Vladimir Ashkenazy, Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Paavo Järvi and Elim Chan conduct the Philharmonia Orchestra in a concert themed around romance and friendship. The conductors, who are all closely associated with the Orchestra, will each take the audience on a journey to experience the music of four centuries in one evening.

The theme of friendship is affectionately brought to the fore by Philharmonia Conductor Laureate Vladimir Ashkenazy, whose collaboration with the Orchestra has continued for over 50 years. He conducts Elgar’s Enigma Variations, so appropriately dedicated ​‘to my friends pictured within’.

‘One of the most admired conductors of the day’ (The Guardian) Paavo Järvi invites a sense of mystery to the evening with Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony. Although unfinished in the usual four-movement structure, this B minor Symphony is a complete, essential and mystical symphonic experience.

The Philharmonia Orchestra’s Principal Conductor Designate Santtu-Matias Rouvali brings his ​‘imaginative, often spectacular musicality’ (LA Times) to Richard Strauss’ orchestral suite drawn from his glorious opera Der Rosenkavalier. It’s a whirl of orchestral virtuosity and Viennese waltzes bringing together the highlights of a comic love story.

Recently appointed as Chief Conductor Designate of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Elim Chan has been receiving rave reviews for her performances. She conducts Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece Romeo and Juliet, the tone poem which encompasses in one movement the genius and passions of Shakespeare’s incomparable play.

This concert concludes the 50 Years in a Day series celebrating music management agency HarrisonParrott’s 50^th anniversary. The day marks 50 golden years of music- making featuring four inspiring generations of artists showcasing their musical tastes and talents across three thrilling concerts. 

The evening also marks the launch of the HarrisonParrott Foundation, a charity which aims to support and champion diversity and inclusivity within the arts.