The Chorus

Based in London, the Philharmonia Chorus is recognised as one of the world's leading symphony choruses. We have a wide-ranging repertoire from iconic choral works and opera to film scores and contemporary music, and we work with the leading conductors, orchestras and soloists of the age. We bring the same energy, commitment and artistic excellence to everything we do. Alongside our membership of accomplished amateur singers, we run Professional Singer and Student Schemes. Together, these singers create the warm, homogeneous sound and wide dynamic range for which the Chorus is renowned. Our Chorus Master is Gavin Carr and our Accompanist is Timothy End.

Last year, our basses took part in two performances of Shostakovich's Symphony No.13 'Babi Yar' with the Orchestre National de Lille conducted by Joshua Weilerstein, the first in Lille (available on YouTube), and the second at the Philharmonie de Paris, broadcast live by Radio France. Following this, we performed Verdi's Messa da Requiem with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Muti, and Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem in the Chapel of King's College, Cambridge, conducted by Daniel Hyde and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.

We gave two performances of Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, the first with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Marin Alsop, and the second with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko. Then we returned to film repertoire at the Royal Albert Hall with live screenings of Ridley Scott's Gladiator, followed by the world première of Max Richter's Cosmology with Anna Lapwood and the Philharmonia Orchestra. We appeared at the 2025 BBC Proms, joining the BBC Singers in the European première of Joe Hisaishi's The End of the World. We provided 24 singers for the MCC's Evening of Carols in the Long Room at Lords. Performances of Handel's Messiah with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment conducted by Eamonn Dougan, and Christmas Classics with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Michael England as part of the Southbank Centre's Winter Festival brought the year to a close.

Our concerts this year with the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall began with Holst's The Planets conducted by Marin Alsop, Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Mahler's Symphony No. 2 conducted by Kent Nagano, a concert which also included Hildegard of Bingen's O vis aeternatis performed by 12 of our sopranos. We have recently taken part in a rare performance of Taneyev's John of Damascus at the Royal Festival Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko.

Later this year, we will take part in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 'Choral' at the BBC Proms with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gianandrea Noseda (live on BBC Radio 3 and recorded for BBC television), Verdi's Messa da Requiem in St Paul's Cathedral with the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson, Mozart's Mass in C minor with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Tess Jackson at Bold Tendencies in Peckham, showings of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone with live music at the Royal Albert Hall, Bernstein's Symphony No. 3 'Kaddish' with Les Siècles conducted by Pierre Bleuse at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris and broadcast on Radio France, and Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Simone Young at the Royal Festival Hall.

Our April 2024 performance of The Bells with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko at the Royal Festival Hall was released in November 2025 as the first recording in the RPO's partnership with Harmonia Mundi. A second recording on this label, Mahler's Third Symphony performed in the Royal Albert Hall in April 2023, was released in May 2026.