| Monday 20 October 2025 | 19:30 |
| Santtu-Matias Rouvali | Conductor |
| Philharmonia Orchestra |
The renowned Philharmonia Orchestra of London returns to CAMA for the first time since 2019, under the baton of its dynamic new Principal Conductor, Finnish Maestro Santtu-Matias Rouvali for an epic program of powerful national voices and symphonic masterpieces. The concert opens with Sibelius's Finlandia, a stirring anthem of Finnish national pride and resilience, followed by the composer’s Symphony No. 5, a work of majestic beauty and profound emotional depth, culminating in its iconic “swan hymn” finale. The second half of the program features Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5. Written in response to political pressure in Soviet Russia, the symphony was a “triumphal success” at its 1937 premiere, receiving an ovation that lasted over half an hour. The symphony's dramatic arc continues to resonate with audiences today, raising questions about artistic freedom and the role of the artist in society.
“The conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali, who is often drawn to Strauss’s orchestral epics in concert, doubled down in this blast of a performance. What a sound he drew from the Philharmonia—the strings were a blaze of scorching sunlight, the woodwind and brass bold and gleaming.”
–The Times (London)
Tickets on sale from 22 July
