CONCERTS
Music Director Marios Papadopoulos
Welcome from Marios Papadopoulos
Music Director
Welcome to the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra’s biggest and most ambitious season yet. As the Orchestra continues to expand nationally and internationally and grows in stature, reputation and vision, we are also expanding our musical reach to incorporate more varied styles of music, under more world-class artists than ever before.
This season we will take programmes honed at the Sheldonian Theatre to iconic venues including Carnegie Hall in New York and the Philharmonie in Berlin. We will welcome artists such as Thomas Adès, Leonidas Kavakos, Martha Argerich, Maxim Vengerov, Elena Bashkirova, Sir Bryn Terfel and María Dueñas to work alongside, I am proud to say, some of Europe’s most outstanding musicians from within the Orchestra. We will play music spanning four centuries, from Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 to music from the 21st century.
The season begins with the Orchestra’s newest venture: Oxford International Opera. Our debut production will be a brand new, fully-staged performance of Puccini’s Tosca, held at the New Theatre. With legendary baritone Sir Bryn Terfel as Artistic Director, alongside his leading role as Scarpia, we are certain that this performance will be like no other, paving the way for more operatic productions in the years to come.
English music is a consistent thread through our season, with our opening symphonic concert featuring Roderick Williams’s Flute Concerto, written for OPO Solo Flute Anthony Robb. As the season continues, the likes of Tchaikovsky and Bach will remind us that there is redemption in suffering, while Ravel, Gershwin and Saint-Saëns will reassure us that sometimes, it’s fine just to revel in the pure joy of musical beauty and evocation.
And of course, we will salute Beethoven in the 200th anniversary of his death, with the beginning of our Oxford Beethoven Festival 2027. Few works in the classical repertory celebrate our shared values as human beings like Beethoven’s and as someone who has championed his works as both pianist and conductor all my life, it will be my privilege once again to delve deep into his music to deliver performances that will shed new light on his masterpieces.
Tosca
Thursday 24 September 2026
New Theatre, 19:00
Saturday 26 September 2026
New Theatre, 19:00
Puccini Tosca
Sir Bryn Terfel Scarpia
Carmen Giannattasio Tosca
Saimir Pirgu Cavaradossi
Jamie Woollard Angelotti
Fabio Previati Sacristan
Colin Judson Spoletta
Blaise Malaba Sciarrone
Robert Winslade Anderson jailer
Misha Gerko shepherd boy
Marios Papadopoulos conductor
Oxford International Opera Chorus
Radley College Choristers
Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra
P Burton-Morgan director
Anthony Lamble designer
Mark Jonathan lighting designer
Anthony Flaum producer
Join the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra alongside international opera stars for the brand-new, fully-staged production of Oxford International Opera, where we will bring Puccini’s Tosca to the stage of the New Theatre in Oxford. Featuring internationally renowned opera singers such as Sir Bryn Terfel, Carmen Giannattasio and Saimir Pirgu, the Oxford Philharmonic will be the fourth protagonist and extra voice on the stage.
Tickets from £23.95
Tickets can only be booked via the ATG website
The Principal Donor of this production is the Laidlaw Opera Trust
English Melodies
Wednesday 7 October 2026
Sheldonian Theatre, 19:30
Cecil Coles Estaminet de Carrefour
Butterworth A Shropshire Lad (arr. R. Williams)
Roderick Williams Flute Concerto
Walton Siesta
Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending
Walton Two Pieces for Strings from Henry V
Holst St Paul’s Suite in C major, Op. 29 No. 2
Roderick Williams baritone
Ruth Rogers violin
Anthony Robb flute
Martyn Brabbins conductor
No country’s music embodies a pastoral spirit quite like England’s, and no piece quite enshrines that idea like Vaughan Williams’s image of countryside serenity rendered in the most lyrical music imaginable, The Lark Ascending. Doyen of English music and former Music Director of English National Opera, Martyn Brabbins opens our symphonic season at the Sheldonian Theatre with works that portray dark clouds above green fields, including deeply moving music by composers killed at the front during the First World War. A concert that speaks of tragedy but also of comradeship includes Roderick Williams’s flute concerto, written for his childhood friend and our own Solo Flute, Anthony Robb.
Tickets £50 £40 £30 £15 (students from £5)
Pre-concert talk by Sir Nicholas Kenyon at 18:30
An English Journey
Nicholas Kenyon explores the 20th-century tradition of our national music, and talks with Roderick Williams about his new flute concerto.
Halloween Spooktacular
FUNomusica Family Concert
Sunday 18 October 2026
Olivier Hall, St Edward's School, 15:00
Alasdair Malloy presenter
It's Halloween! Disguise yourself in a spooky manner and come along to join our Master of the Ghostly Revels, Alasdair Malloy, who will introduce music guaranteed to give you goosebumps. You will hear the spooktacular Oxford Philharmonic perform mysterious music about witches, ghosts, vampires, ghouls and gnomes and you will go dancing with the Devil in a special story version of Saint-Saëns’s Danse Macabre. We will need help from the Ghostbusters!
Tickets adults £10 children £5
Family ticket £25 (2 adults, 2 children)
Most suitable for ages 4−8
Supported by The Coln Trust
Pre-concert Arts & Crafts start at 14:00
Thomas Adès conducts
Thursday 22 October 2026
Sheldonian Theatre, 19:00
Elgar Sospiri, Op. 70
Thomas Adès Dawn
Kurtág Movement for Viola and Orchestra
Elgar Symphony No. 1 in A flat major, Op. 55
Sascha Bota viola
Thomas Adès conductor
An evening of music framed by Elgar, the composer who has captured the essence of England in music more resonantly than any other. Elgar’s Sospiri is a love-sick Adagio while his Symphony No. 1 appears to carry the hopes of a troubled nation in music of deep longing and optimism. As the composer who has inherited Elgar’s mantle in England, Thomas Adès also conducts his own Dawn – an intense meditation on cycles of time, light and renewal and a masterpiece in miniature. In this concert, it forms the missing link before Kurtág’s Movement for Viola and Orchestra – a grippingly physical opening to a full concerto, the rest of which was scrapped.
Tickets £50 £40 £30 £15 (students from £5)
Tchaikovsky Five
Thursday 5 November 2026
Sheldonian Theatre, 19:30
Carwithen ODTAA Overture Side-by-Side*
Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 19
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64
María Dueñas violin
Cayenna Ponchione-Bailey conductor*
Marios Papadopoulos conductor
Marios Papadopoulos conducts his first symphony concert of the season and brings with him one of the most riveting pieces in the history of the symphony – Tchaikovsky’s deeply personal essay on inner demons, the torment of love and the irrepressible strength of the human spirit. María Dueñas, the violinist who seems to have captured the zeitgeist in her performances like none other, joins the
Young Artists' Platform Pre-concert recital 18:30
Orchestra for the first of Prokofiev’s violin concertos, a work mingling tenderness with biting sarcasm as only Prokofiev could. The concert opens with the breakthrough work by the 23-year-old Doreen Carwithen from 1947, her swashbuckling overture inspired by John Masefield’s novel One Damn Thing After Another.
Tickets £58 £42 £32 £18 (students from £5)
Mozart, Debussy and Roussel
Saturday 14 November 2026
Holywell Music Room, 19:30
Mozart Flute Quartet No. 1 in D major, K. 285
Ropartz Prélude, Marine et Chansons
Debussy Syrinx, L. 129
Bax Elegiac Trio, GP. 178
Roussel Sérénade, Op. 30
Anthony Robb flute
Lucy Wakeford harp
Soloists of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra
Soloists of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra come to the Holywell Music Room for flute-led chamber music that celebrates heritage while also reflecting on loss.
English composer Arnold Bax sympathised profoundly with the Irish rebels who rose up against British rule in 1916 and faced terrible consequences. His Elegiac Trio reflects on all that was lost in that episode just as Guy Ropartz’s Prélude, Marine et Chansons
enshrines the composer’s love for Brittany.
Light and joy come courtesy of Roussel’s bright, compact and melodious Sérénade and a Flute Quintet by Mozart which demands spectacular virtuosity from every instrument.
Tickets £32 (students £5)
Monteverdi Vespers of 1610
Saturday 21 November 2026*
Sheldonian Theatre, 19:30
Monday 23 November 2026
Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, 21:00
Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, SV 206
Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir
His Majesty's Sagbutts and Cornetts
Marios Papadopoulos conductor
Not many works change the course of musical history, but Claudio Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 did. This masterpiece straddled the fault-lines separating the austerity of the Renaissance and the dramatic theatricality of the Baroque. It is a grand collection of psalms, motets and sinfonias that can feel as emotional as opera and as eternal as plainsong, while drawing extensively on both. Positioning groups of voices and instruments around
*Pre-concert talk by Sir Nicholas Kenyon at 18:30
Italy in Oxford
Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 has been one of the rediscoveries of our age, a landmark of the past. Nicholas Kenyon introduces this feast of baroque music.
The performance at the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore is part of the XXV Festival Internazionale di Musica e Arte Sacra organised by the Fondazione Pro Musica e Arte Sacra.
its performance space, Monteverdi’s piece provides an immersive musical experience and also a rare one, given its treacherous technical and interpretative challenges. In the galleries of the Sheldonian Theatre, and then in the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, Marios Papadopoulos marshals this most majestic and timeless of sacred works.
Tickets £58 £42 £32 £18 (students from £5)
Dvořák Nine
Wednesday 2 December 2026
Sheldonian Theatre, 19:30
Billy James the deserter *
Shor Cello Concerto No. 3 in D minor
Dvořák Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, ‘From the New World’
Maximilian Hornung cello
John Traill conductor*
Marios Papadopoulos conductor
Antonín Dvořák was expecting to miss home when he moved from Prague to New York to run America’s first conservatory. What he wasn’t expecting was to be so taken with the spirituals and plantation songs of America, that he would fuse them with European traditions to form his symphonic masterpiece. In the end, any residue of sadness in Dvořák’s Symphony ‘from the New World’ is banished by its warmth, drama and spontaneity. Marios Papadopoulos conducts Dvořák’s letter from America, preceded by Maximilian Hornung performing Alexey Shor’s Cello Concerto No. 3.
Tickets £50 £40 £30 £15 (students from £5)
*This composition was selected to be performed following the OPO's Composers' Workshop 2026.
Christmas Oratorio
Tuesday 8 December 2026
Sheldonian Theatre, 19:00
Bach Christmas Oratorio: Cantatas 1, 2 & 3, BWV 248
Alexandra Lowe soprano
Stephanie Wake-Edwards mezzo-soprano
Sebastian Hill tenor
Matthew Brook bass
Oxford Philharmonic Choir
Michael Papadopoulos conductor
Johann Sebastian Bach was used to writing music for every celebration in the church’s calendar, but to mark Christmas in 1734, he surpassed even himself. Bach conceived an elaborate set of cantatas that would form a journey in music, from the birth of Christ to the adoration of the infant Jesus by the Magi. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio moves from frolicking trumpets, drums and choirs to touching arias, tremendous choruses, operatic ensembles and orchestral interludes. ‘There is no more life-giving, joy-enhancing experience in Bach’s music than a great performance of the Christmas Oratorio’ wrote the composer’s biographer Sir Nicholas Kenyon, words that these performances will set out to prove emphatically.
Currently Kapellmeister at Vienna’s Volksoper, conductor Michael Papadopoulos joins the Orchestra with four esteemed vocal soloists and Oxford Philharmonic Choir.
Tickets £50
£40
£30
£15 (students from £5)
Leonidas Kavakos
Saturday 12 December 2026
Sheldonian Theatre, 19:00
Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216
Brahms Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
Leonidas Kavakos conductor/violin
Leonidas Kavakos joins the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra as both conductor and soloist. To open his concert, Kavakos directs the most intimate and adventurous of Mozart’s violin concertos from the violin before laying down his instrument for Brahms’s culminating work as an orchestral composer. In his final symphony, Brahms poured new wine into old glasses in the most stylish manner imaginable, creating a symphony obsessed with old musical forms that emerges as fresh, virile and emotionally authentic. Kavakos’s own expertise with the masters of classicism is bound to deliver something special in Brahms’s glowing symphony of rebirth and renewal.
Tickets £65 £45 £35 £20 (students from £5)
Young Artists' Platform
Pre-concert recital 18:00
Chamber Music at Merton
Sunday 17 January 2027
TS Eliot Theatre, Merton College, 15:00 (Rose Lane entrance)
Britten String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 25
Prokofiev Five Mélodies, Op. 35
Hahn Piano Quintet in F sharp minor
Mark Viner piano
Soloists of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra
Benjamin Britten and Sergei Prokofiev were both exiled in America when they wrote the works performed at this concert in the TS Eliot Theatre. Far from home, the British composer produced a time-stilling string quartet while his Russian counterpart delivered a collection of graceful, mellow and humorous pieces. If the two composers sound guarded in those works, Reynaldo Hahn will appear to burst loose in his piano quintet – a bold, brilliant and big-boned masterpiece of chamber music that comes with an irresistible, impassioned French sweep.
Tickets £32 (students £5) (including interval tea and biscuits)
Supported by Elizabeth & David Ure
Eroica Symphony
Thursday 21 January 2027
Sheldonian Theatre, 19:30
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15
Beethoven Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55, ‘Eroica’
Marios Papadopoulos conductor/piano
Two hundred years since the death of Beethoven, there remains no composer who has changed music, art and society so profoundly. In the first of a series of concerts marking the anniversary, Marios Papadopoulos conducts the symphony that expanded the ambition and scale of orchestral music almost overnight – the unstoppable force that is Beethoven’s ‘Eroica’. To open the concert and the series, Marios takes to the piano to play and direct a performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 – the piece in whose compelling rhythmic drive and unorthodox harmonic shifts
Viennese audiences first sensed that this was a composer who was about to re-write the rules in music of deep humanity and shattering power.
Tickets £58 £42 £32 £18 (students from £5)
Pre-concert talk by Sir Nicholas Kenyon at 18:30
Beginning Beethoven Year: a preview of the season
The Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra is devoting a major part of its season in 2027 to Beethoven. Nicholas Kenyon introduces some of the themes of this major year-long celebration.
The Musical Paintbox
FUNomusica Family Concert
Sunday 31 January 2027
Olivier Hall, St Edward's School
15:00 - Most suitable for ages 4-8
17:00 - Most suitable for ages 8-12
Alasdair Malloy presenter
Welcome to The Musical Paintbox, a concert where colours come to life through music. From the gently flowing waters of the Blue Danube and the cheerful adventure of Yellow Submarine to the timeless beauty of Greensleeves, each piece adds a new shade to our musical palette. We also invite you to explore the vibrant scenes of Pictures at an Exhibition, where music paints images as vividly as any artist's brush. Together, these colourful works create a delightful journey of imagination, storytelling, and discovery for audiences of all ages.
Tickets adults
£10 children
£5
Family ticket
£25 (2 adults, 2 children)
For the first time, the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra will bring two performances of this FUNomusica programme to suit ages 4 to 12!
Pre-concert Arts & Crafts for the 15:00 performance start at 14:00. There will be no pre-concert Arts & Crafts for the 17:00 performance.
Pastoral Symphony
Friday 5 February 2027
Sheldonian Theatre, 19:30
Beethoven The Creatures of Prometheus Overture, Op. 43 Side-by-Side*
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
Beethoven Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, 'Pastoral'
Marcello Palazzo conductor*
Marios Papadopoulos conductor/piano
To mark the beginning of a weekend symposium on the works of Beethoven, Marios Papadopoulos combines the composer’s most conciliatory piano concerto with his most idyllic symphony. In his Piano Concerto No. 4, Beethoven reimagined the relationship between soloist and orchestra – not with shock and awe, but with gentle conversation and poetic reflection. After Marios plays and directs the concerto from the piano, we hear the symphony in which Beethoven turns away from the great issues of mankind and instead takes his listeners for a restorative walk in the countryside. Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ is both a symphony and a story, and a natureinspired masterpiece that cannot help but uplift.
Tickets £58 £42 £32 £18 (students from £5)
For Your Diary
5–7 February 2027
Beethoven Symposium
This concert will mark the beginning of the symposium weekend which will feature performances from the London Haydn Quartet, the Rautio Trio and the Soloists of the Oxford Philharmonic.
Pre-concert talk from Nicholas Mathew at 18:30
Other Beethovens
Nicholas Mathew talks about the intimate, less heroic side of the composer that is often overlooked in the popular imagination.
Martha Argerich plays Ravel
Friday 12 February 2027
Sheldonian Theatre, 19:00
Tickets £65 £45 £35 £20 (students from £5)
Sunday 14 February 2027
Barbican Hall, London, 19:00
Tickets £75 £50 £35 £20
Supported by Lady Lipworth CBE
Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals*
Ravel Piano Concerto in G major, M. 83
Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
Martha Argerich piano
Annie Dutoit-Argerich narrator
Marios Papadopoulos conductor/piano*
To 21st-century ears, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 can feel like the most modern and daring of them all. Anticipating musical developments a hundred years away, it was the first symphonic work to build a journey primarily from rhythmic rather than melodic blocks. No work of the period can match the wild dances, insistent rhythmic propulsion and infectious joy of Beethoven’s Seventh – but one piece
from the following century that certainly can, is Ravel’s jazz-infused piano concerto of 120 years later. The legendary Martha Argerich is the soloist in Ravel’s electrifyingly slick and slinky piano concerto after Annie Dutoit-Argerich narrates the greatest musical menagerie of them all, Saint-Saëns’s beastly and enchanting Carnival of the Animals.
Maxim Vengerov plays Beethoven
Saturday 13 February 2027
Olivier Hall, St Edward’s School, 19:00
Beethoven Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93
Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61
Maxim Vengerov violin
Marios Papadopoulos conductor
Writing his Symphony No. 8, Beethoven revelled in the joy of music itself. In this most concise of his later symphonies, Beethoven celebrates all that can be achieved with rhythm, harmony, texture and a whole lot of wit and invention. This charismatic symphony is the perfect companion piece to another score in which Beethoven appears to forget the pressing personal and political issues that so often stormed in his mind. When he met the young virtuoso violinist Franz Clement in 1794, Beethoven was inspired to write a violin concerto that appears to suspend time as it delights in the lyricism of the most delightful of instruments, beautifully played. Legend among violinists, Maxim Vengerov returns for this performance at the Olivier Hall at St Edward’s School.
Tickets £65 £45 £35 £20 (students from £5)
Pre-concert talk by Sir Nicholas Kenyon at 18:00
Beethoven yesterday and today
Beethoven turns a new face to every age: Nicholas Kenyon talks about the composer’s changing place in the canon of classical music.
Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra on Tour
16 – 20 February 2027
As part of the Oxford Beethoven Festival 2027, the Oxford Philharmonic will embark on a major tour across Europe with soloists Martha Argerich and Maxim Vengerov. This tour features the Orchestra’s debut at the Berlin Philharmonie alongside performances at the Isarphilharmoine in Munich, the IS Sanat Civic Centre in Istanbul and the Megaron Concert Hall in Athens.
Tuesday 16 February 2027
Philharmonie Berlin, 20:00
Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals*
Ravel Piano Concerto in G major, M. 83
Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
Thursday 18 February 2027
Isarphilharmonie Munich, 20:00
Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals*
Ravel Piano Concerto in G major, M. 83
Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
Wednesday 17 February 2027
IS Sanat Civic Centre, Istanbul, 20:30
Bach Concerto for 2 Violins, BWV 1043 (1st movement)**
Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61
Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
Saturday 20 February 2027
Megaron Concert Hall, Athens
Coleridge-Taylor Ballade in A minor, Op. 33
Ravel Piano Concerto in G major, M. 83
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36
Supported by The A.G. Leventis Foundation and The George and Kaity David Foundation
Martha Argerich piano
Annie Dutoit-Argerich narrator
Maxim Vengerov violin
Deniz Şensoy violin **
Marios Papadopoulos conductor/piano*
Tchaikovsky Four
Thursday 4 March 2027
Sheldonian Theatre, 19:30
Shor Violin Concerto No. 5 in C minor
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36
Jinzhu Li violin
Marios Papadopoulos conductor
Young rising talent once again takes to the stage, as prize-winning violinist Jinzhu Li joins the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra and Music Director Marios Papadopoulos in a performance of our composer-in-residence Alexey Shor's Violin Concerto No. 5. The second half follows with Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4. The composer described the opening fanfare as a metaphor for 'fate', and its exuberant introduction begins this masterpiece from the romantic composer embroiled in the depths of lament and the highs of euphoric triumph. The finale sees the Russian folk tune 'In the Field Stood a Birch Tree' integrated into this joyous climax.
Tickets £50 £40 £30 £15 (students from £5)
Young Artists' Platform
Pre-concert recital 18:30
St John Passion
Thursday 25 March 2027
Sheldonian Theatre, 19:00
Bach St John Passion, BWV 245
James Gilchrist Evangelist
Ashley Riches Christus
Malachy Frame Pilate
Hilary Cronin soprano
Hugh Cutting alto
Oxford Philharmonic Choir
Peter Whelan conductor
Bach’s musical settings of the stories of Christ’s passion – his arrest and crucifixion – reflect the essence of his Lutheran belief that faith can be deepened by re-enacting the suffering of Jesus and reminding ourselves of his sacrifice. Bach’s St John Passion emphasises that idea in its urgent combination of raw drama and transcendent
beauty. The decade’s breakthrough Baroque conductor Peter Whelan joins the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, esteemed soloists and Oxford Philharmonic Choir at the Sheldonian Theatre to lead this Maundy Thursday performance of Bach’s great work of suffering, redemption and hope.
Tickets £58 £42 £32 £20 (students from £5)
Mendelssohn Scottish Symphony
Thursday 8 April 2027
Sheldonian Theatre, 19:30
Skoryk Elegie
Schumann Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
Mendelssohn Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56, ‘Scottish’
Vadym Kholodenko piano
Hobart Earle conductor
Pre-concert talk by Stephen Carpenter at 18:30
Mendelssohn in Scotland
Felix Mendelssohn’s tour of Scotland in 1829 resulted in two of his best-loved works, the Hebrides Overture and Scottish Symphony. This illustrated talk will include many of the fine sketches that Mendelssohn made on his journey, and explore the reasons why Mendelssohn chose to visit Scotland and the effect that the country had on him.
Nobody inspired Robert Schumann more than his wife, Clara, a bright, creative spirit and pianist of huge sensitivity. Clara continually pushed her husband to write on larger scales but what she really wanted from him was a full concerto. After initial hesitance, Robert delivered a piece in which ‘the piano is interwoven with the orchestra in the most delicate way – one can’t imagine the one without the other’ (in Clara’s words). It was a picture of their love. The ‘truly outstanding’ (Gramophone) pianist Vadym Kholodenko performs Schumann’s concerto, under the baton of Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra's conductor Hobart Earle, between the most bracing symphony by Schumann’s close friend Mendelssohn and fellow-Ukrainian Myroslav Skoryk’s ever-poignant Elegy
Tickets £50 £40 £30 £15 (students from £5)
Sibelius Seven
Thursday 22 April 2027
Sheldonian Theatre, 19:30
Sibelius Finlandia, Op. 26
Elgar Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85
Camille Pépin Un Monde nouveau
Sibelius Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 105
Guy Johnston cello
Ben Glassberg conductor
Profound statements from the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius frame this concert, from the mixture of anger and stoicism that characterise his cry for independence against Russian occupation, Finlandia, to his final symphony written after Finnish independence and taking stock of a life lived with profundity and poise. In between, Ben Glassberg leads the Orchestra in Camille Pépin’s evocative meditation on the rebirth of the planet and what promises to be an unmissable performance of England’s greatest cello concerto by one of England’s greatest cellists, as Guy Johnston channels all the conflicting passions and strained lyricism of Elgar’s iconic work.
Tickets £58 £42 £32 £18 (students from £5)
Choral Symphony
Thursday 6 May 2027
Sheldonian Theatre, 19:00
Beethoven Choral Fantasy, Op. 80
Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, ‘Choral’
Sir Bryn Terfel baritone
Philharmonischer Chor der Stadt Bonn
Marios Papadopoulos conductor
If Beethoven’s first eight symphonies suggest a composer ahead of his time, his Ninth confirms he was far beyond his time – able to create a masterpiece for the ages that rose above even himself and his own artistry. The Ninth Symphony displays the composer’s intellectual grasp and emotional eloquence like no other. Dedicated to all of mankind, it remains an overwhelming and galvanising live concert experience and a fitting celebration of 200 years of its creator’s posthumous relevance. With soloists including Sir Bryn Terfel, Marios Papadopoulos conducts this performance at the Sheldonian Theatre before a transfer to Carnegie Hall in New York.
Tickets £65 £45 £35 £20 (students from £5)
The Oxford Philharmonic are thrilled to welcome the Philharmonischer Chor der Stadt Bonn for this performance as a celebration of the 80th anniversary of the twinning of Bonn and Oxford.
Choral Symphony at Carnegie Hall
Sunday 9 May 2027
Carnegie Hall, New York, 13:00
Beethoven Choral Fantasy, Op. 80
Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, ‘Choral’
Sir Bryn Terfel baritone
Marios Papadopoulos conductor
As part of the Beethoven 2027 celebrations, the Oxford Philharmonic will be taking Beethoven’s majestic Choral Symphony to the famous stage of Carnegie Hall, New York.
This performance is produced and presented by MidAmerica Productions, Inc in partnership with the American Friends of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra.
Encounters with Gershwin
Thursday 13 May 2027
Sheldonian Theatre, 19:30
A captivating exploration of the musical and personal connections between George Gershwin and some of the most iconic composers and performers of the 20th century. Through music and storytelling, this unique jazz programme brings to life the vibrant artistic worlds of New York, Paris and London, where Gershwin moved in creative circles alongside the likes of Heifetz, Kreisler and Copland.
Following the sold-out success of this concert at Zankel Hall in New York, come and hear the Orchestra’s musicians like you’ve never heard them before!
Tickets £50 £40 £30 £15 (students from £5)
Lizzie Ball violin/vocals
James Pearson piano
Soloists of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra
For Your Diary
Monday 17 May 2027
Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, London
As part of a new classical series hosted by James Pearson and Lizzie Ball, the Oxford Philharmonic will take over an evening at the brand-new Upstairs venue at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club with two performances. The first will be a classical showcase of young rising talent of the Orchestra, with the second highlighting a journey through Gershwin's life.
Artwork: “Jazz Quintet” © Patt Scrivener
Elena Bashkirova plays Mozart
Monday 24 May 2027
Cadogan Hall, London, 19:00
Tickets £58 £48 £38 £28 £18
Tuesday 25 May 2027
Sheldonian Theatre, 19:00
Tickets £58 £42 £32 £18 (students from £5)
Mozart Concerto for Two Pianos in E flat major, K. 365*
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat major, K. 595
Mozart Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551, 'Jupiter'
Elena Bashkirova piano
Marios Papadopoulos conductor/piano*
Towards the end of the 1770s, Mozart got wind of the tremendous opportunities afforded by writing not for one solo instrument and orchestra, but two. The most joyous example of the six double concertos he embarked upon is that written in 1779, in which ‘stereo’ soloists converse with the conviviality of two old friends catching up. A pianist with Mozart in her soul, Elena Bashkirova, plays this heartwarming piece with Music Director Marios Papadopoulos, alongside Mozart's final solo concerto for the instrument –a work of poetry and poignancy. Marios then takes to the podium to round the concert off with the torrent of infectious musical energy that is Mozart’s last-ever symphony.
Adventures in the Magical Kingdom
FUNomusica Family Concert
Sunday 30 May 2027
Olivier Hall, St Edward's School, 15:00
Alasdair Malloy presenter
King Alasdair, the ruler of the Magical Kingdom of Far, Far Away, is in town with his merry minstrels, the Oxford Philharmonic, to invite everyone to attend a Grand Ball in his wonderful Palace. We’ll mingle with the other guests before the Ball begins – you might spot Robin Hood, The Queen of Sheba and two princesses from the Frozen north, amongst others - before we dance the night away in splendid style!
Tickets adults £10 children £5
Family ticket £25 (2 adults, 2 children)
Most suitable for ages 4−8
Pre-concert Arts & Crafts start at 14:00
Steven Isserlis
Thursday 3 June 2027
Sheldonian Theatre, 19:00
Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 107
Shor Cello Concerto No. 1, 'Musical Pilgrimage'
Brahms Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90
Steven Isserlis cello
Dionysis Grammenos conductor
The internationally-renowned British cellist Steven Isserlis's vast, award-winning repertoire includes Bach, Beethoven & Brahms. The soloist, chamber musician, author, educator, and broadcaster joins the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra to perform composer-in-residence Alexey Shor's Cello Concerto No. 1 and Shostakovich's Concerto No. 1. The performance will undoubtedly showcase his technical mastery and bring his emotive, lyrical and enchanting abilities to the fore as a musician who is equally comfortable playing contemporary works as he is in the arms of Baroque music.
Tickets £58 £42 £32 £18 (students from £5)
Gershwin and Bernstein
Thursday 17 June 2027
Sheldonian Theatre, 19:30
Copland Fanfare for the Common Man
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue (arr. by Grofé)
Bernstein West Side Story, Suites 1 & 2
Aliki Chrysochou Maria
Robin Bailey Tony
Oxford Philharmonic Choir
Marios Papadopoulos conductor/piano
In the 20th century, Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin proved that classical music could be revitalised when embracing popular styles, not degraded. For the final concert of our season, works by both composers demonstrate that process in action. We open with the piece that brought the wicked excitement of jazz onto the concert stage and made Gershwin a star, his Rhapsody
in Blue. In West Side Story, Bernstein supplemented his wicked syncopations and fast-lane drive with the most memorable tunes he would write. Bernstein’s two suites of highlights include the best songs, most contagious dances and greatest orchestral moments from what many consider the greatest modern musical.
Tickets £58 £42 £32 £18 (students from £5)
Academy Programme
The Oxford Philharmonic Academy incorporates all of our educational programmes, which range from pre-primary to postgraduate level. We work with young people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.
Since the inception of the Orchestra, we have offered numerous tuition and performance opportunities to hundreds of students, including one-to-one lessons from senior Orchestra members, performance opportunities as part of the Orchestra, full symphonic premieres for emerging composers, workshops and masterclasses from our own outstanding players and visiting international artists. The education programmes have recently been expanded to benefit students both nationally and internationally.
The Oxford Piano Festival
The Oxford Piano Festival was founded with the aim of bringing the most talented young pianists and renowned teachers to Oxford for a world-leading series of masterclasses and evening concerts. The Festival has established itself as an international destination for teachers, aspiring musicians, and audience members. Participants have gone on to perform with every major orchestra in the UK, and have won prizes including BBC Young Musician and the Leeds International Piano Competition, the last two winners of which were Piano Festival alumni.
Pre-school Education
Since 2009, the OPO has presented three FUNomusica family concerts per year, designed for families with children aged from 4.
SEN(D) Schools
Specially-trained OPO musicians visit schools for children with special educational needs and disabilities, where pupils explore how sound is produced, shared and enjoyed.
School Level Education
The Orchestra holds workshops at local schools, at which children share their passion for music with their peers and are taught by the Orchestra’s musicians.
Building on the foundation laid at the lower level, we provide continued guidance and tuition for Secondary School pupils. Key opportunities include solo recitals in the Young Artists' Programme, and the chance to participate in our esteemed Concerto Festival.
Anne-Sophie Mutter holding a masterclass with OPO Student Fellow Zofia Anna Olesik.
Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra
The Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra brings together some of the leading orchestral musicians from across the UK and Europe for world-class inspirational performances in Oxford, the UK and worldwide. Its continual search for excellence in artistry is underpinned by the dedication and vision of Founder and Music Director, Marios Papadopoulos, who has shaped the Orchestra's distinctive sound since its inception in 1998. He brings engaging interpretations interpretations of classical repertoire to Oxford and beyond, from the great masterworks to innovative new commissions.
The Oxford Philharmonic works regularly with some of the world’s greatest artists, including Martha Argerich, Maxim Vengerov, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Evgeny Kissin, Sir András Schiff, Nicola Benedetti, Daniel Harding, Sir Stephen Hough, Sir John Rutter and Sir Bryn Terfel.
In addition to the Orchestra’s annual concert season in Oxford, the Oxford Philharmonic performs many concerts across the UK, including a regular presence in London with appearances at the Barbican, Royal Festival Hall, the Royal Albert Hall and Cadogan Hall. The OPO’s flourishing
international profile brings their debut at the Philharmonie Berlin in February 2027 as part of a major European tour with regular collaborators Martha Argerich and Maxim Vengerov, with further performances in Munich, Istanbul and Athens. As well as a debut in Rome in November 2026, the Orchestra will return once again to New York’s Carnegie Hall in May 2027 performing Beethoven’s ‘Choral’ Symphony with Sir Bryn Terfel among a cast of leading soloists. Previous major tours include a nine-concert tour of Japan to sold-out audiences across five cities, as well as a return to Dubai in 2023/24 season, giving six concerts at Dubai Opera. Touring across Europe includes acclaimed performances at Vienna’s Musikverein and Tivoli Festival, Copenhagen.
2026 saw the launch of Oxford International Opera, a brand-new opera company founded by the Orchestra. With world-renowned baritone Sir Bryn Terfel as Artistic Director and Marios Papadopoulos as Music Director, Oxford International Opera’s debut will be marked by a fully staged production of Puccini’s Tosca at the New Theatre in September 2026, and Beethoven’s Fidelio in the following season.
The Orchestra’s ‘Oxford Beethoven Festival 2027’ will mark the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s death with an exploration of the composer’s masterpieces, including performances of all the symphonies and piano concertos with Marios Papadopoulos as both soloist and conductor. In addition, the complete piano sonatas and many chamber works will be performed, as well as a ‘Beethoven – then and now’ symposium in February 2027 which will bring together some of the world’s leading Beethoven scholars.
Since its founding, the Oxford Philharmonic has been firmly committed to outreach work, with award-winning projects taking music to areas of social and economic disadvantage, hospitals and Special Educational Needs schools. Our community work also includes a series of FUNomusica Family concerts attracting audiences aged 4 to 12 years.
Through its International Academy Programme, the Oxford Philharmonic continues to offer students unparalleled training opportunities and a platform for their work. The Oxford Piano Festival, part of the Oxford Philharmonic’s vision since the beginning, welcomes piano players
and pedagogues, experts and enthusiasts to some of Oxford’s most historic venues. The Orchestra’s Side-by-Side Scheme, Composers’ Workshops and Student Fellowship all provide valuable insights, training and experience to the next generation of talent, giving access to globally distinguished musicians and eminent orchestral members.
The Oxford Philharmonic continues to make a significant contribution to the recording catalogue and recently signed to Signum Classics for a series of releases, beginning with Martines: The Complete Keyboard Works. Previous recordings include Mozart Symphonies conducted by Marios Papadopoulos, The Enlightened Trumpet with Paul Merkelo, A Merton Christmas with the Choir of Merton College, Vladimir Ashkenazy conducting music by Borenstein, Lidström and Shostakovich, Mendelssohn’s arrangement of Handel’s Acis and Galatea, and Haydn’s The Creation with the Choir of New College.
The Orchestra and its Music Director were awarded the City of Oxford’s Certificate of Honour, in recognition of their contribution to education and performance in Oxford.
Booking Information for Concerts in Oxford
Box Office
Online: oxfordphil.com
Telephone: 01865 980 980 (Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00)
Email: boxoffice@oxfordphil.com
The box office at the Sheldonian Theatre opens 4 hours before each concert. The box office at all other venues opens 1 hour before each concert.
Opening Times
Doors open 30 minutes before the advertised concert start time and 10 minutes before a pre-concert event.
Booking Dates
Thursday 2 July 2026, 12:00 – Priority booking for Patrons and multi-buy purchases* of 14+ concerts
Monday 6 July 2026, 12:00 – Priority booking for Friends and multi-buy purchases* of 10+ concerts
Thursday 9 July 2026, 12:00 – General booking
*Priority booking for multi-buy purchases by telephone only
Multi-buy and Group Bookings
Multi-buy tickets cannot be refunded and can only be exchanged for events within the same season at point of return.
Book 10-13 concerts and save 10%.
Book 14+ concerts and save 15%.
Book 10+ tickets for one concert and save 10%.
Discounts cannot be combined and must be booked in one transaction.
Fees
Postage fee of £2.50 per order.
Concessions
Under 18s and full-time students receive £5 tickets in the lowest price band or a £5 discount for all other price bands through generous contributions to our Ticket Access Fund for Students.
Special Requirement s
All our venues have disabled access and facilities. If you require a wheelchair space or have specific access or seating requirements, please call the box office so that we can advise you on the best seating arrangement for your needs.
The Sheldonian Theatre was constructed between 1664 and 1669, and is a Grade I listed building. Please note that there are no lift facilities and that the majority of the seats are benches, some without backrests. If you require a wheelchair space, have any access requirements or questions about seating, please contact the box office on 01865 980980.
Latecomers
We will do our best to admit latecomers whenever possible at an appropriate point in the performance. Latecomers will be seated in a designated area until the interval, when they can take their allocated seat.
Unreserved Seating
Unreserved seating entitles you to a seat within your chosen area rather than a specific seat. Patrons, sponsors and those with disabilities are entitled to reserved seating in these areas, allocated at the Orchestra’s discretion.
Refunds and Conditions of Sale
Tickets may be exchanged for another concert or a credit voucher (valid for six months) if returned at least two weeks before the concert. An administration fee will apply.
For sold out concerts only, we can accept returned tickets and attempt to re-sell them for you. This is not a guarantee; if the ticket is sold then a refund will be given minus an administration fee per ticket.
Administration fees are charged per ticket at 10% of the original ticket cost, with a maximum charge of £2.50 per ticket.
Please note that children under the age of 6 cannot be admitted to OPO concerts, with the exception of FUNomusica family concerts. Children over the age of 2 years require a ticket for family concerts.
We reserve the right to refuse admission and to change the date, time, artist, programme or venue of any event where unavoidable.
Please see our website for full T&Cs and FAQs.
Privacy Policy
The Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra is committed to ensuring that your personal data is protected. We use the information that we collect about you in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003. This privacy policy sets out how we use and protect any information that you share with us.
UK Venue Information
Sheldonian Theatre
Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3AZ
Holywell Music Room
Holywell Street, Oxford, OX1 3SD
Olivier Hall, St Edward’s School
Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 7BG
Cadogan Hall
5 Sloane Terrace, London, SW1X 9DQ
New Theatre
24-26 George Street, Oxford, OX1 2AE
TS Eliot Theatre, Merton College
Rose Lane, Oxford, OX1 4JD
Barbican Hall
Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS
Sheldonian Theatre Seating Plan
Chairs (unreserved, cushioned chair with cushioned backrest)
Row A (cushioned bench with wooden backrest)
Lower Gallery (cushioned bench with cushioned backrest)
Semi-Circle (cushioned bench with no backrest)
Upper Gallery (unreserved, cushioned bench with wooden backrest)
Area Balcony (unreserved, cushioned bench with no backrest)
Stewards Gallery (unsighted & unreserved, cushioned bench with cushioned backrest)
Royal Patron
HRH Princess Alexandra
Life Presidents
Geoffrey de Jager
Harry Leventis
Honorary President
The Rt Hon the Lord Patten of Barnes, CH
Vice President
Sir Victor Blank
Fellow
Alex Gorsky
Patrons
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Raymond Blanc OBE
Piano Festival Patron
Murray Perahia KBE
Piano Festival President
Sir András Schiff
Patron for New Music
Marina, Lady Marks
Music Director
Marios Papadopoulos MBE
Composer in Residence
Alexey Shor
Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra Trust
Registered Charity No. 1084256
Sir Ivor Roberts KCMG (Chair)
Prince Etienne d'Arenburg
Dr Saphié Ashtiany
Marco Assetto
David Haenlein
Lord Hall
Dr Russell Hirshfield
Geoffrey de Jager
Colin Maund
Dr Marios Papadopoulos MBE
Sir Jonathan Phillips
Prof. Sir Andrew Pollard
Lord Stewart
Natalie Stoneham
Per Wimmer (Trustee Elect)
Prof. Christopher Wood
Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra
Advisory Council
Dr Saphié Ashtiany (Chair)
John Caunt
Joanna Foster CBE
Peggotty Graham
Jeff Hewitt
Robert Jackson
Lord Krebs
Dr Jill Pellew
Sir Jonathan Phillips
Bob Price
Hilary Reid-Evans
Lady Stewart
Prof. Sir John Vickers
Angela Wade
David Whelton
Finance & Risk Committee
Colin Maund (Chair)
David Haenlein
Jeff Hewitt
Tom Purves
Honorary Members
Lord Butler of Brockwell
Sir Jeremy Greenstock
Lady Heseltine
John Leighfield CBE
Margarita Louis-Dreyfus
Dr Michael Peagram
Prof. Reinhard Strohm
Francesca Schwarzenbach
George Tsavliris
Bruno Wang
Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra Productions Ltd
Company No. 03592323
VAT No. 208 4077 20
Directors
Dr Saphié Ashtiany
Marco Assetto
David Haenlein
Anthi Papadopoulos
Dr Marios Papadopoulos MBE
Board Members,
American Friends of the Oxford
Philharmonic
Joshua M Berman
Dr Russell Hirshfield
Dr Marios Papadopoulos MBE
Christopher Wright
Advisory Council, American Friends of the Oxford Philharmonic
Alex Gorsky
Hon. Kerry Murphy Healey
Sir John Hood
Leila Larijani
Aviad Meitar
James Sherwood†, Chairman Emeritus
Executive Management
Music Director
Dr Marios Papadopoulos MBE
Chief Operating Officer
Anthi Papadopoulos
General Manager
Stephen Carpenter
Education & Community Director
David Haenlein
Administration
Head of International Touring
Emma Beecham
Artistic Planning Manager
Olivia Lyndon-Jones
Planning & Logistics Officer
Orlando Grant
Concerts Officer
Maria Liu
Orchestra Personnel Officer
Tom Allen
Head of Philanthropy
Ruth Ellul
Philanthropy Manager
Fiachra Kelleher
Philanthropy Officer
Carolina Abeledo Vilariño
Christina Henne Holmbeck
Graphic Designer
Sam Woodland
Marketing & Digital Coordinator
Maja Persson
Communications Officer
Owen Wake
Ticketing & Events Officer
Meg Robinson
Education Officer
Lydia Bennett
Librarian
Marcello Palazzo
Recordings & Marketing Consultant
Mark Wilkinson
Media Relations
Karen Pitchford
Friends & Patrons Liaison
John Caunt
Stage Manager
Max Howard
Donors and Benefactors
Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra Trust (charity No. 1084256) acknowledges with deep gratitude the financial contributions made over the last twelve months by the following:
Diamond Benefactors
A.G. Leventis Foundation, Alex & Elena Gerko, Laidlaw Opera Trust, Alfiya & Vladimir Stolyarenko
Platinum Benefactors
Arigato Trust, Marco & Francesca Assetto, Maggie Copus, Geoffrey & Caroline de Jager, Prof. Raymond Dwek CBE & Mrs Sandra Dwek, John Ellerman Foundation, H.K. Leventis Foundation, Colin & Rosemary Maund, The James & Shirley Sherwood Foundation, The Thompson Family Charitable Trust, Prof. Christopher Wood
Gold Benefactors
Prof. Paul Davies & Dr Saphié Ashtiany, Sir Victor & Lady Blank, David Haenlein, Hellios Information Ltd, Michele Kang, Lady Lipworth CBE, Patrick Maselis, Bernard Morris Charitable Trust, The Michael Bishop Foundation, Simon & Alison Ryde
Silver Benefactors
Henry & Ruth Amar, Raymond Blanc OBE, Calleva Foundation, Leo Tong Chen, The R & S Cohen Foundation, Cotswold Lodge Hotel, Dr John & Baroness Ruth Deech, Mr & Mrs John Leighfield CBE, The Sir Jack Lyons Charitable Trust, Michael Marks Charitable Trust, Amanda & David Milne KC, Dr Michael Peagram, Earl & Countess of Stockton, The Tolkien Trust, David & Elizabeth Ure, Per Wimmer
Benefactors
All Souls College, The Ammco Trust, Humphrey Battcock, John & Arthur Beare, Angela Beatson Wood, The Boutell Bequest, Robert Brewer Young, The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, The Coln Trust, Lady Colin Campbell, Brian & Jean Carroll, John & Chris Caunt, Dr Peter Collins, Eric Coutts, Stephen & Jane Cotton, Michael & Felicia Crystal, Andrew & Celia Curran, Michael & Heather Dalgleish, Dalgleish Trust, The George and Kaity David Foundation, Deborah & Antony Elliott OBE, Peggotty & Andrew Graham, Anita Higham OBE, Lady Horton, Harry Hyman, JFR Charitable Trust, Alun Evans & Hilary Reid Evans, John Ikenberry & Lidia Usami, Robert Jackson, Kawai UK Ltd., Prince Amyn Muhammad Aga Khan, Peter & Lorna Klimt, Eric & Clare Lowry, Latifa Kosta, Ajit Lalvani, Mark Le Page, Mike Lester, Juan Enrique Manosalva Brun, Olga Peros, Jean Peters, Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Jane & Andrew Power, Sir Ivor & Lady Roberts KCMG, Phil & Ann Roberts, David Shrier, Smart Work, Gregory & Susan Spence, Rolf & Ewa Stahel, Lord & Lady Stewart, The Robert Turnbull Piano Foundation, David Ure 2013 Trust, Andrea Vögeli, The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust
Aeonian Legacy Circle
Sir Ivor & Lady Roberts KCMG, and those who have chosen to remain anonymous
Patrons
Dr Mark Alexander, Sue & Don Anderson, John & Hilary Bach, Mary Beattie, Sir Peter & Lady Bonfield, Dr Karen & Dr Eric Caines, Jane Campbell, Katherine Carpenter, Emma Chamberlain OBE, Prof. David Coleman, Dr Robert F Coles, Charles & Gisela Cooper, Mr & Mrs Andrew Cornick, Dame Kay Davies, N Dimsdale, Edward & Lynn Dowler, John Faux, Christopher & Marian French, David & Elizabeth French, Frank & Alice Gargent, David Golding, Annette Gower, Dr Ailsa Granne, Wal & Christine Gray, Ron & Penny Gulliver, Robert Hart, Raymond Hartman, Paula Heath, Jeff & Pauline Hewitt, Valerie Hill, Chris & Nicola Hornby, Keith & Antoinette Jackson, Prof. Richard Jenkyns, Sir David & Lady Keene, Prof. Martin Kemp, Sir Anthony & Lady Kenny, Rani Lall, Kaye & David Lillycrop, Alexander Lingas, Jenny Loehnis, Michael Lynes, David Lyons, Prof. Sir Andrew Pollard, Diana McMahon, Joy Morning, Stephen & Freda Oppenheimer, John & Margaret Orme, Thomas O’Shea, Dominic Parr, Neil Pearson, Mark & Jill Pellew, Gary Phillips, Dr David Pick, Derek & Muriel Pilkington, John & Poppy Pool, Michael Proudfoot, Tom & Hilde Purves, Colin Redman, Michael Rouse CBE, Sander Schakelaar, Margaret Serpico, Barbara Shaylor, Alan Smith, The N Smith Charitable Trust, Souldern Trust, The Stanton Ballard Charitable Trust, The Bartlett Taylor Charitable Trust, Jack Straw & Alice Perkins, Edward & Anne-Francoise Schneider, Kevin Thomas, Lucia Van Der Post, Angela Wade, Michael & Christine Warburton, Richard Warley, Dr Trudy Watt, Sam & Suzanne Webber, The William Alwyn Foundation, Liz Willmott, Robert Barclay Woods CBE, Lord Harry & Lady Marguerite Woolf
The Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra extends its heartfelt gratitude to all Anonymous donors whose generous support, at every level of giving, makes our music possible.
American Friends of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra
The American Friends of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra Inc. is a US based 501(c)(3) tax exempt organisation under the Internal Revenue Code.
Diamond Benefactors
Dr Russell Hirshfield & Leila Larijani, Rosenblatt Charitable Trust
Platinum Benefactors
Thomas A Barron, Ruth & Joshua M Berman, Faanya Rose, Kari Jonassen Tiedemann, Christopher Wright
Gold Benefactors
CeCe & Lee Black, Mary Mochary Management Trust, Mr & Mrs Blake Samuels, Dee Schwab, Michele Kang
Silver Benefactors
Samantha & Nabil Chartouni, Peter & Michelle Faulkner, Foundation for Hope & Prosperity, Francis Fraenkel, Lili Forouraghi Charitable Trust, Ruth Gjessing-Newman, Whitaker Irvin, Karen Mehra, Anne Popkin, Katharine Rayner, Katherine Richardson, Annie Totah, Alec Wang
Benefactors
Greg & Monica Arnold, Birchtree Global, Donna D’Urso, Eunice Foreman, Yolanda Gasalla, Monica Gerard Sharp, Mai Hallingby Harrison, Mary Jaharis, JCC Foundation, MAI VILMS Charitable Foundation, Ambassador Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, John Oden, Plimpton Shattuck Fund, Barbara Tober, Richard Toledo, Katrina Vanderlip, Saundra Whitney, Adam Zoia
Patrons
Ambassador Dr Beresford Hill, The Boston Foundation, David Cassey, James Dilion, Rick Donner, Lisa D’Urso, Marianne Diwik, Gavin Garrett, Barbara Grewe, Susan Gutfreund, Geraldine Kunstadter, Lisa Rossi, Aniko Gaal Schott, Maureen Sheehan, Peter & Mary Jeanne Tufano, John Ikenberry & Lidia Usami
Oxford International Opera
We are delighted to have received support for the Oxford International Opera from various donors. The list below comprises of Individuals, Trusts and Foundations who have made specific gifts in support of the launch of OIO.
Founding Members
Laidlaw Opera Trust, Latifa Kosta, Eric & Clare Lowry, Anonymous, The Michael Bishop Foundation, Tony Matharu, The Thompson Family Charitable Trust, Christopher & Julie Wood
oxfordphil.com
Photography credits: Marco Borggreve, Felix Broede, Nick Castelli, Julia Wesely, Adriano Heitman, Diago Mariotta Mendez, Frances Marshall, Johannes Ifkovits, Nikolaj Lund, Jonas Magnus Lystad, Illiya Vjestica, Louis Colbee, Goh Rhy Yan, Theo Williams, Isserlis Steven, Zvonimir Atletic, Lenz Stefanie, Posztos/Shutterstock.com, Basil Lockwood
Contact us
Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, 29a Teignmouth Road, London NW2 4EB 01865 987 222 (general) | 01865 980 980 (box office) | info@oxfordphil.com | oxfordphil.com
American Friends of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra (501(c)3 Charitable Organisation)
Camilla G Hellman MBE Director of Marketing and Operations – USA
American Friends of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra 864 Lexington Avenue, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10065
Tel: + 212 729 0127 | Email: camillaghellman@gmail.com
The Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra is a full member of the Association of British Orchestras
This brochure is published by Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra Productions Ltd. Information is correct at time of going to print (June 2026)
The Oxford Philharmonic is a superb ensemble, achieving a rich and deeply satisfying blend.
The orchestra bowled me over with their epic playing.
(the) conductor and the orchestra delivered a magnificent performance with full knowledge of the score, virtuosity, discipline, passion, lyricism, and transparent inner voices.
Seen and Heard
wonderfully spirited Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra
The Times
Oberon's Grove (Carnegie 2022)