London Symphony Orchestra
Resident Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is built on the belief that extraordinary music should be available to everyone, everywhere. It was established in 1904 and today is among the world’s top orchestras
As Resident Orchestra at the Barbican since the Centre opened, it performs some 50 concerts here every year, under the batons of a family of conductors that includes Chief Conductor Designate Sir Antonio Pappano, Conductor Emeritus Sir Simon Rattle, Principal Guest Conductors Gianandrea Noseda and François-Xavier Roth, Conductor Laureate Michael Tilson Thomas and Associate Artists Barbara Hannigan and André J Thomas.
Events
London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Antonio Pappano: Elijah
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Fiery chariots, towering voices; Sir Antonio Pappano, the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Symphony Chorus join forces for Mendelssohn’s monumental oratorio.
London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Simon Rattle: Jenůfa
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Janáček’s searing, magnificent opera explores a woman’s limited options in a suffocating small town.
London Symphony Orchestra/Gianandrea Noseda
Deeply private, deeply felt: Tchaikovsky and Brahms pour out their emotions in an ardent torrent of music.
London Symphony Orchestra: Half Six Fix – Tchaikovsky 6
Gianandrea Noseda conducts and introduces Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony, deeply private and deeply felt.
London Symphony Orchestra/Susanna Mälkki: Poem of Ecstasy
Drift amid music of seductive illusion and brilliant colour from Debussy, Ravel and Scriabin.
London Symphony Orchestra/Susanna Mälkki: Rachmaninov
Pianist Kirill Gerstein continues his spotlight series with one of the pinnacles of the repertoire.
London Symphony Orchestra/Duncan Ward: La mer
Duncan Ward and the LSO set out to sweep you off your feet with symphonic poems from Janáček and Debussy, while Isabelle Faust offers sensitive insights into the music of Bartók.
London Symphony Orchestra/Duncan Ward with Abel Selaocoe
South African and European traditions meet in the transformative music of Abel Selaocoe alongside folk and jazz-flecked music from Gary Carpenter and Bartók.
London Symphony Orchestra/André J Thomas: Gospel Explosion
Experience the power of American gospel music, combined with the symphonic sound of the LSO and a chorus of over 250 voices from across the London community, curated and conducted by André J Thomas.
London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Antonio Pappano: Beethoven 7
Beethoven’s triumphantly brilliant symphony and an instantly popular 21st-century concerto with soloist Kirill Gerstein in the spotlight.
London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Antonio Pappano: Rachmaninov
Spellbinding storytellers, dancing ghosts and melodies that will stay with you forever in music from Ravel, Fazil Say and Rachmaninov.
London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Antonio Pappano: Strauss
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Pop culture’s most famous fanfare sets the mood – this is music that tells you: wake up! Sir Antonio Pappano and Alice Sara Ott present a programme of Liszt, Strauss and a premiere by Hannah Kendall.
London Symphony Orchestra/Barbara Hannigan: Stravinsky
The composer of the future in the early 20th century, Stravinsky still sounds new every time you hear him. LSO Associate Artist Barbara Hannigan presents two essential works.
London Symphony Orchestra: Half Six Fix – Pulcinella
Grab a drink and savour the perfect balance of sweet and bitter in Stravinsky’s time-warp drama for three voices.
London Symphony Orchestra/Barbara Hannigan: Season Opening
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To open our 2023/24 Barbican season, Barbara Hannigan sings and conducts music that searches for light in dark times.
London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Simon Rattle
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Sir Simon Rattle ends his final concert as LSO Music Director with Messiaen’s mind-blowing Turangalîla-Symphonie – an explosion of passionate emotion and ear-tingling sound.
Discover
Profile: London Symphony Orchestra
Listen to our selection of LSO recordings from across the years in our Spotify playlist.
Barbican Sessions: Peter Moore
London Symphony Orchestra’s young trombonist, Peter Moore, performs 'Doolallynastics – a brief torture for solo trombone’ by Brian Lynn in our latest Barbican Session, filmed in one of our Frobisher Auditoriums.
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