The London Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2025–2026 season, running from September 2025 to July 2026. The programme marks Sir Antonio Pappano’s second year as Chief Conductor and features a wide-ranging repertoire of British, American, Russian, and German music, alongside world premieres and distinguished guest artists.
Pappano opens the season on 14 September at the Barbican with two major 20th-century American symphonies: Bernstein’s Symphony No. 3, “Kaddish” (revised 1977 version) and Copland’s Symphony No. 3. Bernstein’s score, originally dedicated to President John F. Kennedy, features Dame Felicity Palmer as narrator and Katharina Konradi as soprano. Copland’s symphony will be filmed for Marquee TV as part of the ongoing Antonio Pappano: Behind the Symphony series.
Seong-Jin Cho, one of this season’s Artist Portraits, appears early in the schedule (18 September), performing Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2. That programme also includes Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9 and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.
On 21 September, Pappano reunites with violinist Janine Jansen for Britten’s Violin Concerto, paired with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10.
British music features prominently throughout the season. In December, Antoine Tamestit, the LSO’s Spotlight Artist, appears in three concerts (7, 10 & 11 December) with Pappano. Programmes include Vaughan Williams’ Flos Campi and Dona Nobis Pacem, Walton’s Viola Concerto, and Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No. 2 “A London Symphony”, along with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 and Thea Musgrave’s Phoenix Rising.
Pappano also leads two programmes dedicated to the Golden Age of Hollywood on 17 & 18 December.
Spring highlights include Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony, Korngold’s Violin Concerto with Vilde Frang (15 & 16 April), and a programme pairing Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem, Bernstein’s Symphony No. 2, “The Age of Anxiety” with Beatrice Rana, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 “Pathétique” (10 May).
In April, Pappano also conducts Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius (19 & 21 April), and follows up with Elgar’s Enigma Variations and Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 (10 & 11 June).
He brings the season to a close with concert performances of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, with Clay Hilley and Sara Jakubiak in the title roles.
Sir Simon Rattle continues his Janáček opera cycle
The LSO’s Conductor Emeritus Sir Simon Rattle continues his Janáček cycle with The Makropulos Affair (13 & 15 January), starring Marlis Petersen as Emilia Marty. The performance will be recorded for future release on LSO Live.
Rattle also leads Strauss’ Four Last Songs with Lucy Crowe and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 (20 & 21 May), followed by two Wagner-focused programmes with the Siegfried Idyll and excerpts from Götterdämmerung, featuring Anja Kampe and Elizabeth DeShong (24 & 28 May).
Other programmes include Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with Patricia Kopatchinskaja, this season’s other Artist Portrait, and works by Bartók, Falla, and Ravel.
Premieres and commissions
The season includes four world premieres, one European premiere, and two UK premieres:
- A new piano concerto by Donghoon Shin for Seong-Jin Cho
- A song cycle by Laura Bowler for Barbara Hannigan (4 & 5 March), conducted by Bar Avni
- Colin Matthews’ Oboe Concerto for Olivier Stankiewicz, LSO Principal Oboe
- Soweto Kinch’s Soundtrack to the Apocalypse, concluding his trilogy with the LSO
- New works by Omri Kochavi and Sasha Scott as part of the Helen Hamlyn Panufnik Scheme, to be performed in LSO Futures (20 November)
Principal Guest Conductor Gianandrea Noseda
Gianandrea Noseda, the LSO’s Principal Guest Conductor, returns in February 2026 with two programmes featuring the orchestra’s Artist Portrait soloists. Seong-Jin Cho performs Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2, while Patricia Kopatchinskaja joins for Berg’s Violin Concerto.
Additional works include Stravinsky’s Divertimento from The Fairy’s Kiss, Borodin’s Symphony No. 2, Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 1, and Debussy’s Nocturnes.
Noseda will also complete his Shostakovich and Prokofiev symphony recording cycles for LSO Live during the season.
Guest conductors and debuts
The LSO welcomes a strong lineup of returning and debuting conductors:
- Thomas Adès, with UK and world premieres including works by Alex Paxton, and music by Sibelius, Ruders, and Rautavaara
- Manfred Honeck, Nathalie Stutzmann, Elim Chan, Alexandre Bloch, and Robert Treviño
- LSO debuts from Bar Avni, Anja Bihlmaier, Ryan Bancroft (29 & 30 October), and Tarmo Peltokoski (1 March), who conducts Yuja Wang in Rautavaara’s Piano Concerto No. 1
Chamber music and LSO St Luke’s
LSO St Luke’s reopens with an expanded programme of chamber music and curated series:
- BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concerts curated by Seong-Jin Cho
- Chamber series by Antoine Tamestit, Simon Crawford-Phillips, and Thomas Dunford
- Antonio Pappano performs at the piano in a trio of chamber concerts in March
- Programmes focusing on Vaughan Williams and his Circle, and music by Rebecca Clarke, Nadia and Lili Boulanger, and György Kurtág
The LSO Chamber Orchestra, under Jaime Martín, performs Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto, Horn Concerto No. 3, and Sinfonia Concertante (28 & 29 March), with LSO principals as soloists.
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