Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) will be the Royal Albert Hall’s associate orchestra for the next five years, beginning with the 2020-21 season. RPO is now the go-to ensemble for the Royal Albert Hall’s regular series such as Films in Concert and Love Classical.
“Today’s strategic partnership with the Royal Albert Hall builds on a strong 25-year relationship between our organisations,” said RPO managing director James Williams. “By joining forces with the Royal Albert Hall, we will give international music lovers a compelling reason to visit London for benchmark performances at this iconic venue.”
One of the first projects of the new partnership will be a Mahler choral symphonies series conducted by Vasily Petrenko. The series begins on 18 October 2020 with Symphony No 8 ‘Symphony of a Thousand’ that will see over 600 musicians on stage, including those from RPO and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
“Vasily Petrenko also has a bold vision for the core repertoire we will perform at the Royal Albert Hall,” remarked Williams. “This new partnership signals a new chapter for the Royal Albert Hall and RPO and sets the foundations for many new initiatives to come.”
Recent RPO-Royal Albert Hall collaborations include PlayStation in Concert, Baahubali – The Beginning Live, and Rising Stars of Classical.
“Without a doubt, the RPO fully embodies our values,” said Royal Albert Hall artistic director Lucy Noble. “The Hall is one of the most loved classical music venues in the world, and this new partnership will strengthen our orchestral programming year-round.”