it’ll be great to enjoy that again this season. I’m looking forward to Shostakovich 10, which we’re performing with Karina Canellakis on 1 December; and Rachmaninoff 3 with Jurowski on 8 December. It’s this kind of music that I’ve felt most starved of over the past year, and the thought of performing it again surrounded by a full orchestra gives me goosebumps! I’m also really looking forward to the concert on 24 November with Klaus Mäkelä: a whole evening of French music including Debussy’s La mer, which really Newsletter published by the London Philharmonic Orchestra 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP Tel: 020 7840 4200 Fax: 020 7840 4201 Ticket Office: 020 7840 4242 lpo.org.uk

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How do you relax when you’re not working? My happy place is cooking in the kitchen with friends, a glass of wine and a good kitchen playlist! It has become a bit of a personal mission to eat my way through London, so when I have the time I love trying new places, as well as eating out at my trusted South London favourites! My family up in Manchester have a beautiful Cocker Spaniel so when I can, I try to get home for some good long walks in the Peak District with her. What have you learnt over the past year? It’s been a real journey learning to be OK with not being busy all the time, especially coming from the freelance world where it’s so ingrained to try and fill all of your time with work. I missed the interaction of making music with others, and this is what I struggled with most – there’s only so much satisfaction you can get from practising alone in your bedroom. The flipside of this, however, meant having time for many experimental cooking nights – some more successful than others! I’m also now a pro at Monopoly Deal, and my London geography knowledge has skyrocketed, as I decided to walk anywhere and everywhere if it meant I could see a friend at the other end, or even just to pick up a particularly good takeaway coffee. Yoga also became an necessity for me mentally and physically, and that’s something I plan to continue as life returns to ‘normal’.