How do 60 individual violins, violas, cellos and basses transform into the lush sound of an orchestral string section? Who do they follow? What makes them all move together? Find out all of their secrets in this film. And subscribe to our YouTu

Philharmonia in the Studio

Jul 17th, 2020 13m

What does an orchestra do when it's not on stage? Since its inception, the Philharmonia has been renowned for its work as a recording orchestra. We can regularly be found in the studio recording for film and video games, as well as recording co

Conductor Xian Zhang on Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde

Apr 30th, 2020 4m 57s

Mahler’s The Song of the Earth is an hour-long, soul-searching journey in the company of a composer examining his own mortality and love for life from all angles. --- While we can't perform it for you tonight, conductor Xian Zhang spoke to us a

Listening Guide: Haydn Symphony No. 104 "London"

Mar 27th, 2020 16m

Last, but certainly not least. Join presenter Paul Rissmann to discover the final symphony from the remarkably prolific composer, Joseph Haydn. You’ll learn the importance of symmetry within the work, Haydn’s creative use of tiny motifs, and th

Conductor Pablo Heras-Casado on Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition

Mar 10th, 2020 4m 18s

“If after this concert you don’t fall in love with classical music, you never will.” – Pablo Heras-Casado Meet Spanish conductor Pablo Heras-Casado ahead of his concerts of Russian classics this April. Maestro Heras-Casado shares his appreciati

Listening Guide: Sibelius Symphony No. 5

Feb 27th, 2020 15m 11s

Perfectionism... Swans... Finland... What do these all have to do with music? Discover the story behind Jean Sibelius’s famous 5th Symphony as described by presenter Paul Rissmann. You’ll learn what to listen out for and how this masterful work

The Virtual Orchestra

Feb 26th, 2020 4m 6s

The Virtual Orchestra travelled to our UK residencies in 2018 and 2019, offering audiences the chance to experience a symphony orchestra from the inside. We worked with local partners including community centres, charities, arts organisations a

Esa-Pekka Salonen on the Artistry of Soprano Lise Davidsen

Feb 20th, 2020 2m 22s

“The moment Lise sang the first phrase, everybody’s jaw dropped in the orchestra. I have never seen this kind of thing before.” – Esa-Pekka Salonen Hear Lise Davidsen and Esa-Pekka Salonen in concert with the Philharmonia Orchestra on 19 March

Esa-Pekka Salonen on Gustav Mahler’s Vocal Music

Feb 20th, 2020 5m 11s

Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Esa-Pekka Salonen, chats about how composer Gustav Mahler used and re-used vocal music. Music from his song cycles can later be heard in his symphonies. Discover more in this film and join us for in Lon

Esa-Pekka Salonen on Beethoven’s Famous 1808 Concert in Vienna

Jan 30th, 2020 8m 12s

“Everything was just a disaster. Most likely, people who survived it, when they walked out of there, they were completely confused and bewildered. There is something really attractive about the total excess of it.” – Esa-Pekka Salonen Listen to

Beethoven: 1808 Reconstructed (Animated Film)

Jan 30th, 2020 2m 2s

Vienna, 22 December 1808. Franz and Katarina are on their way to hear a concert that the famous composer and pianist, Ludwig van Beethoven, is putting on at the Teater an der Wien. They are in for a night they will never forget. Discover the st

Esa-Pekka Salonen – the Philharmonia Orchestra at 75

Jan 7th, 2020 4m 52s

In 2020 we mark 75 years since the Philharmonia Orchestra was founded - three quarters of a century of brilliant live music-making, definitive recordings, technological innovation and artistic adventure. Our Principal Conductor and Artistic Adv

Christmas Card 2019: In Dulci Jubilo (Horn Quartet)

Dec 9th, 2019 3m 42s

Seasons Greetings from everyone at the Philharmonia Orchestra! Enjoy our 2019 Christmas Card, filmed in the ancient church of St Bartholomew the Great in London, with the Philharmonia’s four horns – Nigel Black, Kira Doherty, Diego Incertis Sán

Strauss Oboe Concerto with Tom Blomfield, Principal Oboe, Philharmonia Orchestra

Dec 6th, 2019 12m 20s

Meet Tom Blomfield, Principal Oboe of the Philharmonia Orchestra, to learn more about what it’s like to be an oboist and to discover the fascinating story behind the Strauss Oboe Concerto. Created in the aftermath of World War II, this nostalgi

Bonus Content: The Dennis Brain Horn

Nov 26th, 2019 5m 10s

Philharmonia No. 2 Horn, Kira Doherty, meets up with Richard Watkins, Principal Horn of the Philharmonia Orchestra from 1985-1996, at the Museum of the Royal Academy of Music in London to dive into the legacy of the first Principal Horn of the

Richard Watkins (horn) and Mark-Anthony Turnage (composer) In Conversation

Nov 15th, 2019 25m 30s

Meet Richard Watkins, Principal Horn of the Philharmonia Orchestra from 1985-1996, as he chats with composer and friend, Mark-Anthony Turnage at the Philharmonia offices in London. Turnage has composed a new piece for horn and orchestra called

Instrument: Bass Clarinet

Oct 11th, 2019 24m 4s

By popular demand, we present a full-length guide to the bass clarinet, presented by Philharmonia Orchestra Principal Bass Clarinet, Laurent Ben Slimane. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Intro 00:48 – What is a bass clarinet? 01:13 – How do you put it together?

Late-Night Cabaret - Philharmonia Orchestra

Sep 10th, 2019 13m 37s

The Philharmonia Orchestra and Raze Collective present a queer extravaganza of contemporary cabaret on Mon 23 Sept in the Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer, Southbank Centre, London, at 8:45pm. This free show is inspired by the cabaret scene of Weimar

The Party’s Over (6/6) - Philharmonia Orchestra

Aug 31st, 2019 14m 13s

The Weimar Republic was a time of great social and artistic advances, but shaky politics and a disastrous economy made it ripe for the rise of National Socialism – the Nazis. Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, which brought an e

Weimar on Stage and Screen (5/6) - Philharmonia Orchestra

Aug 29th, 2019 11m 52s

Cabaret was hugely important during the Weimar Republic as a form of social protest and social critique. Its influence went beyond bars and music halls – film and theatre quickly adopted its rougher aesthetic and its subject matter. One of the

Design and Detachment (4/6) - Philharmonia Orchestra

Aug 27th, 2019 13m 42s

In 1919, not only was the Weimar Republic founded, but Walter Gropius, the architect, also founded what would become a game-changing art school – the Bauhaus. In this film we travel to Weimar and Dessau to uncover what it was like to be a stude

Symphonize 2019 Documentary - Philharmonia Orchestra

Jul 5th, 2019 4m 8s

In January 2019, the Philharmonia Orchestra and Soft Touch Arts (Leicester, UK) embarked upon another season of Symphonize, a pioneering creative partnership enabling young people from across Leicester to work alongside producers and musicians

The City Electric (3/6) - Philharmonia Orchestra

Jun 7th, 2019 13m 52s

Berlin. An epicentre. A capital city. A playground. The city of Berlin was the Weimar Republic’s hub, transforming itself into a multicultural melting pot where rules could be bent and new ways of being were more accepted. However, people quest

The Sound of Change (2/6)

Jun 5th, 2019 14m 35s

The composers of the Weimar Republic provided a soundtrack for the events that unfolded in Germany between 1919 and 1933. During this tumultuous, exciting time, composers such as Kurt Weill, Paul Hindemith and Alban Berg thrived and produced wo

Weimar Berlin: Bittersweet Metropolis (1/6)

Jun 3rd, 2019 11m 51s

Join cultural historian Gavin Plumley and the Philharmonia on a journey around Germany and discover the sights and sounds of the Weimar Republic in the first of a series of six films. Following World War I, Germany was in tatters. What emerged