Patron: His Majesty King Charles III
Chorus Master: Gavin Carr
Accompanist: Timothy End
Arts Council England
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    Schoenberg and Shostakovich in Lille and Paris

    On Sunday 16 March the basses of the Philharmonia Chorus took part in a performance of Schoenberg's A Survivor from Warsaw and Shostakovich's Symphony No.13 'Babi Yar' in the Auditorium du Nouveau Siècle in Lille. The Chorus joined the Orchestre National de Lille, narrator Lambert Wilson, and bass Dmitry Belosselskiy. The performance was conducted by Joshua Weilerstein.

    The concert was repeated on Monday 17 March in the Philharmonie de Paris, and was relayed live by Radio France. It was the Chorus's debut in the Philharmonie de Paris.

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    Ein deutsches Requiem in the Chapel of King's College Cambridge

    On Good Friday 18 April, the Philharmonia Chorus will take part in a performance of Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem in the Chapel of King's College, Cambridge. The Chorus will join soprano Sophie Bevan, baritone Gareth Brynmor John, and the BBC Concert Orchestra. The perfomance will be conducted by Daniel Hyde, and will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. Tickets are available here.

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    Riccardo Muti conducts Verdi's Messa da Requiem

    On Thursday 27 March, the Philharmonia Chorus took part in a performance of Verdi's Messa da Requiem with the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, London. The Chorus joined soprano Marie Lys, mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča, tenor Piotr Beczała and bass William Thomas, and the performance was conducted by Riccardo Muti.

    Riccardo Muti is acknowledged as one of the world's leading interpreters of Verdi, and one of the great conductors of our time. As the Philharmonia prepares to celebrate its 80th anniversary, his much-anticipated return of their former musical director is one of the highlights of London's musical calendar.

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    Messiah at Christmas

    On Friday 13 December, the Philharmonia Chorus took part in a performance of Handel's Messiah with the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall. The Chorus joined soprano Nardus Williams, mezzo-soprano Catherine Wyn-Rogers, tenor Benjamin Hulett, and bass-baritone Matthew Brook. The performance was conducted by Eamonn Dougan.

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    Christmas Classics

    On Sunday 15 December the Philharmonia Chorus took part is a festive concert of carols and Christmas favourites at the Royal Festival Hall. The Chorus joined London Youth Choirs, singer Vanessa Hayes, and presenter YolanDa Brown. The Philharmonia Orchestra was conducted by Michael England.

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    Gladiator Live

    The original 2000 sword-and-sandals epic Gladiator returns to the Royal Albert Hall for a special 25th anniversary screening with live orchestra. The Philharmonia Chorus will take part in four showings on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 April of the legendary and five-time Academy Award-winning film on the big screen, with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra conducted by Justin Freer, performing Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard's Golden Globe-winning score live on stage. Tickets can be obtained here.

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    The Rest is History: Mozart and Beethoven with live orchestra

    On Friday 18 October, the world's most popular history podcast, The Rest Is History, came to the Royal Albert Hall on stage with a full orchestra and chorus. Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook took a deep dive into the lives and times of two of history's greatest composers, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven.

    From the spectre of the French Revolution looming over Mozart's final years, to the Napoleonic wars, which served as great inspiration to Beethoven, Tom and Dominic brought to life the stories of these two musical geniuses. The Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the Philharmonia Chorus were conducted by Oliver Zeffman.

    The concert can now be heard as two podcasts - Podcast No.526, Mozart: History's Greatest Prodigy and Podcast No.527, Beethoven: Napoleon and the Music of War, is available here.

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    Debussy at the Proms

    On Tuesday August 1, the sopranos and altos of the Philharmonia Chorus took part in Prom 17, in a performance of Debussy's Sirènes, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko at the 2024 BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, London. The performance was relayed live on BBC Radio 3.

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    Handel's Messiah at the Proms

    The culmination of the Proms 2024 Choral Day, Saturday 7 September, was a performance of Handel's Messiah (Mozart orchestration), with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields conducted by John Butt. The Philharmonia Chorus was joined by soprano Nardus Williams, mezzo-soprano Helen Charleston, tenor Benjamin Hulett, bass Ashley Riches, the Fourth Choir, the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers, the LYC Chamber Choir, the Bath Minerva Choir, and the Voices of the River's Edge. The performance was relayed live on BBC Radio 3.

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    Mahler's Second Symphony at Bold Tendencies

    The 2024 season at Bold Tendencies closed on Saturday 14 September with a performance of Mahler's Second Symphony, with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Philharmonia Chorus conducted by the Greek conductor Nefeli Chadouli. This the first time this symphony had been presented in this venue, a former car park in Peckham, South London.

Concerts

7:30pm Friday 18 April 2025

Brahms - Ein deutsches Requiem

Sophie Bevan - soprano
Gareth Brynmor John - baritone

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Gavin Carr

BBC Concert Orchestra
conducted by Daniel Hyde

BBC Radio 3 live relay

Easter at King's Festival

The Chapel of King's College, Cambridge

7:30pm Thursday 24 April 2025

Bernstein - Chichester Psalms

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Gavin Carr

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Marin Alsop

Royal Festival Hall, London

2:00pm Saturday 26 April 2025

Gladiator Live

Clara Sanabras - mezzo-soprano

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Gavin Carr

Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra
conducted by Timothy Henty

Royal Albert Hall, London

7:30pm Saturday 26 April 2025

Gladiator Live

Clara Sanabras - mezzo-soprano

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Gavin Carr

Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra
conducted by Timothy Henty

Royal Albert Hall, London

1:00pm Sunday 27 April 2025

Gladiator Live

Clara Sanabras - mezzo-soprano

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Gavin Carr

Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra
conducted by Timothy Henty

Royal Albert Hall, London

6:30pm Sunday 27 April 2025

Gladiator Live

Clara Sanabras - mezzo-soprano

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Gavin Carr

Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra
conducted by Timothy Henty

Royal Albert Hall, London

7:00pm Thursday 15 May 2025

Anna Lapwood plays Max Richter, Hans Zimmer and more

Max Richter - Work for organ, chorus and orchestra - world premiere
Hans Zimmer - Chevaliers de Sangreal

Anna Lapwood - organ

Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master - Gavin Carr

Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by André de Ridder

Royal Albert Hall, London

Recent Reviews

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Verdi - Messa da Requiem
Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Muti
Royal Festival Hall, London


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Every time the screaming descent of the Dies irae recurred, with the percussionist thwacking two mighty drums at once, the thrilling attack of the Philharmonia Chorus hit you between the eyes. And the choristers were just as effective, in a very different way, in the Requiem's hushed opening and the whispered chants at the end, which were sepulchral and chilling.
Richard Morrison, The Times, 28 March 2025

The orchestra and chorus were on great form, not just in the tremendous Dies Irae where the percussionist thwacked two bass drums simultaneously, with a sound that was like the earth cracking but in the quieter moments. The oboe's pathetic outcries in the Ingemisco ("I groan") section were heart-rending, and the chorus were equally strong in the dancing Sanctus the one moment of joy and optimism and in the massive Libera Me that ends the work.
Ivan Hewett, Telegraph, 28 March 2025

The Chorus in particular, and director Gavin Carr, had a night to savour: glittering in razor-edged entries; earth-moving in the savage eruptions of the Dies irae but (in contrast) airborne, angelic and even playful in the Sanctus. From the boom of th Rex tremendae to the hush of the Agnus dei, they commanded each rung on the Verdian ladder of sound and sense that stretches from earth to heaven then down to the brink of the inferno.
Boyd Tonkin, The Arts Desk, 28 March 2025

The Philharmonia Chorus were on top form: crisp diction, precise and agile at top and bottom, deeply responsive to the podium.
Dominic Lowe, Bachtrack, 28 March 2025

The chorus were first class, from the hushed unaccompanied opening 'Requiem aeternam' to the hurled out 'Dies irae'. Muti had clearly been working on them to clearly pronounce certain important words such as 'calamitatis'. I admired, in particular, the intonation of the sopranos on their high notes and the mellow weight of the alto section. The men came strongly to the fore in an overwhelming 'Tuba mirum' and shook away the cobwebs with a forceful 'Rex tremendae', though having them stand right on their first note did not make their job easy.
John Rhodes, Seen and Heard International, 28 March 2025

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Schoenberg - A Survivor from Warsaw
Shostakovich - Symphony No.13 'Babi Yar'
Orchestre National de Lille conducted by Joshua Weilerstein
Auditorium du Nouveau Siècle, Lille
Philharmonie de Paris


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L'autre grande réussite de ce concert est celle des voix. Que ce soit la performance de la basse Dmitry Belosselskiy, au chant profond et impressionnant. Ou encore l'excellence de la formation britannique du Philharmonia Chorus. La parole est ici essentielle, fièrement portée par un soliste et des chœurs en osmose. Un impressionnant moment d'orchestre et de chant.

The other great achievement of this concert is the vocals. Whether it's the performance of bass Dmitry Belosselskiy, with his deep and impressive singing, or the excellence of the British Philharmonia Chorus. The spoken word is essential here, proudly carried by a soloist and choirs in perfect harmony. An impressive moment of orchestral and vocal performance.
Jean-Marc Petit, resmusica.com, 17 March 2025


Joshua Weilerstein, l'Orchestre National de Lille et le Philharmonia Chorus donnent tout et font corps avec la musique écrasante et dévastatrice qui dénonce avec flamme et courage la haine de juifs, de l'humiliation de Dreyfus à la terreur des pogroms et de la barbarie nazie.

Joshua Weilerstein, the Orchestre National de Lille and the Philharmonia Chorus give their all and become one with the overwhelming and devastating music that denounces with passion and courage the hatred of Jews, from the humiliation of Dreyfus to the terror of the pogroms and Nazi barbarity.
Hannah Starman, cult.news, 17 March 2025


Le flux vocal, source de toutes les dénonciations, exhortations, compassion, est superbement tenu par le narrateur chanteur ukrainien Dmitry Belosselskiy. Basse ample et caverneuse, souvent en dialogue ou associée au chœur d'hommes (impeccable Philharmonia Chorus préparé par son chef, Gavin Carr), le soliste réalise une trajectoire à la fois sobre, expressive, pleine de noblesse, exhortant à la fraternité. Le programme est repris ce soir à La Philharmonie de Paris : incontournable.

The vocal flow, the source of all the denunciations, exhortations, and compassion, is superbly conveyed by the Ukrainian singer-narrator Dmitry Belosselskiy. A full and cavernous bass, often in dialogue or associated with the male choir (the impeccable Philharmonia Chorus prepared by its chorus master, Gavin Carr), the soloist achieves a trajectory that is at once sober, expressive, and full of nobility, urging brotherhood. The program is repeated this evening at the Philharmonie de Paris: unmissable.
Alexandre Pham, classique news.com, 17 March 2025


Le Philharmonia Chorus renouvelle la prestation admirable entendue chez Schönberg : plénitude et puissance du chant, qualité intrinsèque des pupitres au sein d'un bloc d'une grande unité, couleurs et nuances.

The Philharmonia Chorus renews the admirable performance heard in Schönberg: fullness and power of the singing, intrinsic quality of the sections within a block of great unity, colors and nuances.
Rémy Louis, diapasonmag.fr, 19 March 2025


Quand le Philharmonia Chorus entame le poème juif, les cuivres bouillonnent encore mais les voix les dominent bientôt avec ferveur. La qualité du chœur d'hommes fera également partie de la réussite de la Symphonie n° 13 de Chostakovitch ensuite. Apparaissant toujours équilibré avec une sonorité ronde et une diction précise, il se tuile aisément avec les pupitres de bassons, de contrebasses et de cuivres graves.

When the Philharmonia Chorus begins the Jewish poem, the brass is still seething, but the voices soon dominate with fervor. The quality of the male choir would also be part of the success of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 13. Always balanced, with a rounded sound and precise diction, it easily meshes with the bassoon, double bass, and low brass sections.
Chloë Rouge, bachtrack.com, 18 March 2025

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Mahler - Symphony No.2 'Resurrection'
Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Nefeli Chadouli
Bold Tendencies, Peckham


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'The choir, here 100 strong, standing behind the audience, their sound floating up invisibly, sings "Aufersteh'n (arise) with soft, utmost serenity. The whole performance could not have been more intense.'
Fiona Maddocks, The Observer, 21 September 2024

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Handel - Messiah
Academy of St Martin in the Fields conducted by John Butt
Royal Albert Hall, London


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Prom 65 - Choral Day review
The Philharmonia Chorus were the main participants, reliable in fugal complexities and fast runs.
David Nice, The Arts Desk, 8 September 2024

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Debussy - Nocturnes
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko
Royal Albert Hall, London


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Prom 17, Kozhukhin, RPO, Petrenko review - four tripartite masterpieces
The upper voices of the Philharmonia Chorus may have been a bit too close to the orchestra physically, but they wrought their own colour changes like professional singers: a beautiful complement to the super-subtle orchestra.
David Nice, The Arts Desk, 2 August 2024

The upper voices of the Philharmonia Chorus were fresh and precise in the movement's changing harmonies and rhythms and the orchestra offered skeins of sound in accompaniment. Many of the promenaders seemed mesmerised by the Choir's singing and the piece worked its magic in the hall.
Brian Barford, Classical Source, 1 August 2024

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Rachmaninov - The Bells
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko
Royal Festival Hall, London


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Poetic cello, blazing chorus - Atmospheric Elgar and Weinberg, but Rachmaninov's 'The Bells' takes the palm

Purple patches flourished in the first half of this admirable programme: it could hardly have been otherwise given Sheku Kanneh-Mason's devotion to a new work in his repertoire, and the current strength of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Vasily Petrenko. Even so, it was the culmination, Rachmaninov's multifaceted "Choral Symphony" The Bells, which truly dazzled.

It seems so obvious: Petrenko just knows this idiom and is completely at ease with the difficult Rachmaninov rubato. The Philharmonia Chorus was simply electrifying: hard to believe they weren't professionals with a knockout sound like that.

This, rather than the too church-choiry Tenebrae, is what Pappano needed for his Ravel Daphnis et Chloé, repeated last night over at the Barbican at around the same time. The two masterpieces are only a year apart, and Rachmaninov proves master orchestrator too in the glitttering spirit of delight that frames his opening sleigh-ride. What a punch from the opening choral response to the tenor's "listen!", though, and what overwhelming climaxes throughout.

It takes real power and expression to hold focus in the "Loud Alarm Bells" movement; in Konstantin Balmont's translation of Edgar Allan Poe, when the voices become the flames in "I want to go higher, to burn higher, to touch the moonbeams", the effect was one of terrifying levitation. Special kudos to Chorus Master Gavin Carr.
David Nice, The Arts Desk, 12 April 2024


Rachmaninov's take on The Bells hits the spot

When a big choral symphony is called The Bells, a basic requirement, you might think, would be to hear some bells. There were three handsome specimens, small but sturdy, parked at the end of the percussion line on the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's back row. Reader, I could hear none of them.

Disappointment? Well, a smidgen. But so much else in Rachmaninov's spectacular take on Edgar Allan Poe's poem, the crowning glory of Vasily Petrenko's latest concert in the RPO's Icons Rediscovered strand, hit the spot unimpeded. Top of the list was the mighty force of the 80-strong Philharmonia Chorus, splendidly nurtured by its chorus master Gavin Carr, and especially thrilling in the alarm bell section. Not far below came the stentorian wonder of the baritone Andrii Kymach, your perfect companion for the gloomy bells of the final movement, fittingly marked "lento lugubre".
Geoff Brown, The Times, 12 April 2024


Sheku Kanneh-Mason and the Philharmonia Chorus shine in Weinberg and Rachmaninov

Rachmaninov's cantata 'The Bells' after the interval was an unqualified triumph. Petrenko was on home ground here, and he inspired a coruscating performance from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, doing full justice to Rachmaninov's brilliance as an orchestrator and his instinctive sense of drama. The soloists too were superb: the sweet-toned tenor Pavel Petrov found it hard to project his voice over the hubbub in parts of the first movement, but in the second the soprano Mirjam Mesak's clear, bell-like voice was a joy to hear, opening out thrillingly at the movement's climax. The fine baritone Andrii Kymach brought appropriately cavernous gloom to the final movement: he had me hoping that Petrenko might engage him for Shostakovich's Babi Yar.

The real heroes of the evening, though, were the Philharmonia Chorus. Not especially large around 100 singers they blew us away with their first entry: precision, attack, and enough volume for 'Gurrelieder'. The quieter moments they're humming over harp, piano and celeste later in the first movement were magical too. They were fabulous: the combined power of chorus and orchestra at the climaxes was shattering.
Chris Kettle, Seen and Heard International, 14 April 2024