Concert programme
2025/26 season at Eastbourne’s Congress Theatre
Principal Conductor Edward Gardner supported by Aud Jebsen Principal Guest Conductor Karina Canellakis supported by Richard Buxton Conductor Emeritus Vladimir Jurowski KBE Patron HRH The Duke of Kent KG Artistic Director Jesús Herrera Chief Executive David Burke Leader Pieter Schoeman supported by Neil Westreich
Congress Theatre, Eastbourne Sunday 18 January 2026 | 3.00pm
Beethoven’s Second Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin (16’) Mozart Violin Concerto No. 5, K219 (Turkish) (31’) Interval (20’) Beethoven Symphony No. 2 (34’) Erina Yashima conductor Maria Włoszczowska violin
The timings shown are not precise and are given only as a guide. Concert presented by the London Philharmonic Orchestra in association with Trafalgar Theatres
Contents 2
Welcome LPO news 3 On stage today 4 London Philharmonic Orchestra 6 Erina Yashima 7 Maria Włoszczowska 8 Programme notes 12 LPO Annual Appeal 2026 13 Next concerts 14 Thank you 16 LPO administration
London Philharmonic Orchestra • 18 January 2026 • Beethoven’s Second
Welcome to the Congress Theatre
LPO news LPO Annual Appeal 2026: Beyond the Concert Hall
Venue Director Neil Jones We extend a warm welcome to the members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and to the artists performing with the Orchestra today – and of course to every one of you, our valued audience members.
We’ve just launched the London Philharmonic Orchestra 2026 Annual Appeal, Beyond the Concert Hall – celebrating the power of music to bring people together, build communities and enrich lives.
The historic theatre in which you are now seated is unique in that it is conceived to be a perfect cube and has fantastic acoustics to enhance your experience of live music. Whether this is your first concert or you are a season regular, we hope you enjoy your experience at our venue. Please speak to a member of our staff if you have any comments you’d like to make about your visit. We thank you for continuing to support the concert series. Please sit back in your seats and enjoy your afternoon with us.
At the LPO, we believe that music has the power to break down barriers and create shared, meaningful experiences. Your donation will help us deliver co-created projects that inspire confidence, boost wellbeing and creativity, and bring joy to those who have limited access to live music. Find out more on page 12, or visit lpo.org.uk/beyondthehall
New video series: Humans of the Orchestra
As a courtesy to others, please ensure mobile phones are switched off during the performance. Please also note that photography and recording are not allowed in the auditorium unless announced from the stage. Thank you.
Have you seen our new video series yet? ‘Humans of the Orchestra’ gives LPO audiences and fans a chance to get to know the people behind the music – the personalities, stories and passions of our players. So far, we’ve featured Leader Pieter Schoeman, Principal Cello Kristina Blaumane, Principal Trumpet Paul Beniston and Principal Tuba Lee Tsarmaklis – with more to come very soon!
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 18 January 2026 • Beethoven’s Second
On stage today First Violins
Alice Ivy-Pemberton Leader Lasma Taimina
Chair supported by Irina Gofman & Mr Rodrik V. G. Cave
Minn Majoe
Chair supported by Dr Alex & Maria Chan
Katalin Varnagy Martin Höhmann Nilufar Alimaksumova Alison Strange Daniel Pukach Maeve Jenkinson Victoria Gill Chu-Yu Yang Eve Kennedy
Second Violins
Ashley Stevens Joseph Maher Ricky Gore Sheila Law Jamie Hutchinson Gabriel Bilbao Tayfun Bomboz Ryo Koyama
Violas
Nicholas Bootiman Guest Principal Benedetto Pollani Lucia Ortiz Sauco Martin Wray Chair supported by David & Bettina Harden
Alistair Scahill Jenny Poyser Mark Gibbs Toby Warr
Cellos
Henry Shapard Principal David Lale Leo Melvin Tom Roff Helen Thomas Iain Ward
Double Basses
Sebastian Pennar* Principal Hugh Kluger
Flutes
Frederico Paixão Guest Principal Stewart McIlwham*
Trombones
Mark Templeton* Principal
Chair supported by William & Alex de Winton
David Whitehouse
Bass Trombone
Lyndon Meredith Principal
Tuba
Piccolo
Stewart McIlwham* Principal
Oboes
Ewan Millar Guest Principal Alice Munday
Chair supported by David & Yi Buckley
Lee Tsarmaklis* Principal
Chair supported by William & Alex de Winton
Timpani
Jonathan Phillips Guest Principal
Harp
Cor Anglais
Elizabeth McNulty Guest Principal
Ilid Jones
Clarinets
Benjamin Mellefont* Principal
*Professor at a London conservatoire
Chair supported by Sir Nigel Boardman & Prof. Lynda Gratton
Thomas Watmough
Chair supported by Roger Greenwood
Bassoons
Emma Harding Simon Estell*
Contrabassoon
Simon Estell* Principal
Horns
Annemarie Federle Principal
Chair supported by Victoria Robey CBE
John Ryan* Principal Martin Hobbs
Trumpets
Paul Beniston* Principal
Chair supported by the Williams family in memory of Grenville Williams
Tom Nielsen* Principal
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The LPO also acknowledges the following chair supporters whose players are not present at this concert: An anonymous donor The Candide Trust Gill & Garf Collins Ian Ferguson & Susan Tranter Friends of the Orchestra Dr Barry Grimaldi Sir Simon Robey Bianca & Stuart Roden Ryze Power Malcolm & Alison Thwaites Eric Tomsett Neil Westreich
London Philharmonic Orchestra • 18 January 2026 • Beethoven’s Second
© Jason Bell
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Sharing the wonder worldwide
Uniquely groundbreaking and exhilarating to watch and hear, the London Philharmonic Orchestra has been celebrated as one of the world’s great orchestras since Sir Thomas Beecham founded it in 1932. Our mission is to share wonder with the modern world through the power of orchestral music, which we accomplish through live performances, online, and an extensive education and community programme, cementing our position as a leading orchestra for the 21st century.
We’re one of the world’s most-streamed orchestras, with over 15 million plays of our content each month. In 2023 we were the most successful orchestra worldwide on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, and in 2024 we featured in a TV documentary series on Sky Arts: ‘Backstage with the London Philharmonic Orchestra’, which was nominated for a 2025 BAFTA. During 2025/26 we’re once again working with Marquee TV to broadcast selected live concerts to enjoy at home.
Our home is at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, where we’re at the beating heart of London’s cultural life. You’ll also find us at our resident venues in Brighton, Eastbourne and Saffron Walden, and on tour worldwide. In 2024 we celebrated 60 years as Resident Symphony Orchestra at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, combining the magic of opera with Glyndebourne’s glorious setting in the Sussex countryside.
Our conductors Our Principal Conductors have included some of the greatest historic names like Sir Adrian Boult, Bernard Haitink, Klaus Tennstedt and Kurt Masur. In 2021 Edward Gardner became our 13th Principal Conductor, and Vladimir Jurowski became Conductor Emeritus. Karina Canellakis is our current Principal Guest Conductor, and Sir George Benjamin our Composer-inResidence.
Soundtrack to key moments Everyone will have heard the Grammy-nominated London Philharmonic Orchestra, whether it’s playing the world’s National Anthems for every medal ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, our iconic recording with Pavarotti that made Nessun Dorma a global football anthem, or closing the flotilla at The Queen’s Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. And you’ll almost certainly have heard us on the soundtracks for major films including The Lord of the Rings.
Next generations We’re committed to nurturing the next generation of musicians and music-lovers: we love seeing the joy of children and families experiencing their first musical moments, and we’re passionate about inspiring schools and teachers through dedicated concerts, workshops, resources and training. Reflecting our values of
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 18 January 2026 • Beethoven’s Second
Alice Ivy-Pemberton Leader
collaboration and inclusivity, our OrchLab and Open Sound Ensemble projects offer music-making opportunities for adults and young people with disabilities and special educational needs. Today’s young instrumentalists are the orchestra members of the future, and we have a number of opportunities to support their progression. Our LPO Junior Artists programme leads the way in creating pathways into the profession for young artists from under-represented communities, and our LPO Young Composers and Foyle Future Firsts schemes support the next generation of professional musicians, bridging the transition from education to professional careers. We also recently launched the LPO Conducting Fellowship, supporting the development of outstanding early-career conductors from backgrounds underrepresented in the profession. Alice Ivy-Pemberton joined the London Philharmonic Orchestra as Co-Leader in February 2023.
2025/26 season This season’s theme, Harmony with Nature, explores humanity’s bond with the natural world through works by Beethoven, Sibelius, Mendelssohn, Elgar and Dvořák; masterpieces of an era that saw nature as a mirror of human emotion. Closer to our own time, we’ll hear from composers as diverse as Duke Ellington, John Luther Adams and Anna Thorvaldsdottir, who have all found a source of creative energy in the processes of nature.
Praised by The New York Times for her ‘sweet-toned playing’, Alice has performed as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician to international acclaim. While growing up in New York City and studying with Nurit Pacht, Alice made a nationally televised Carnegie Hall debut aged ten, and was a finalist at the Menuhin International Competition at the age of 12.
Highlights with Principal Conductor Edward Gardner include symphonies by Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Brahms and Rachmaninov; a pair of concerts spotlighting 20th-century Central European composers; an evening dedicated to Elgar; and a performance of Berg’s Wozzeck to end the season. We’ll also welcome back Karina Canellakis and Vladimir Jurowski, as well as guest conductors including Robin Ticciati, Kirill Karabits, Mark Elder and Kahchun Wong. Our lineup of soloists this season includes violinists Anne-Sophie Mutter, Alina Ibragimova, James Ehnes and Himari; cellist Nicolas Altstaedt; and pianists Yefim Bronfman, Alexandre Kantorow and Tomoko Mukaiyama. The season features nine world and UK premieres, including Tan Dun’s choral ‘Ode to Peace’ Nine, and A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina) by jazz icon Terence Blanchard.
Alice earned her Bachelors and Masters degrees at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Itzhak Perlman and Catherine Cho as a fully-funded recipient of the Kovner Fellowship. During her studies she won Juilliard’s Violin Concerto Competition, performed extensively with the New York Philharmonic and The Philadelphia Orchestra, and led orchestras under the baton of Barbara Hannigan, Xian Zhang and Matthias Pintscher. Upon graduating in 2022 she was awarded the Polisi Prize and a Benzaquen Career Advancement Grant in recognition of ‘tremendous talent, promise, creativity, and potential to make a significant impact in the performing arts’. An avid chamber musician, Alice has collaborated with Itzhak Perlman, Anthony Marwood, Gil Shaham and members of the Belcea, Doric, Juilliard and Brentano string quartets, and performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Festival appearances include Music@Menlo, Moritzburg and Yellow Barn. Also a passionate advocate for new music and its social relevance, Alice created Drowning Monuments, a noted multimedia project on climate change that brought together five world premieres for solo violin.
This season also sees tours to South Korea and across Europe, as well as a wide range of performances and community events in our Brighton, Eastbourne and Saffron Walden residencies.
lpo.org.uk
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 18 January 2026 • Beethoven’s Second
Erina Yashima conductor
© Todd Rosenberg Photography
Erina Yashima is equally at home in music theatre and on the concert stage. As First Kapellmeister of the Komische Oper Berlin, she conducted Rusalka, Hamlet, Così fan tutte and The Magic Flute, as well as the world premiere of Elena Kats-Chernin’s Nils Holgersson and various concert programmes. The 2023/24 season saw her debuts at English National Opera with The Magic Flute, and at the Bregenz Festival with Der Freischütz. In 2022, she made her debut with a new production of Così fan tutte by the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center, and conducted Rusalka at the Theater Krefeld Mönchengladbach. In Italy, she conducted Don Giovanni at the Ravenna Festival and in Rimini in 2022, and a new production of the same work at the Teatro Verdi di Pisa in 2020. She also conducted the Luigi Cherubini Youth Orchestra in a production of The Marriage of Figaro in Novara and Ravenna in 2019 and La Cenerentola, first in Lucca and Ravenna in 2017 and then in Piacenza with the Luigi Cherubini Youth Orchestra in 2018. She made her debut at the Salzburg Festival in 2017 with a production of Mozart’s Der Schauspieldirektor for children.
German-born Erina Yashima was the First Kapellmeister at the Komische Oper Berlin from 2022–24 and has worked with many renowned ensembles, orchestras and opera companies worldwide. This concert is Erina’s London Philharmonic Orchestra debut. This season she also makes debuts with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Mainz and Omaha Symphony Orchestra. She will also return to the Orchestre della Toscana and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. On the opera stage, she will make her debut at the Metropolitan Opera with The Magic Flute and return to Opera Australia for Madama Butterfly, following a highly acclaimed debut in August 2025.
From 2019–22 Erina Yashima was Assistant Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra, where she assisted Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and other guest conductors, and conducted various concert programmes herself. Riccardo Muti has been an important mentor for Erina since 2015. As a scholarship holder of the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Apprenticeship of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, she assisted Muti and worked regularly with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, as well as with many renowned guest soloists and conductors including Yo-Yo Ma, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Christoph Eschenbach and Edward Gardner.
Last season saw Erina make her debuts with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg, Stuttgart Philharmonic and Munich Symphony orchestras, and in Japan with the Nagoya Philharmonic and Kobe City Chamber orchestras. She also appeared at the Lyric Opera of Chicago conducting The Marriage of Figaro, at Opera Australia with La bohème, and at Irish National Opera with L’elisir d’amore.
As part of the Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award, Erina Yashima performed with Camerata Salzburg at the 2018 Salzburg Festival. In the same year, she also assisted Zubin Mehta and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Erina Yashima began her training at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater & Medien in her home town of Hanover, and studied piano with Bernd Goetzke. She received her first conducting lessons at the age of 14. After studying in Freiburg with Scott Sandmeier and in Vienna with Mark Stringer, she completed her conducting studies at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin with Christian Ehwald and Hans-Dieter Baum.
Recent highlights include performances with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Houston Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Arena di Verona, WDR Funkhausorchester, North Carolina Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Nuremberg Symphony and the Tonkünstler-Orchester.
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 18 January 2026 • Beethoven’s Second
Maria Włoszczowska violin
Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht and Pierrot Lunaire and Britten’s Les Illuminations, as well as an all-Bach evening including the Violin Concertos No. 1 and 2. In addition, she featured as soloist in Schumann’s Violin Concerto, conducted by Dinis Sousa. This season, she directs Brahms’s Violin Concerto and Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, and performs Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto under the baton of Nil Vendetti. © Eduardus Lee
Maria appears frequently at Wigmore Hall and at international festivals such as Musikdorf Ernen, Lockenhaus Festival, Lammermuir Festival, Ebsjerg Festival, Lewes Festival and IMS Prussia Cove. Distinguished artists such as Jeremy Denk, Alasdair Beatson and Dinis Sousa regularly join Maria in recital. Highlights include her New York recital debut presenting all six Bach Sonatas for violin and keyboard, and performing Ives’s complete cycle of Violin Sonatas at Wigmore Hall and the Lammermuir Festival alongside Jeremy Denk.
Polish violinist Maria Włoszczowska is recognised for her versatile musicianship, performing as a soloist, director and chamber musician. In 2025/26 she embarks on her second season as Artistic Partner of the Royal Northern Sinfonia, and as Director and Leader of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
Maria leads the Valo Quartet; they recently made their London debut appearance at Wigmore Hall with Angela Hewitt and regularly perform at Festival Resonances in Brussels, as well as the Lammermuir Festival, the Trasimeno Music Festival in Italy, the Musiq3 Festival in Belgium and the Kaustinen Chamber Music Festival in Finland.
Recent career highlights include performances with the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris directing and playing the solo violin part in Salieri’s 26 Variations on La Folia di Spagna; directing the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra in Mozart’s Symphony No. 29 and Beethoven’s Violin Concerto; a month-long tour directing the Amsterdam Sinfonietta; directing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons on tour with the Royal Northern Sinfonia; and leading the Chamber Orchestra of Europe on tour with Robin Ticciati and Golda Schultz, concluding with a performance at the 2025 BBC Proms.
A recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Emily Anderson Prize, Maria is based in Oslo and the UK. She completed her studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama with Hungarian violinist and conductor András Keller. In 2018 she won both First Prize and Audience Prize at the XXI Leipzig International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition. She plays on a violin by Francesco Stradivari.
Today’s concert is Maria’s debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Other highlights this season include directing the Slovenian Philharmonic in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra in Bach’s Violin Concerto in D minor, as well as appearances with the Tapiola Sinfonietta and Camerata Bern with her curated programme ‘Albion’, and returns to the Pforte Chamber Orchestra in Austria and the Lammermuir Festival in Scotland with the Royal Northern Sinfonia. In recognition of her outstanding work as Leader of the Royal Northern Sinfonia since 2021, Maria was appointed Artistic Partner of the ensemble from autumn 2024, in a position created especially for her. In her inaugural season in the post, she has directed such wide-ranging repertoire as Schubert’s Symphony No. 5,
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 18 January 2026 • Beethoven’s Second
Programme notes Maurice Ravel 1875–1937
Le Tombeau de Couperin 1914–17
1. Prélude 2. Forlane 3. Menuet 4. Rigaudon Le Tombeau de Couperin, Ravel’s homage to French music of the 18th century, began life in July 1914 when the composer wrote a dance for piano solo inspired by a transcription he had made of the ‘Forlane’ from one of François Couperin’s Concerts royaux of 1722. The war years, during which Ravel served in the transport corps, intervened, and it was not until June 1917, after he had been invalided out, that he returned to it. By now, however, the piece had acquired a second level of meaning, and when it arrived at its final form in November it had become a suite in six movements, each dedicated to the memory of a friend or friends killed in the war. French pianist Marguerite Long gave the premiere in April 1919, and that same year Ravel produced an orchestration, selecting just four of the original movements and reordering them slightly. This version received it premiere in Paris on 28 February 1920. Interest among French composers in the music of their Baroque forbears was high in the decades around 1900, and though Ravel was not aiming for pastiche, he married Couperin’s clear-cut structural models, with their repeating sections, to his own natural elegance and polish. Thus the toccata-like ‘Prélude’ teems with ruffling expectancy, the rondo-form ‘Forlane’ effortlessly reinterprets the buoyant rhythms of the Couperin original, the ‘Menuet’ is a masterpiece of classical beauty and poise, and the ‘Rigaudon’ encloses a dainty central section within boisterous outer panels. Programme note © Lindsay Kemp
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 18 January 2026 • Beethoven’s Second
Programme notes Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756–91
Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, K219 (‘Turkish’) 1775
Maria Włoszczowska violin
1. Allegro aperto 2. Adagio 3. Rondeau: Tempo di Menuetto – Allegro – Tempo di Menuetto Mozart wrote at least four of his five violin concertos in one year, 1775, when he was 19 years old. At this time he was still the employee of the Archbishop of Salzburg. Next to nothing is known about why Mozart wrote so many solo works for violin around this time (a substantial ‘Concertone’ for two violins and orchestra dates from the previous year) – or why he never seriously returned to the form again. But as Konzertmeister (leader) of the Archbishop’s orchestra, Mozart would almost certainly have been expected to provide solo music for his employer’s entertainment, and he may well have played the solo parts himself – he certainly had the capability.
a while. Instead, there’s a pause, the tempo drops to Adagio, and the soloist sings to us sweetly for a moment or two. The Adagio itself pauses – then the soloist relaunches the Allegro aperto, but with a new theme of its own. We never hear the Adagio music again (unless the soloist decides to allude to it in her solo cadenza), but the memory of that charming surprise persists, resurfacing in many touches of subtle poetry. The second movement, Adagio, is significantly longer than any of the slow movements in Mozart’s previous violin concertos. There are echoes here of some of the great lyrical declarations of love in Mozart’s operas, yet the writing – as throughout the Concerto – is wonderfully suited to the violin. The finale is the most surprising and ingenious of the three movements. Mozart calls it a Rondeau (‘Rondo’, or in English ‘Round’), signifying a structure in which the main theme keeps returning, after contrasting ideas, to create a kind of circling effect.
Even so, while there is technically brilliant writing in these concertos, the general tendency is more towards lyrical beauty, formal balance and wit. After hearing one particularly virtuosic violin concerto, Mozart wrote to his father that although he had quite enjoyed it, ‘you know that I am no lover of difficulties’. Several times, on hearing violin playing that pleased him thoroughly, he wrote that ‘it went smoothly as oil.’
In this Rondo finale, however, Mozart gives us a kind of ‘rondo within a rondo’. Some way into the movement, the minuet tempo is suddenly interrupted by an Allegro, which twice lurches into wild, rough-edged dance music. This style of deliberately un-refined folksy music, in a robust two beats per bar, was characterised in Mozart’s time as ‘Turkish’ (hence the Concerto’s nickname). That it was a long way from real Turkish music needn’t concern us too much here; in any case the intention was almost certainly parody. Vienna had withstood sieges by massed Turkish armies in 1529 and
The Fifth Concerto is the most adventurous, ingenious and beguiling of the five violin concertos. Mozart begins the first movement, Allegro aperto [Lively, broad in style] by lulling his audience into a false sense of security. The opening orchestral section seems reasonably conventional by later 18th-century standards: it presents us with a number of themes, all ripe for development, and builds to a stirring conclusion. At this point we would expect the soloist to pick up one of the themes we’ve already heard and run with it for
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 18 January 2026 • Beethoven’s Second
Programme notes 1683, and the idea of the ‘heathen Turk’ still had power to disturb Austrians in Mozart’s day. In the Concerto’s finale, the elegant, eminently European minuet (ancestor of the Viennese waltz) eventually returns and – quietly – wins the day. The enemy has been invoked and ridiculed, and ‘civilised’ musical values have been shown to prevail. We may smile knowingly at this kind of stereotyping today, yet the charm of the music remains hard to resist. Programme note © Stephen Johnson
Interval – 20 minutes An announcement will be made five minutes before the end of the interval.
Ludwig van Beethoven 1770–1827
Symphony No. 2 in D, Op. 36 1802
1. Adagio – Allegro con brio 2. Larghetto 3. Scherzo: Allegro 4. Allegro molto With Beethoven, categories quickly become impossible. Everyone agrees that Beethoven’s Second Symphony has the same basic shape and layout as a Mozart or Haydn symphony. But everyone also agrees that it does something very different. For the music historian Sir George Grove, this was the last and greatest Classical symphony – ‘the farthest point to which Beethoven could go before he burst into that wonderful new region into which no man had penetrated’. To others,
this piece was the turning point between Classical and Romantic. So what did Beethoven himself say? At the end of the very summer – 1802 – in which Beethoven completed the Second Symphony, he completed another document; the so-called Heiligenstadt Testament, a letter to his brothers revealing the fact of his incurable deafness: ‘You who think me to be morose,
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 18 January 2026 • Beethoven’s Second
Programme notes children’s game amplified to symphonic scale, like one of those giant versions of Jenga or Connect Four that you find in pub gardens) the jokes hit their marks as punchily as ever. When this Symphony was first heard, in Vienna on 5 April 1803, it was among the longest ever written. Let’s leave the historical categorisation at that, and just enjoy a life-affirming and fabulously entertaining masterpiece, in a class of its own.
awkward and cynical, how badly you misjudge me! … joyfully, I hasten to meet death.’ How on earth does that relate to a symphony that’s been described as ‘fresh as ever in its indomitable fiery flash and its irresistible strength’? Beethoven is supposed to have thrown away three drafts of the piece. His biographer Ferdinand Ries, probing Beethoven for the thinking behind a certain change in the Larghetto, got only a terse reply: ‘It’s better that way’.
Programme note © Richard Bratby
Yet this remains one of the sunniest, strongest, and most exhilarating symphonies ever written. Yes, some of Beethoven’s techniques can be analysed – and how they have been! Its outer movements both begin with a surprise, and their Allegros rocket off with breathtaking energy. You hardly notice that, unusually, none of the first Allegro’s themes is given to the violins – but you can’t miss the dazzling verve with which those fiddles, freed from their usual duties, flash across the musical landscape.
We’d love to hear from you We hope you enjoy today’s concert. Could you spare a few moments afterwards to complete a short survey about your experience? Your feedback is invaluable to us and will help to shape our future plans.
The long, luxurious slow movement is as profoundly soothing now as it was then. And in the high-octane comedy of the finale and the Scherzo (a three-note
Just scan the QR code to begin the survey. Thank you!
Out next week on the LPO Label
Vladimir Jurowski conducts Mahler: Symphony No. 9
Recorded live in concert at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall Out Friday 23 January on CD and all major streaming platforms Scan to find out more or pre-save now
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Annual Appeal 2026:
Beyond the Concert Hall Building communities. Creating connections. Enriching lives.
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Nadine Benjamin
Jan Vogler
Edward Gardner conducts Elgar Sunday 8 February 2026, 3.00pm Elgar Sospiri Elgar Cello Concerto Elgar Enigma Variations Edward Gardner conductor* Jan Vogler cello *Edward Gardner’s position with the LPO in 2025/26 is generously supported by Aud Jebsen.
The Firebird Sunday 15 March 2026, 3.00pm Mendelssohn Hebrides Overture Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K488 Debussy Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune Stravinsky Firebird Suite (1919 version) Dionysis Grammenos conductor Lukas Sternath piano
Next Congress Theatre concerts
Sibelius’s First Sunday 19 April 2026, 3.00pm Price Andante moderato for string orchestra Barber Knoxville: Summer of 1915 Gershwin Selections from Porgy and Bess Sibelius Symphony No. 1 Nefeli Chadouli conductor† Nadine Benjamin soprano †LPO Fellow Conductor 2025/26. The LPO
© Jason Bell
Conducting Fellowship receives generous support from Gini and Richard Gabbertas.
Edward Gardner
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 18 January 2026 • Beethoven’s Second
Thank you As a registered charity, we are extremely grateful to all our supporters who have given generously to the LPO over the past year to help maintain the breadth and depth of the LPO’s activities, as well as supporting the Orchestra both on and off the concert platform.
Artistic Director’s Circle The American Friends of the London Philharmonic Orchestra William & Alex de Winton Catherine Høgel & Ben Mardle Aud Jebsen In memory of Paul Morgan In memory of Donald Pelmear In memory of Rita Reay Sir Simon & Lady Robey CBE In memory of Peter J Watson
Orchestra Circle
Richard Buxton In memory of Nicola Goodman Mr & Mrs Philip Kan Neil Westreich
Principal Associates
An anonymous donor Steven M. Berzin Irina Gofman & Mr Rodrik V. G Cave George Ramishvilli In memory of Kenneth Shaw The Tsukanov Family
Associates
Anonymous donors Sir Nigel Boardman & Prof. Lynda Gratton Garf & Gill Collins Michelle Crowe Hernandez & Christian Hernandez Ian Ferguson & Susan Tranter Stuart & Bianca Roden Malcolm & Alison Thwaites The Williams Family in memory of Grenville Williams
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An anonymous donor David & Yi Buckley Dr Alex & Maria Chan In memory of Allner Mavis Channing In memory of Peter Coe John & Sam Dawson Fiona Espenhahn Mr Roger Greenwood Sally Groves MBE David & Bettina Harden Eugene & Allison Hayes Malcolm Herring Mrs Asli Hodson John & Angela Kessler Mrs Elizabeth Meshkvicheva Julian & Gill Simmonds Eric Tomsett The Viney Family Guy & Utti Whittaker
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Marie Power Neil & Karen Reynolds Sir Bernard Rix Baroness Shackleton Tim Slorick Joe Topley & Tracey Countryman John & Madeleine Tucker In memory of Doris Tylee Mr & Mrs John & Susi Underwood Sophie Walker Jenny Watson CBE Elena Y. Zeng
An anonymous donor David Burke & Valerie Graham Mr Luke Gardiner The Jeniffer and Jonathan Harris Charitable Trust Mr & Mrs Andrew Neill Clandia Wu & Hiu Fung Ng Simon & Lucy Owen-Johnstone Andrew & Cindy Peck Mr Roger Phillimore Tom & Phillis Sharpe Laurence Watt Joanna Williams
Principal Supporters
Anonymous donors Dr M. Arevuo Mrs Carol Ann Bailey Mr John D Barnard Roger & Clare Barron Mr Geoffrey Bateman Mrs A Beare Adam J. Brunk & Madeleine Haddon Simon Burke & Rupert King David & Liz Conway Mr Alistair Corbett David Devons Deborah Dolce Sir Timothy Fancourt Jonathan Franklin Professor Erol & Mrs Deniz Gelenbe Steve & Cristina Goldring Prof Emeritus John Gruzelier Sebastian Arun Hansjee Nick Hely-Hutchinson Michael & Christine Henry Mrs Farrah Jamal Bruce & Joanna Jenkyn-Jones Per Jonsson Julian & Annette Armstrong Mr Ian Kapur Gee Lee Dr Peter Mace Mr Nikita Mishin Allison Mollerberg Simon Moore Dr Simon Moore Mrs Terry Neale Mr Matthew Pearson Mr James Pickford Filippo Poli Sukand Ramachandran Mr Martin Randall Mr Robert Ross Mr Andrea Santacroce & Olivia Veillet-Lavallée Aniruddha Sharma Priscylla Shaw Michael Smith Erika Song
Bronze Patrons
Anonymous donors Miram Al Rasheed Michael Allen Gabriela Andino-Benson Irina Bednaya Nicholas Berwin Mrs Amna Boheim Dame Colette Bowe Lorna & Christopher Bown Mr Bernard Bradbury Dr Anthony Buckland Desmond & Ruth Cecil Mr John H Cook Cameron & Kathryn Doley Elena & Sergey Dubinets Harron Ellenson & Charles Miller Smith Cristina & Malcolm Fallen Christopher Fraser OBE Charles Fulton Gini & Richard Gabbertas Jenny & Duncan Goldie-Scot Mr Daniel Goldstein David & Jane Gosman Mr Gavin Graham Mrs Dorothy Hambleton Iain & Alicia Hasnip J Douglas Home Mr & Mrs Ralph Kanza Mrs Irina Kiryukhina Rose & Dudley Leigh Wg. Cdr. M T Liddiard OBE JP RAF Drs Frank & Gek Lim Svetlana London Graham Long Richard & Judy Luddington Mr & Mrs Makharinsky Andrew T Mills John Nickson & Simon Rew Peter & Lucy Noble Mikhail Noskov & Vasilina Bindley Mr Stephen Olton Nigel Phipps & Amanda McDowall Mr Michael Posen
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Mr & Mrs G Stein Andrew & Rosemary Tusa Wolf-Christian Ulrich Ben Valentin KC Christine Warsaw Mr Rodney Whittaker Christopher Williams
Supporters
Anonymous donors Ralph & Elizabeth Aldwinckle Alison Clarke & Leo Pilkington Mr Philip Bathard-Smith Mrs Martha Brooke Mr Julien Chilcott-Monk Miss Tessa Cowie St Peter’s Composers, Bexhill-on-Sea Dorothy Hobden The Jackman Family Jan Leigh & Jan Rynkiewicz Mr Mack Lindsey Mr David MacFarlane Simon & Fiona Mortimore Dana Mosevics Dame Jane Newell DBE Michael Noyce Mr & Mrs Graham & Jean Pugh Emilie Sydney-Smith Ms Caroline Tate Craig Terry Tony & Hilary Vines Dr Ann Turrall Dr June Wakefield Mr John Weekes Mr C D Yates
Hon. Benefactor Elliott Bernerd
Hon. Life Members Alfonso Aijón Carol Colburn Grigor CBE Robert Hill Keith Millar Victoria Robey CBE Mrs Jackie Rosenfeld OBE Cornelia Schmid Timothy Walker CBE AM Laurence Watt
London Philharmonic Orchestra • 18 January 2026 • Beethoven’s Second
Thank you a
Thomas Beecham Group Members An anonymous donor Sir Nigel Boardman & Prof. Lynda Gratton David & Yi Buckley Dr Alex & Maria Chan Garf & Gill Collins William & Alex de Winton Ian Ferguson & Susan Tranter The Friends of the LPO Irina Gofman & Mr Rodrik V. G. Cave Mr Roger Greenwood Barry Grimaldi David & Bettina Harden Mr & Mrs Philip Kan John & Angela Kessler Sir Simon Robey Victoria Robey OBE Stuart & Bianca Roden Julian & Gill Simmonds Malcolm & Alison Thwaites Eric Tomsett Neil Westreich Guy & Utti Whittaker
Trusts and Foundations
Kirby Laing Foundation The Lennox Hannay Charitable Trust Lord and Lady Lurgan Trust Lucille Graham Trust The Marchus Trust Margaret Killbery Foundation Maria Bjӧrnson Memorial Fund The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust PRS Foundation The Radcliffe Trust Rivers Foundation Rothschild Foundation Scops Arts Trust Sir William Boreman’s Foundation The John S Cohen Foundation TIOC Foundation UK Friends of the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Foundation Vaughan Williams Foundation The Viney Family The Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust and others who wish to remain anonymous.
b
Principalc Partners
a
Principal Supporters b
c
Major Supporters
LPO Corporate Members Bloomberg Carter-Ruck Solicitors French Chamber of Commerce German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce Lazard Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking Ryze Power Virgin Money Walpole
Preferred Partners Google Lay & Wheeler Lindt & Sprüngli Mayer Brown Steinway & Sons Welbeck
Trusts and Foundations
ABO Trust Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne Candide Trust Cockayne – Grants for the Arts David Solomons Charitable Trust Dunard Fund Foyle Foundation Garfield Weston Foundation The Baily Thomas Charitable Fund The Boshier-Hinton Foundation The Golsoncott Foundation Jerwood Foundation John Thaw Foundation John Horniman’s Children’s Trust The Ian Askew Charitable Trust Idlewild Trust Institute Adam Mickiewicz
Logo strip. Where the logo appears on a blue strip of pantone 29 top of strip to top of logo and bottom of logo to bottom of strip.
Board of the American Friends of the LPO
Company Title set in Aldine 721 Lt BT
We are grateful to the Board of the American Friends of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, who assist with fundraising for our activities in the United States of America:
Corporate Sponsors
Hannah Young Chair Lora Aroyo Jon Carter Alexandra Jupin Natalie Pray MBE Dr Irene Rosner David Marc Wassermann Catherine Høgel Hon. Director
Principal Partner OrchLab Project Partner
LPO International Board of Governors
Principal Supporter
Natasha Tsukanova Chair Steven M. Berzin Shashank Bhagat Irina Gofman Olivia Ma George Ramishvili Florian Wunderlich
Major Supporters
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London Philharmonic Orchestra • 18 January 2026 • Beethoven’s Second
London Philharmonic Orchestra Administration Board of Directors
New Generation Board
Finance
Dr Catherine C. Høgel Chair Nigel Boardman Vice-Chair Mark Vines* President Kate Birchall* Vice-President Emily Benn David Buckley David Burke Simon Burke Simon Carrington* Michelle Crowe Hernandez Deborah Dolce Simon Estell* Jesús Herrera Tanya Joseph Minn Majoe* Tania Mazzetti* Jamie Njoku-Goodwin OBE Neil Westreich David Whitehouse* *Player-Director
Ellie Ajao Peter De Souza Vivek Haria Rianna Henriques Zerlina Vulliamy
Frances Slack Finance Director
Advisory Council
Roger Barron Chairman Christopher Aldren Kate Birchall Amna Boheim Richard Brass Helen Brocklebank YolanDa Brown OBE David Burke Simon Callow CBE Desmond Cecil CMG Jane Coulson Andrew Davenport Guillaume Descottes Cameron Doley Lena Fankhauser Christopher Fraser OBE Jenny Goldie-Scot Jonathan Harris CBE FRICS Nick Hely-Hutchinson DL Jesús Herrera Dr Catherine C. Høgel Martin Höhmann Jamie Korner OBE Andrew Neill Nadya Powell Sir Bernard Rix Victoria Robey CBE Baroness Shackleton Thomas Sharpe KC Julian Simmonds Daisuke Tsuchiya Mark Vines Chris Viney Laurence Watt Elizabeth Winter
General Administration Jesús Herrera Artistic Director David Burke Chief Executive Alicia Downie PA to the Executive & Office Manager
Concert Management Roanna Gibson Concerts & Planning Director Graham Wood Concerts & Recordings Manager Aimee Walton Tours Manager Madeleine Ridout Glyndebourne & Projects Manager
Dayse Guilherme Finance Manager
Kath Trout Marketing & Communications Director
Jean-Paul Ramotar IT Manager & Finance Officer
Sophie Lonergan Senior Marketing Manager
Education & Community
Georgie Blyth Press & PR Manager (maternity leave)
Talia Lash Education & Community Director
Said Abubakar, WildKat PR 07983 489 888 Press & PR (maternity cover)
Eleanor Jones Lowri Thomas Education & Community Project Managers
Josh Clark Data, Insights & CRM Manager Greg Felton Digital Creative
Ellie Leon Education & Community Co-ordinator
Alicia Hartley Digital & Marketing Manager
Claudia Clarkson Regional Partnerships Manager
Rachel Williams Publications Manager
Development Laura Willis Development Director
Alison Jones Concerts & Artists Co-ordinator
Rosie Morden Senior Development Manager
Alice Drury Tours & Projects Assistant
Eleanor Conroy Development Events Manager
Nicola Stevenson Concerts & Recordings Assistant
Owen Mortimer Corporate Relations Manager Anna Quillin Trusts & Foundations Manager
Matthew Freeman Recordings Consultant
Holly Eagles Development Co-ordinator
Andrew Chenery Orchestra Personnel Manager Helen Phipps Orchestra & Auditions Manager
Nick Jackman Campaigns & Projects Director Kirstin Peltonen Development Associate
Sarah Thomas Martin Sargeson Librarians
Marketing & Communications
Maria Ribalaygua Sales & Ticketing Manager
Isobel Jones Marketing Co-ordinator
Archives Philip Stuart Discographer Gillian Pole Recordings Archive
Professional Services Charles Russell Speechlys Solicitors Crowe Clark Whitehill LLP Auditors Dr Barry Grimaldi Honorary Doctor Mr Chris Aldren Honorary ENT Surgeon Mr Simon Owen-Johnstone Hon. Orthopaedic Surgeon London Philharmonic Orchestra 89 Albert Embankment London SE1 7TP Tel: 020 7840 4200 Box Office: 020 7840 4242 Email: admin@lpo.org.uk lpo.org.uk
Laura Kitson Stage & Operations Manager Stephen O’Flaherty Deputy Operations Manager
2025/26 season design JMG Studio Printer John Good Ltd
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NEW ON THE LPO LABEL
ELGAR: THE DREAM OF GERONTIUS Recorded live at the 2022 BBC Proms
EDWARD GARDNER conductor LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA & CHOIR HALLÉ CHOIR ALLAN CLAYTON | JAMIE BARTON | JAMES PLATT
Visit the LPO Label store to buy or download
COMING SOON...
MAHLER: SYMPHONY NO. 9 Vladimir Jurowski conductor LPO-0139 Released 23 January 2026
EDWARD GARDNER CONDUCTS STRAUSS AN ALPINE SYMPHONY METAMORPHOSEN LPO-0140 Released Spring 2026
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