Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra announces packed 2025-26 season

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic has announced its highly anticipated 2025-26 season which marks the 185th anniversary of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and welcomes new Chief Executive, Vanessa Reed.

This is Chief Conductor, Domingo Hindoyan’s fifth season with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and he has put together a programme which encompasses his musical passions and commitment to championing new music. The programme also includes works by Berio and Pärt who celebrate anniversaries this year.

The new season opens on Thursday 18 September with Dvořák’s Symphony No.9, ‘From the New World’, a reunion of the Dream Team with Pacho Flores performing Arturo Márquez’s Trumpet Concerto and includes young percussionists from Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Company and In Harmony Liverpool playing in Jennifer Higdon’s blue cathedral.

Domingo Hindoyan, Chief Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, says:

“I am so happy to present our new season of music. After a hugely popular Bruckner’s 9th Symphony last season, I am particularly looking forward to presenting Symphony No.6, which will be the fifth symphony of Bruckner that we have presented in Liverpool. I am also very happy to share my love of French repertoire, sounds from the Americas, and opera. It is an honour to welcome so many world-class soloists from all over the world to perform with us, we will be introducing new artists to Liverpool and welcoming back old friends to perform alongside this wonderful orchestra.”

Vanessa Reed, Chief Executive of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic says:

“I can’t wait to start my first season with this brilliant organisation. The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra not only embodies musical excellence with an exciting and dynamic programme but offers a life-changing pipeline for musicians to flourish. I am particularly proud to be platforming artists such as Mark Simpson, Carmel Smickersgill (1 March), and Andrew Barney (23 April) who have come up from our Youth Company and Rushworth Composition Prize.”

Season highlights include:

Chief Conductor Domingo Hindoyan presents a varied programme that ` his exploration of music from France and the Americas as well as key symphonies from Mahler and Bruckner
Liverpool Philharmonic’s new Artist in Residence is clarinettist and composer Mark Simpson, who started his musical career as a member of the Liverpool Philharmonic (previously Merseyside) Youth Orchestra.
Visiting artists include Mahan Esfahani, Pacho Flores, Timothy Ridout, Carolyn Sampson, Nicky Spence, Ksenija Sidorova, and Sonya Yoncheva, as well as Liverpool artists Sir Stephen Hough, Jennifer Johnston, and Paul Lewis. Rising stars include Frank Dupree and Adam Hickox.
A first-time collaboration with The Orchestral Qawwali Project and special visit from Sir Simon Rattle and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Eleven world and UK premieres including Roxanna Panufnik’s Double Concerto for Oboe and Cor Anglais, written for Orchestra members Helena Mackie and Drake Gritton.
Conductor Laureate, Vasily Petrenko returns with award winning interpretation of Shostakovich Symphony No.7 Leningrad.
Music from all decades and genres is presented in concerts featuring the sounds of Julie Andrews, Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, Video Games and the Golden Age of Movies.
The digital programme containing all the season events is available to read here.

Soloists, Debuts and Notable Anniversaries

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra welcomes Mark Simpson as this season’s Artist in Residence. Born in the city, Mark became a member of Merseyside (now Liverpool Philharmonic) Youth Orchestra, the first ever winner of both BBC Young Musician of the Year and BBC Proms/Guardian Young Composer of the Year and is now an internationally recognised clarinettist and composer. On Thursday 25 September, the Orchestra will be giving the UK premiere of his new viola concerto, Hold Your Heart in Your Teeth Concerto for viola and orchestra conducted by Principal Guest Conductor Andrew Manze and featuring viola player Timothy Ridout. The concert will also feature a rarely heard version of Pictures at an Exhibition by Sir Henry Wood, featuring every one of the Orchestra’s famous church bells collection. The Orchestra will present the world premiere of a new version of Mark’s expansive oratorio The Immortal (26 March), before he appears alongside Liverpool Philharmonic’s pioneering contemporary music group Ensemble 10:10 (29 April), a Chamber concert featuring another of his original works, Geysir (14 January), and a very personal solo recital (11 May).

Sir Simon Rattle returns home with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra for a programme including Schumann’s Symphony No.2 and Stravinsky’s The Firebird (10 November), nearly 50 years after he first saw the Orchestra perform from the audience at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. The season also features leading soloists including harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani (25 February), soprano Carolyn Sampson (19 February), and celebrated opera stars Sonya Yoncheva (19 & 21 June) and Liverpool’s own Jennifer Johnston in Dvořák’s Rusalka (19 & 21 June). Other highlights include tenor Nicky Spence in The Dream of Gerontius (4 July), accordionist Ksenija Sidorova in the UK premiere of Dobrinka Tabakova’s Accordion Concerto (22 January), and pianist Sir Stephen Hough in a programme featuring the UK premiere of Falla’s orchestrated Fantasía Bética (27 & 30 November). Pianist Paul Lewis returns for a pair of performances with rising conductor Adam Hickox (12 & 15 March). The season also includes the Liverpool debut of charismatic pianist Frank Dupree in a concert celebrating 250 years of American independence (14 May).

This season’s programming pays tribute to two significant musical anniversaries: Arvo Pärt’s 90th birthday and what would have been Luciano Berio’s 100th birthday. Concerts include: Berio’s Requires and Pärt’s Mein Weg (8 October), Boccherini/Berio’s Ritirata notturna di Madrid (11 October), Sequenza XIV, for cello and Sequenza VIII, for violin (20 October), Pärt’s Fratres (9 February), Cecilia, vergine romana and Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten (22 November).

2026 also marks the 25th anniversary of the partnership between Classic FM and the Orchestra. Classic FM Hall of Fame (11 February) is presented by Ritual Shah and will countdown some of the world’s favourite classical music with guitarist Miloš and the massed voices of the Roal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir.

New Music

Continuing its long-standing commitment to championing new music, Liverpool Philharmonic will present eleven world and UK premieres throughout the season. These include the world premiere of Roxanna Panufnik’s Double Concerto for Oboe and Cor Anglais (11 June), commissioned by Liverpool Philharmonic and written for two of the Orchestra’s own players Helena Mackie (oboe) and Drake Gritton (cor anglais).

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society has also co-commissioned Victoria Borisova-Ollas’ new work, Oh Giselle, remember me for cello (19 October) and Dobrinka Tabakova’s Accordion Concerto (22 January), both receiving their first UK performances at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. As Artist in Residence, Mark Simpson contributes significantly to the season’s new music offering with the UK premiere of his Hold Your Heart in Your Teeth Viola Concerto (25 September) and the world premiere of a new version of his oratorio The Immortal (26 March) with EXAUDI and Mark Stone.

Ensemble 10:10 will deliver a series of bold premieres, including world premieres by Cameron Biles-Liddell (Concerto for Chamber Orchestra), an RPS commission (8 October) and Aaron Breeze (The Haçienda) (28 January), alongside UK premieres by Mathilde Wantenaar (28 January) and Josephine Stephenson (29 April). The season also includes the world premiere of a new choral work by Rushworth Composition Prize winner Andrew Barney (23 April), and a 75th anniversary commission by Carmel Smickersgill for the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (1 March).

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir

Led by Director of Choirs and Singing, Matthew Hamilton, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir gives its famous annual performances of four Spirit of Christmas concerts starring baritone Benjamin Appl, as well as their annual performance of Handel’s Messiah with Lawrence Cummings. The Choir will also perform alongside the Orchestra and soloists Sophie Bevan and Samuel Hasselhorn in Brahms’ A German Requiem (22 November) conducted by Domingo Hindoyan and Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms conducted by Geoffrey Paterson (11 October).

This season will also feature a Choral Celebration, where the Choir will be joined by Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir, and will perform an a cappella new work composed by Rushworth Composition Prize winner and choir member, Andrew Barney. The choir concludes its season with Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius under the baton of Principal Guest Conductor Andrew Manze.

Chamber, Close Up and Lunchtime Concerts

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - The Guide Liverpool

In the Close Up series audiences can experience intimate performances from Orchestra musicians in the informal surrounding of the Music Room which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Highlights include: Klezmer-ish – also celebrating their 10-year anniversary of bringing klezmer, tango and gypsy jazz to audiences; Equilibrium String Quartet celebrating the music from female composers; and Jonathan Aasgaard performing Bach: The Cello Suites. The Lunchtime Concert series sees a wide range of recitals from a number of rising and established soloists and ensembles, this year featuring the bass section of the Orchestra taking on music from the movies, the Ensemble of St Luke’s celebrating 10 years of the Music Room and organist Ian Tracey giving two lunchtime organ recitals in the Philharmonic Hall.

Liverpool Philharmonic’s Chamber Music series returns with concerts from some of the world’s greatest artists and ensembles in the stunning surroundings of The Tung Auditorium in the Yoko Ono Centre. Highlights include Imogen Cooper/Henning Kraggerud/Adrian Brendel Trio, Chaos String Quartet and recitals from Mark Simpson, Paul Lewis, Junyan Chen, and Simone Lamsma.

Pops Concerts and Film Screenings

Continuing the Orchestras long tradition of celebrating music from all decades and genres, the Orchestra’s line up of ‘pops concerts’ this year includes music from legends Julie Andrews in her 90th year in a concert exploring the music from her films (4 October); Elvis Presley celebrating the Vegas years from 1969-777 (14 November); and 60 years on from the release of Pet Sounds The Beach Boys (22 May). This season, the Orchestra will also be presenting an evening exploring the music from some of the world’s biggest video games – Beyond the Console will fire imaginations conjuring epic journeys and other worlds (24 January). Conductor Anthony Gabriele returns for an evening celebrating the Golden Age of Film Music, the Orchestra will be performing scores from movies such as Out of Africa, Casablanca, Back to the Future, Star Wars and more (6 June).

The Orchestra continue their successful series of Films with Live Orchestra with two films: Jurassic Park (28 and 29 December) and Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban (27 June).

This Christmas, the Orchestra are joined by drag artists, West End singers and conductor Edwin Outwater for A Christmas Gaiety: A Queer Festive Extravaganza (13 December). The New Year will be celebrated in style with an evening of 70s disco; Boogie Wonderland (31 December) will feature sensational vocalists including Gloria Onitiri bringing dancefloor hits all the way from Gloria Gaynor to Abba.

Family Concerts

Liverpool Philharmonic’s family concerts are a chance for everyone to experience the power of a full symphony orchestra with lively, interactive one-hour concerts and also include special relaxed events for under 5s. This year, concerts include a Halloween special: Spooktacular (26 October), Santa’s Christmas Party (21 & 22 December) and Woodland Wanderers (8 March).

General booking opens on Wednesday 28 May, 10am. Priority booking opens Wednesday 14 May, 10am.