london symphony orchestra australia tour

• Classical Music

londonsymphonyorchestra23 Sir Simon Rattle conducts the London Symphony Orchestra QPAC Classical Music Sir Simon Rattle conducts the London Symphony Orchestra

The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) make a triumphant return to Australia in 2023, with internationally revered conductor Sir Simon Rattle leading his final tour as Music Director of the LSO.

Among the world’s finest orchestras, the LSO commences its highly anticipated Australian tour at QPAC. Hear them at their ‘magnificent, virtuosic best’ performing two extraordinary programs with music by Adams , Debussy , Ravel and Mahler . Featuring 114 musicians, this will be the largest orchestra the LSO have ever brought to Australia and only their fourth Australian tour in their 120-year history.

PROGRAM 1: ADAMS | DEBUSSY | RAVEL (FRIDAY, 28 APRIL 7:30PM)

Sir Simon Rattle is known as a conductor of orchestrally colourful repertoire, and this program brings together three signature favourites that show this to perfection. John Adams’ Harmonielehre is the kind of work that is normally too big for orchestras to tour. But the LSO’s huge orchestral forces will shine in this American marriage of harmonic richness and rhythmic momentum. Debussy ’s enthralling sketches of the sea, La Mer, and the voluptuous and sensual suite from Ravel’s ballet Daphnis et Chloé will highlight the LSO’s ‘special sense of colour and ability to play quietly and delicately’.

John Adams Harmonielehre Claude Debussy La Mer Maurice Ravel Daphnis et Chloé Suite No.2

Sir Simon Rattle , conductor London Symphony Orchestra

Duration:  approx. 2 hours including interval

PROGRAM 2:  MAHLER 7 (SATURDAY, 29 APRIL 7:30PM)

Mahler ’s Seventh is the dark horse of his symphonies. This fascinating and rarely performed masterpiece will intrigue and delight. No wonder it has become a signature work for Sir Simon Rattle . The heart of this symphony is ‘music of the night’, with Mahler taking inspiration from Mozart serenades and lovers singing beneath windows, creating a nocturnal kaleidoscopic dreamworld. Mahler Seven, says Sir Simon, follows a ‘journey from night to an almost blinding dawn’. Spend the night with Mahler and the LSO and you too can take that sonic and emotional journey.

Gustav Mahler Symphony No.7        

Duration:  approx. 1 hour and 30 min no interval

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London Symphony Orchestra Australian tour 2023

The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) will make a triumphant return to Australia in April-May 2023 with internationally revered conductor, Sir Simon Rattle leading his final season as LSO Music Director.

Among the world’s finest orchestras, the LSO will perform two concerts in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, with a third program exclusive to the Sydney Opera House in celebration of its 50th anniversary year.

This will be the first Australian tour by the LSO since 2014 and only the fourth trip Down Under in its 120-year history. The LSO made its Australian debut in 1966 and also toured in 1983. It is Sir Simon Rattle’s third visit to Australia.

LSO Music Director Sir Simon Rattle:

It is always wonderful to be in Australia, and even more so after recent years – the feeling of sharing and experiencing live music together is something truly special. The program we’ve chosen to bring to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne includes some of my personal favourites, and shows the great range, skill and musicianship of this world-class Orchestra at its best.

LSO Managing Director, Kathryn McDowell:

It’s incredible to be able to bring 114 musicians including two Australians – Naoko Keatley (violin) and Belinda McFarlane (violin) – to explore and share our music with Australian audiences. This is the largest orchestra we’ve ever brought to Australia and Sir Simon Rattle has prepared an extraordinary program for the tour. Each visit to Australia has been a momentous occasion, just as this 2023 tour promises to be. The first program features John Adams’ Harmonielehre, Claude Debussy’s La Mer and Maurice Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé Suite No.2.

Debussy’s La Mer and Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe are a delightful nod to the orchestra’s special sense of colour and ability to play so quietly and delicately. It gives something very special to these works. John Adams’ Harmonielehre- a piece by a very dear friend of mine, which I’ve loved all my musical life, has become a signature piece for the LSO. The second program features a single work – Gustav Mahler’s epic Symphony No.7, which Rattle describes as “one of Mahler’s most astonishing and surprising and certainly his most forward-looking symphonies. Adding that it is “exactly the kind of piece that will show the LSO in all its glory.

An additional program at Sydney Opera House will feature Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No.7 performed in the edition by Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs.

Benjamin is a leading specialist on Bruckner, Conducting the premiere of his edition of the Seventh Symphony was a real privilege, as it is each time that I return to conducting his arrangements of Bruckner- it is always like hearing Bruckner’s music afresh.

The third concert will also showcase a new work Sun Poem by brilliant young British composer Daniel Kidane. The LSO has been a pioneer in championing young composers, and we are delighted to bring this completely fascinating and deeply beautiful, commissioned piece to the iconic Sydney Opera House.

Established in 1904, the LSO is Resident Orchestra at the Barbican in the City of London and recognised among the world’s top orchestras. The Orchestra has recorded some of film music’s most memorable soundtracks including Star Wars, Indiana Jones and The Shape of Water. Along with a successful recording label, learning and community program, and streaming service, the LSO reaches around the globe to share extraordinary music with as many people as possible.

The tour marks the end of Sir Simon Rattle’s tenure as Music Director for the LSO. Newly appointed Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano will take the baton at the end of the 2023-24 season, while Sir Simon will become the LSO’s Conductor Emeritus and take up the position of Chief Conductor with the Symphonieor chester des Bayerischen Rundfunks in Munich.

QPAC Chief Executive  Mr John Kotzas:

It would be wonderful to again host one of the world’s most acclaimed orchestras for its first Australian season in almost ten years. Touring an orchestra of this size and scale internationally  is no mean feat and so this Australian season, opening at QPAC in Brisbane, is a rare opportunity for local audiences. With the lauded Sir Simon Rattle conducting the Orchestra in his last season with LSO, and his first appearance at QPAC, this is certainly the classical music event of the year and one not to be missed. The last time the LSO played at QPAC, their concert sold out in under 48 hours, and we expect to see the same demand for this return season.

Queensland Minister for Communities and Housing, Minister for Digital Economy and Minister for the Arts, Leeanne Enoch, MP:

It is incredibly exciting to once again welcome one of the world’s leading orchestras to Queensland. The London Symphony Orchestra was the official orchestra of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Ceremonies, so there is a fitting connection for Queensland as we prepare for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, when our arts and culture will be showcased on a global stage.

Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron AM:

What a joyous moment it will be to see and hear one of the world’s greatest orchestras explore the acoustic potential of our newly transformed Concert Hall. The London Symphony Orchestra has a long history with the Opera House, having first played here when the building was still under construction in 1966. So we are honoured to welcome them back for this prestigious concert series as part of our 50th anniversary program, led by the great Sir Simon Rattle in his final Australian appearance with the orchestra.

NSW Minister for the Arts Ben Franklin MLC:

I’m delighted the NSW Government is able to support three spectacular nights of the London Symphony Orchestra directed by Sir Simon Rattle in the renewed Concert Hall through its Blockbusters Funding initiative. This once-in-a-lifetime event will be one of the centre pieces in the Opera House’s program of events and experiences to celebrate its 50th anniversary, providing an unparalleled opportunity for NSW and Australian audiences to experience a world-leading orchestra led by one of the living greats in classical conducting.

MSO Managing Director, Sophie Galaise:

The LSO and the MSO are kindred spirits, established within a few years of each other at the turn of last century. We share many values and passions as well as the titles of the oldest symphony orchestra in London and Australia, respectively. We are thrilled to present the Victorian concerts of the national tour. This is a fantastic opportunity for Victorian audiences to revel in the majesty of one of the world’s finest orchestras under the baton of an exemplary conductor such as Maestro Rattle. We are extremely grateful to the Gandel Foundation, whose generous seed funding towards the MSO Forever Future Fund has made this visit possible. The MSO and our artistic family extend a heartfelt welcome to Sir Simon Rattle and the extraordinary players of the LSO.

VIC Minister for Creative Industries, Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos:

Victorian music lovers will rejoice at the opportunity to experience one of the world’s great orchestras under the baton of a once-in-a-generation conductor. Victoria is home to another of the world’s great orchestras: the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. They are to be applauded for their leading role in delivering this tour to Victorian audiences. This rare national tour brings another rich cultural experience to Melbourne, offering Victorians even more reasons to rekindle their love affair with Australia’s cultural capital.

Season Details

Name: Queensland Performing Arts Centre| BRISBANE Date: 28 -29 Apr 2023

Name: Sydney Opera House| SYDNEY Date: 1-3 May 2022

Name: Hamer Hall, Arts Centre | MELBOURNE Date: 5-6 May 2023

For more information click HERE

2 thoughts on “ London Symphony Orchestra Australian tour 2023 ”

Would love to attend the LSO performance in Brisbane!

Looking forward to going to QPAC again!

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London symphony orchestra announce australian tour.

The London Symphony Orchestra have announced an Australian tour for April and May in 2023.

The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) will make a triumphant return to Australia in April-May 2023 with internationally-revered conductor, Sir Simon Rattle leading his final season as LSO music director.

Among the world’s finest orchestras, the LSO will perform two concerts in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, with a third program exclusive to the Sydney Opera House in celebration of its 50th anniversary year. This will be the first Australian tour by the LSO since 2014 and only their fourth trip Down Under in their 120-year history. The LSO made its Australian debut in 1966 and also toured in 1983.

London Symphony Orchestra’s Australian tour

Friday 5 May 7.30pm John Adams  Harmonielehre Claude Debussy  La Mer Maurice Ravel  Daphnis and Chloé Suite No.2

Saturday 6 May 7.30pm Gustav Mahler  Symphony No.7

Iwaki Auditorium, ABC Southbank Centre

Thursday 4 May 6.30pm In Conversation with Sir Simon Rattle

Check out Melbourne’s most comprehensive gig guide here .

It’s Rattle’s third visit to Australia: “It is always wonderful to be in Australia, and even more so after recent years – the feeling of sharing and experiencing live music together is something truly special.  The program we’ve chosen to bring to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne includes some of my personal favourites, and shows the great range, skill and musicianship of this world-class Orchestra at its best.”

The first program features John Adams’ Harmonielehre , Claude Debussy’s La Mer and Maurice Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé Suite No.2.

“Debussy’s La Mer and Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe are a delightful nod to the orchestra’s special sense of colour and ability to play so quietly and delicately. It gives something very special to these works,” says Rattle. “John Adams Harmonielehre – a piece by a very dear friend of mine, which I’ve loved all my musical life, has become a signature piece for the LSO.”

The second program features a single work – Gustav Mahler’s epic Symphony No.7, which Rattle describes as “one of Mahler’s most astonishing and surprising and certainly his most forward-looking symphonies.” Adding that it is “exactly the kind of piece that will show the LSO in all its glory.”

An additional program at Sydney Opera House will feature Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No.7 performed in the edition by Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs. “Benjamin is a leading specialist on Bruckner,” says Rattle. “Conducting the premiere of his edition of the Seventh Symphony was a real privilege, as it is each time that I return to conducting his arrangements of Bruckner – it is always like hearing Bruckner’s music afresh.”

The third concert will also showcase a new work Sun Poem by brilliant young British composer Daniel Kidane. “The LSO has been a pioneer in championing young composers, and we are delighted to bring this completely fascinating and deeply beautiful, commissioned piece to the iconic Sydney Opera House,” says Rattle.

Established in 1904, the LSO is Resident Orchestra at the Barbican in the City of London. The Orchestra has recorded some of film music’s most memorable soundtracks including Star Wars, Indiana Jones and The Shape of Water. Along with a successful recording label, learning and community program, and streaming service, the LSO reaches around the globe to share extraordinary music with as many people as possible.

Newly appointed LSO chief conductor Antonio Pappano will take the baton at the end of the 2023-24 season, while Rattle will become the LSO’s conductor emeritus and take up the position of chief conductor with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks in Munich.

Tickets for the London Symphony Orchestra at Melbourne Arts Centre’s Hamer Hall go on sale 22 August at mso.com.au/lso.

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Arts & entertainment, design & style, travel & leisure, search concrete playground, the london symphony orchestra is touring australia for the first time since 2014.

It's only the fourth time in the LSO's 120-year history that it's making the trip Down Under.

Huge music tours are back on Australia's agenda — and they aren't just confined to chart-topping stars , iconic names and huge festivals . In the classical world, the London Symphony Orchestra is also coming our way to play a series of shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. And, the 2023 tour will mark only its fourth-ever trip Down Under.

Famous for everything from being the official orchestra of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games ceremonies through to recording the Star Wars , Superman , Indiana Jones , Thor and The Shape of Water film soundtracks, the LSO held its first-ever gig in 1904. That means it's been picking up its instruments for almost 120 years — and in that time, it has only visited Australia on three occasions before now.

The April and May shows at QPAC in the Sunshine State, the Sydney Opera House in the Harbour City and Arts Centre Melbourne in Victoria will also see the orchestra make the journey Down Under for the first time since 2014.

If it's drama you're after, get ready to watch music director Sir Simon Rattle's baton fly as he conducts the orchestra during his final season with the organisation.

The LSO is bringing 114 musicians our way for the tour, including two Australians: Naoko Keatley and Belinda McFarlane, both on violin. And, it's the largest orchestra it has ever toured to our shores.

The orchestra will play three different programs — two each in Brisbane and Melbourne, and a third in Sydney as well. All cities will be treated to a night featuring John Adams' 'Harmonielehre', Claude Debussy's 'La Mer' and Maurice Ravel' 'Daphnis and Chloé Suite No.2', plus an entire evening dedicated to Gustav Mahler's 'Symphony No.7'. As for that extra Sydney gig, it'll feature Daniel Kidane's 'Sun Poem' and Anton Bruckner's 'Symphony No.7'.

Before its 2014 tour, the LSO first came to Australia in 1966 and then again in 1983.

LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2023 AUSTRALIAN TOUR

Friday, April 28–Saturday, April 29 —Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane Monday, May 1–Wednesday, May 3 — Sydney Opera House Friday, May 5–Saturday, May 6 — Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne

The London Symphony Orchestra will tour Australia in April and May 2023. For further information and to buy tickets — with on-sale dates varying per city — head to the Sydney Opera House , Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and  websites.

Images: Mark Allen.

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London Symphony Orchestra: Adams, Debussy and Ravel

Proudly presented by MSO Premier Partner Ryman Healthcare

Archived event

Performance details.

Friday 5 May 2023 at 7.30pm Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall

London Symphony Orchestra Sir Simon Rattle conductor Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO soprano

Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO Long Time Living Here (Musical Acknowledgement of Country) John Adams Harmonielehre Debussy La mer Ravel Daphnis et Chloé Suite No.2

About this performance

Ever since Pierre Monteux was principal conductor in the 60s, French music has been part of the London Symphony Orchestra’s DNA. ‘It’s hilarious,’ says Sir Simon Rattle, that a London group should be ‘one of the great French orchestras.’ Sir Simon himself is known as a conductor of orchestrally colourful repertoire, and this program brings together three signature favourites that show this to perfection.

John Adams’ Harmonielehre calls for more than a hundred musicians – the kind of piece that’s normally too big for orchestras to tour. But the LSO is bringing 114 musicians to Melbourne, making it possible to hear them in this American marriage of harmonic richness and rhythmic momentum. Inspired by a surreal dream of a tanker ship taking off like a rocket, the mesmerising Harmonielehre at first launches a visceral, rhythmic assault before inviting us into a mysterious musical world of glittering intrigue and exquisite beauty entirely unlike any other.

Debussy and Ravel will highlight the LSO’s ‘special sense of colour and ability to play quietly and delicately’. From Debussy’s enthralling sketches of the sea to the voluptuous and sensual take on Greek mythology in Ravel’s ballet suite, the second half will fill Hamer Hall – and your soul – with the vibrant and glittering sounds of the 20th century.

Duration: approx. 1 hour and 50 minutes, including interval

‘To Daphnis and Chloe, Rattle and his players brought glittering sonorities, a lyrical sweep and a thrilling surge to the finish.’ -The Evening Standard

This performance is proudly presented by Ryman Healthcare, Premier Partner of the MSO.

London Symphony Orchestra performances are supported by the Gandel Foundation, through the MSO’s Now & Forever Future Fund.

Featured artists

London Symphony Orchestra

Sir Simon Rattle

Artistic family

Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO

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Back with a bang: Rattle and the LSO begin their Australian tour

With the visit of the London Symphony Orchestra to the Sydney Opera House this week, there is a sense of finally shutting the door on the disruptions of the last few years. For the first time since the pandemic, an overseas orchestra has graced the building, and the atmosphere for the opening concert was appropriately festal, with party streamers distributed to those sitting near the stage among the capacity crowd. So confident were the organisers in the star power of the LSO and their Music Director Sir Simon Rattle that all three programmes are being simultaneously broadcast to the forecourt outside the Opera House, so that many others can experience the music for a fraction of the cost.

This is not the first visit to Sydney for either conductor or orchestra, but in the interim the interior of the Concert Hall has been renovated and acoustically much improved, as Rattle acknowledged in his brief post-concert remarks. The increased audibility of individual parts was crucial to the effectiveness of the first programme, focussed on French impressionism and John Adams’ sonically dense Harmonielehre . These were preceded by Deborah Cheetham Fraillon’s Tarimi Nulay , a sung acknowledgement of country which required the cooperation of Sydney Philharmonia Symphony Chorus, all 170 or so members singing from memory.

The choir were thereafter spectators until the final piece, as the orchestra unleashed the battery of sound that begins Harmonielehre . Throughout the first movement, one was left marvelling at Adams’ mesmeric play of motions, so much more audible live than on even the best of recordings. From my seat near the front, it was fascinating seeing up close the phase-shifting among the first violins, with each desk offset a fraction from the others. Also admirable was the strong sense of an overall plan Rattle conveyed in a work which in lesser hands can descend into shapelessness; one was led through the kaleidoscopic textures with sureness and purpose.

In the second movement, The Anfortas Wound , the music reached an almost unbearable level of intensity at the climax through the combination of volume, register and dissonance, but the orchestra distinguished itself just as much in the beautifully soft ending. Rattle marshalled his enormous forces without a wasted gesture, but could still be very vigorous when it was needed, such as when cueing the multiple tricky entries in the final movement, Meister Eckhardt and Quackie .

Debussy’s La Mer was paired with the second suite from Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé for a second half rich in colour. Whether it was the pellucid opening textures, the passionate cello ensemble in the first sketch, the delicatissimo ending of the second, or the rounded tone of the woodwind melody in the third, the orchestra impressed throughout La Mer . As one would expect of a leading orchestra, there was a strong sense of layered textures rather than homogeneous dynamics across the forces, giving welcome light and shade, and allowing individual instruments to come to the fore. The diaphanous textures of the Ravel took on a transparency, allowing us to marvel at the virtuosity of the flutes and strings as one was able to hear the sheer number of notes they rippled through, seemingly without effort. With the choir singing their descending moans with gusto, the final Danse générale culminated in an outburst of corybantic rapture.

Rattle then deliberately lowered the temperature with Delius’ Intermezzo from Fennimore and Gerda , memorable for delightful woodwind solos over pastoral sonorities. The second encore was an extremely brisk final Fugue from The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra , allowing each orchestral section its well-deserved moment in the sun.

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London Symphony Orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle to tour Australia

A staggering 114 musicians will play masterworks by John Adams, Debussy, Ravel, Mahler and Bruckner when the LSO tours Australia next year.

The London Symphony Orchestra has announced that it will return to Australia in April and May 2023 under the leadership of Sir Simon Rattle in what will be his final season as LSO Music Director.

The orchestra will perform two concerts – including works by John Adams, Ravel, Debussy and Mahler – in each of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, with a third program, featuring Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony, exclusive to Sydney as part of the celebrations surrounding the Sydney Opera House’s 50th anniversary year.

The LSO made its Australian debut in 1966 and last visited Australia in 2014 for a series of concerts under then Chief Conductor Valery Gergiev. Limelight critics on that occasion commented “What an evening! What an orchestra!” and “The LSO’s performance could not have been bettered anywhere on the planet.”

The London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, Barbican Hall, June 2022. Photo © Mark Allan

The 2023 tour will be only the orchestra’s fourth trip Down Under in its 120-year history. Rattle will be making only his third...

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An Inspiring Collaboration

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Australian String Quartet join forces for one special concert.

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The first recording on the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's own label is an international showcase for soprano Siobhan Stagg.

On Air & Online: Radio and streaming in May 2024

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On the Record: April 2024

An enthralling Vivaldi survey is our Recording of the Month, alongside dynamic new releases from Lang Lang, Piotr Anderszewski and Sir Simon Rattle.

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The American mezzo-soprano is making her Australian debut in Mahler 3 with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. She just wishes she could have brought her dog.

On the Record: January and February 2024

Essential holiday listening includes gripping symphonies from a well-known pianist, Rattle’s Siegfried, Wilson’s Daphnis and Osborne’s latest Debussy.

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Inside/Out at the House

1 – 7 may 2023.

Each evening from 1 - 7 May a special performance will take place inside the heart of the Opera House, while simultaneously broadcast live to audiences outside on the Forecourt, where all tickets are just $10 and include transport.

In the  Concert Hall  and  Joan Sutherland Theatre  | Live broadcast to the  Forecourt

Join us under the sails or the stars for this extraordinary festival

Celebrating 50 years of the Sydney Opera House, Inside/Out at the House features world-class performances from London Symphony Orchestra, The Australian Ballet, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs   and Australian Chamber Orchestra. Take your seat  inside  our renewed Concert Hall or Joan Sutherland Theatre, or  outside  on the Forecourt watching the performance on the big screen, where all tickets are just $10 and include transport. LSO ’s  Sir Simon Rattle  conducts three exceptional programmes, including his favourite Bruckner symphony.  The Australian Ballet  sparkles with Balanchine's bejeweled masterpiece.  Sydney Symphony Orchestra  delves into 50-years of magnificent music-making.  Sydney Philharmonia Choirs  takes you back to the Golden Age of Broadway. And the  ACO  celebrate icons of music, with special guests  Jimmy Barnes  and  William Barton . Inside or out, choose your own adventure and join the celebrations!

Sir Simon Rattle conducts the London Symphony Orchestra

The LSO’s return to the Sydney Opera House on its final tour with outgoing music director  Sir Simon Rattle  will be a highlight in our 50th anniversary celebrations, headlining our extraordinary 7-day festival  Inside/Out at the House .

Inside/Out at the House: Jewels

George Balanchine’s  Jewels  is a three-part ballet celebrating his vision of three jewels. Visually and thematically structured around the motifs of Emeralds, Rubies and Diamonds. 

Inside/Out at the House: Symphony Spectacular

For 50 years the Sydney Symphony has been resident at Sydney Opera House. In this concert they celebrate some of their most memorable moments in the Concert Hall.

Inside/Out at the House: The Golden Age of Broadway

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs’ dazzling tribute to Broadway will take you back to an era of lush orchestrations and catchy songs.

Inside/Out at the House: Celebrating Icons - From Bach to Barnes

The Australian Chamber Orchestra joins our birthday celebrations with music ranging from JS Bach to Jimmy Barnes.

Celebrate the extraordinary

In our 50th year, we’re throwing a party and everyone’s invited.

Join us for a year-long festival celebrating the past, present and future of Australia’s favourite building.

This program is proudly supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW’s Blockbusters Funding initiative

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London Symphony Orchestra tour dates 2024 - 2025

London Symphony Orchestra is currently touring across 3 countries and has 13 upcoming concerts.

Their next tour date is at Barbican Hall in London, after that they'll be at Barbican Hall again in London.

Currently touring across

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Upcoming concerts (13) See nearest concert

Barbican Hall

Classical Pride 2024: LSO & Nick Grimshaw

Royal Albert Hall

Cankarjev Dom

Tivoli Koncertsalen

Past concerts

Musikkens Hus

Grande Salle Pierre Boulez

View all past concerts

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Recent tour reviews

With composition and discipline at its finest, the London Symphony Orchestra is without doubt one of the most renowned classical ensembles currently around today. One can guess that it takes great patience to participate in such a large group, sitting for hours on end playing sheet after sheet of arpeggios, scales and other notes, yet the LSO does it so magnificently, delivering the most majestic music that the ear is ever likely to witness. Something that you can expect from the LSO is a wealth of diversity in shows. Recent tours have provided the audience with famous guest conductors from all over the globe such as Jaap van Zweden and Daniele Gatti, each one having their own sense of flair as they guide the respective musicians to create a masterpiece. In other concerts, the orchestra has provided backing music for a singer whose melody will intertwine with that of the orchestral group to create something truly memorising.

Of course, you don't have to be a fan of classical or chamber music to listen to the works of the 110-year-old ensemble, as the LSO are well known for their covers of timeless hits of former years, such as Take My Breath Away, The Power Of Love and Thriller to name a few. The orchestra offer their unique twist on the aforementioned, often making their versions sound either more soothing, thrilling or exquisite than the original songs ever could without their assistance. This group are simply fantastic to listen to and will more than likely give you goosebumps if you were to ever see them live.

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About London Symphony Orchestra

The London Symphony Orchestra or LSO is an English orchestra based in London and one of the oldest and most distinguished orchestras in the world. With their roots dating back to 1904 and a roster of world-renowned composers, conductors, and performers, the LSO is renowned for its innovative performances, recordings, and education programs. The Orchestra has a varied repertoire, ranging from Johannes Brahms and Richard Strauss to John Williams and Sir Malcolm Arnold, and collaborates with major international orchestras and conductors, as well as soloists, choirs, and theatrical and ballet companies. They are also active in commissioning and performing contemporary music, and their label, LSO Live, is highly successful. It has received a number of awards, including seven Gramophone Awards. The Orchestra is heavily involved in community engagement and education initiatives, such as its award-winning "School Sparks" program.

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London Symphony Orchestra

The london symphony orchestra is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading orchestras. its many activities include an energetic and ground-breaking education and community programme lso discovery, a record company lso live, a music education centre lso st luke's and a rich and busy touring schedule., the lso draws on an enviable roster of soloists and conductors, including principal conductor valery gergiev, principal guest conductors daniel harding and michael tilson thomas, music director designate, sir simon rattle and leading soloists such as leonidas kavakos, anne-sophie mutter, mitsuko uchida and maria-joão pires. the lso is resident orchestra at the barbican, where it performs around 70 concerts a year. the lso also enjoys successful residencies at the lincoln center in new york, philharmonie de paris (previously resident in paris at the salle pleyel), and at suntory hall in tokyo. other regular tour destinations include the far east, north america and all the major european cities. intermusica is proud to have been part of the lso’s rich and busy touring schedule for the past 10 years, conceiving and delivering the orchestra’s residency at the salle pleyel in paris from 2006-2014, and taking the orchestra to switzerland, mumbai, athens, singapore and australia..

Conducted by Francois-Xavier Roth and featuring Festival Artistic Director Renaud Capuҫon as violin soloist, the orchestra performs music by Bartók, Stravinsky and Debussy.

Performances

26 March 2018: Grand Theatre de Provence Conductor Francois-Xavier Roth Violin Renaud Capuçon

Bartók Violin Concerto No. 2 -interval- Stravinsky The Song of the Nightingale Debussy La Mer

Intermusica tours the LSO to Switzerland in May following their successful 2011 visit. They give performances in the major halls in Lucerne, Zurich, Geneva and Berne from 28-31 May. Conducted by Daniel Harding, the programme opens with a new commission by Swiss composer Edward Rushton, inspired Mahler Symphony No. 5, which feature in the second half. Acclaimed violinist, Janine Jansen appears as soloist, performing the much-loved Mendelssohn Violin Concerto.

28 May 2015 KKL Lucerne  29 May 2015 Tonhalle Zurich 30 May 2015 Victoria Hall, Geneva 

31 May 2015 Kultur-casino, Bern

Following the London Symphony Orchestra’s past visits to the Megaron Hall in Athens, Intermusica again toured the orchestra to Greece for a performance under Principal Conductor Valery Gergiev. The LSO was joined by frequent collaborator, piano soloist Denis Matsuev, performing Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.2. A programme of all-Russian works, the concert opened with Prokofiev Symphony No.1 ‘Classical’ and closed with Prokofiev Symphony No.5.

28 September 2014 Megaron, Athens 

The tour received glowing reviews and the orchestra proved to be a great success with audiences, with all seven concerts selling out.

The orchestra performed at Singapore’s Esplanade, Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane and three concerts at Sydney Opera House, before a final concert in Melbourne.

For concerts in Singapore, Brisbane and Sydney, Russian pianist Denis Matsuev performed as soloist in concertos by Rachmaninov and Prokfiev. While in Sydney, the orchestra joined forces with Sydney Conservatorium to run an eight-day LSO Discovery project that culminated in a concert at the Conservatorium.

20 November / Esplanade, Singapore "The finesse and obvious ability of all the musicians made for a polished performance" Straits Times  

24 November / Sydney Opera House "An astonishing concert." The Australian  

"Bright wit and exuberant affirmation... The orchestra batted phrases between strings and wind with dazzlingly breathless precision." Syndey Morning Herald  

"They came. They played. They conquered….The London Symphony had a packed Sydney Opera House Concert Hall audience in thrall last night, with a stunning program that scaled the heights of musical complexity with verve, power and breathtaking precision." Daily Telegraph  

"The London Symphony Orchestra’s first tour in Australia in more than 30 years has stirred an almost unprecedented interest. Hardly ever is the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House so overbooked that standing tickets have to be sold…Right from the opening chord, every phrase, every entry, every musical question and its response was presented in a phenomenally translucent way, heard like this only on rare occasions – not only in Australian concert halls but anywhere around the world." Bachtrack  

25 November / Sydney Opera House "Gergiev ripped through the allegro with brutal, gritty joy and found a coherent path through the winding weirdness of the third movement before breaking out the mixture of fairground mayhem and idiosyncratic defiance in the final movement." Sydney Morning Herald  

"Pacing, control of dynamics and power of storytelling were paramount...With Gergiev, every phrase carried meaning. Sombre strings, alternately lamenting or shrilly screaming woodwind, baleful brass – all passed by in glorious panoply." Limelight  

28 November / Melbourne "Performed with flawless precision and balance and well-blended timbre." Herald Sun

19 November 2014 Esplanade, Singapore

20 November 2014 Esplanade, Singapore

22 November 2014 Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane

24, 25 and 26 November 2014 Sydney Opera House 

28 November 2014 Melbourne Arts Centre 

March 2014 saw the return of the London Symphony Orchestra, to the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Mumbai, the city’s major cultural centre, following performances previously in 2010. The LSO performed two concerts including Mahler Symphony No.1 and Stravinsky’s Petrushka under the baton of Daniel Harding. The orchestra also undertook an open rehearsal attended by local school children and for some musicians there was involvement at music outreach initiative Songbound, working with some of India’s poorest and most marginalised children.

14 March 2014 National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai 15 March 2014 National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai

The concerts did more than simply form part of Pleyel's inaugural celebrations when it re-opened after refurbishment in 2006; they laid the groundwork for what has become a fruitful, long-term partnership between one of the world's foremost orchestras and leading concert halls.  

The residency continued to thrive and mature beyond its initial three-year plan, right up until the move to the new Philharmonie in 2015. The residency at Salle Pleyel featured an array of notable conductors including Sir Colin Davis, Valery Gergiev, Bernard Haitink and Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Among the artists that have collaborated are names such as Maria-João Pirès, Vadim Repin, Leonidas Kavakos, Murray Perahia, Lang Lang and Emmanuel Ax. Initiatives have included a three-year Beethoven cycle, two-part Prokofiev project and Gergiev’s acclaimed Mahler Cycle, in collaboration with the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre. The residency included outreach and educational work with the LSO’s Discovery team in co-production with Cité de la Musique

Annually 2006-2014

Stephen Lumsden Chief Executive +44 20 7608 9900

Peter ansell director / head of international touring +44 20 7608 9930 [email protected], lso website, lso on facebook, lso on twitter, lso youtube channel, lso on spotify, accademia nazionale di santa cecilia, aurora orchestra, baltimore symphony orchestra, bbc concert orchestra, bbc scottish symphony orchestra, bbc national orchestra of wales, bbc symphony orchestra, bbc philharmonic, budapest festival orchestra, city of birmingham symphony orchestra, czech philharmonic, deutsches symphonie-orchester berlin, filarmonica della scala, gewandhausorchester leipzig, les siècles, london philharmonic orchestra, ndr radiophilharmonie hannover, orchestre de la suisse romande, orchestre national de france, orchestra of the royal opera house, orchestra of the mariinsky theater, orchestre révolutionnaire et romantique, oslo philharmonic orchestra, rotterdam philharmonic orchestra, royal philharmonic orchestra, royal scottish national orchestra, são paulo symphony orchestra, academy of st martin in the fields, apollo's fire, colin currie group, europa galante, english baroque soloists, festival strings lucerne, gabrieli consort & players, london mozart players, the english concert, academy of ancient music, freiburg baroque orchestra, b'rock orchestra, bbc singers, choir of king's college, cambridge, christ church cathedral choir, monteverdi choir, © intermusica 2015, 36 graham street, london n1 8gj, t +44 20 7608 9900, f +44 20 7490 3263, [email protected], terms & privacy, website by sennep.

View our full calendar of forthcoming events in the UK, around the world and online

2023/24 Season

September 2023 to July 2024 at the Barbican and LSO St Luke's

2024/25 Season

September 2024 to July 2025 at the Barbican and LSO St Luke's

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Discover our 2023/24 Season at the Barbican and LSO St Luke’s.

Discover the Season

Scroll down to view the full concert listings or browse/download a digital version of the season brochure.

Browse/Download the Season Brochure

Season Design & Visuals Design Concept & Visual Identity: Superunion Feature Artwork: XK studio Music: Maurice Ravel Daphnis and Chloé Suite No 2 performed by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle

Keep Listening

Delve deeper into the music featured in our 2023/24 season and explore LSO recordings like never before with the new Apple Music Classical app, included with your Apple Music subscription.

View Season Playlist in Apple Music

2023/24 Season Concerts

The beginning of summer – mahler’s third symphony.

Colossal. Optimistic. Moving.

Thursday 16 May 2024 • 7pm

Michael Tilson Thomas conducts Mahler’s magnificent vision of a world teeming with joyful life.

Musical Storytelling for Under-5s

Saturday 18 May 2024 • 10.30am

LSO musicians retell a children’s story through music, offering younger children a chance to experience a live performance in the beautiful Jerwood Hall. Dance and sing your way through the concert as the instruments bring the tale to life.

Saturday 18 May 2024 • 12pm

Myth and Magic – Thomas Adès

Refined. Sharp-Witted. Refreshing.

Thursday 30 May 2024 • 7pm

Threads of the past are woven into a radiant future in four ingenious compositions by Stravinsky, Lutosławski and Adès, presented by Thomas Adès, Anne-Sophie Mutter and the LSO.

Kirill Gerstein & Friends

BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert

Thursday 30 May 2024 • 1pm

A revelatory chamber concert for two pianos and soprano, with music by Claude Debussy and Komitas. Curated by Kirill Gerstein, one of our most imaginative piano virtuosos.

BBC Radio 3 Evening Concert

Friday 31 May 2024 • 7pm

Pianist Kirill Gerstein curates an early-evening chamber concert celebrating four centuries of musical mavericks, as part of his Spotlight Artist series with the LSO.

Family Concert: Magic and Music

Recommended for children aged 7+ and their families

Sunday 2 June 2024 • 2.30pm

Delve into a world of wonder and sorcery with music, stories and live magic. A fun opportunity for families to learn more about music and the instruments of the orchestra, with music based on a theme and free workshops before the concert. 

Limited Tickets

Relaxed Friday Lunchtime Concert

LSO Discovery

Friday 7 June 2024 • 12.30pm

A bite-size, informal concert, particularly suited for people who have sensory and communication impairments, learning disabilities, or who are neurodiverse.

LSO Discovery Showcase

Thursday 13 June 2024 • 7.30pm

LSO Discovery participant groups perform together with the London Symphony Orchestra, in a showcase of the LSO’s learning and community programme.

Lights, Camera, Action – the LSO on Film

Thrilling. Familiar. Beloved.

Sunday 16 June 2024 • 7pm

Film music by composers from Sir Arthur Bliss to Patrick Doyle, and from Bernard Herrmann to John Williams, from films including Henry V, Notting Hill, Braveheart, Harry Potter, Cinderella and Final Fantasy.

Half Six Fix: Prokofiev 7

Elusive. Affecting. Disarming.

Wednesday 19 June 2024 • 6.30pm

Kick-start your evening with a 60-minute concert, featuring Prokofiev's wistful final symphony conducted by Gianandrea Noseda.

Lost and Found – Beethoven, Beamish, Prokofiev

Thursday 20 June 2024 • 7pm

What is lost returns once more in emotive music conducted by Gianandrea Noseda, LSO Principal Guest Conductor.

Fortune Favours the Bold – Carmina Burana

Blazing. Hypnotic. Intoxicating.

Sunday 23 June 2024 • 7pm

Experience Carl Orff’s irresistible cantata and Shostakovich's Third Symphony, conducted by Principal Guest Conductor Gianandrea Noseda, as he closes the LSO's 2023/24 season.

Tuesday 25 June 2024 • 7pm

Free Friday Lunchtime Concert: LSO Musicians

Friday 28 June 2024 • 12.30pm

Looking to make lunchtime musical? Enjoy a 45-minute concert with introductions to the music, and a chance to ask musicians from the London Symphony Orchestra your questions.

Kirill Gerstein

Friday 12 July 2024 • 1pm

Wonder, passion and pure delight, as pianist Kirill Gerstein brings both heart and mind to bear on the music of Chopin, Schumann, Poulenc and Liszt.

BMW Classics 2024

Saturday 13 July 2024 • 5pm

François-Xavier Roth conducts the LSO in a free open-air concert in the heart of London.

Queensland Youth Orchestra performs modern masterpieces

14th May 2024

Composers Missy Mazzoli and Carl Vine feature in a concert performed by Queensland Youth Orchestra. Principal Double Bassist Alyssa Deacon performs Mazzoli’s concerto with aplomb under the masterful directorship of conductor Simon Hewett, and Vine’s symphony is given a youthful exuberant performance.

Dark with Excessive Bright (Concerto for Contrabass and String Orchestra) by Mazzoli takes centre stage in this colourful modern orchestral music concert. ‘Dark with excessive bright’ is a phrase from Milton’s Paradise Lost , and is a surreal and evocative description of God, written by a blind man. Mazzoli writes: ‘I love the impossibility of this phrase, and felt it was a strangely accurate way to describe the dark but heartrending sound of the double bass itself.’ Dark with Excessive Bright was commissioned by the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Aurora Orchestra in London.

While loosely based in Baroque idioms, this piece slips between string techniques from several centuries, all while twisting a pattern of repeated chords beyond recognition. Written in 2018 this 14-minute work highlights various double bass techniques.

To celebrate Vine’s 70 th birthday this year, the orchestra is performing one of his best known symphonies, Symphony No. 3 . This symphony is a masterpiece renowned for its inventive, bold, and emotionally resonant style.

Although Symphony No. 3 is not a programmatic work as such, the music traces a journey that may be interpreted in many ways. The opening is veiled and brooding, and somewhat enigmatic. The texture gradually lightens until it reaches a section of childlike innocence. This passage is interrupted at its climax by a rhythmically-based movement introduced by a solo for maracas. The climax of this section cuts away, once again, to an extended slow movement characterised by a series of solos spread throughout the orchestra.

At the end of a long, melismatic clarinet solo, rapid running gestures move inevitably towards the Presto Finale. At the height of the Finale, the rhythmic momentum grinds to a halt and a slow-moving Coda closes the work with a final burst of power.

Read Feature on Carl Vine Here

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