Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra give the UK premiere of one of André Previn's final works, while Joshua Weilerstein’s Rite of Spring brings a devastating blow in a programme of unique musical voices.

Vasily Petrenko opens his penultimate season with RLPO in raucous style.

As part of their ‘summer’ season, Vasily Petrenko conducted the RLPO in Mendelssohn’s sunny “Italian” Symphony. Boris Giltburg uses Beethoven’s Emperor as a showcase for his flawless talents.

Vasily Petrenko conducts Zemlinsky, Mendelssohn and Bruch in Liverpool.

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra present a programme of Rossini, Paganini and Dvořák with Michele Mariotti conducting, but it’s Ray Chen who steals the show.

Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall was plunged into luscious sunshine with music from across the Tropics. The first half was filled with the sounds of Latin America before a nautical Arabian tour.

Tchaikovsky’s warhorse piano concerto is given a performance stripped of all showmanship. Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra completes this oddly programmed concert from the RLPO.

Robert Trevino conducts the RLPO in a stormy Mahler 5th after a deeply personal account Mozart's Clarinet Concerto by Julian Bliss

Vasily Petrenko and the RLPO gave a deeply moving performance of Sibelius's Fourth Symphony, following exquisite Peer Gynt and a stylish Beethoven Third Piano Concerto with Beatrice Rana.

Francesco Piemontesi performed Brahms’ monumental second concerto with captivating results, followed by Andrew Manze’s carefully considered interpretation of Mozart’s Jupiter symphony in Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall.

RLPO debutante Kahchun Wong makes a distinctive first impression in a programme of iconic works from the 20th century.

Jennifer Higdon's blue cathedral holds its own alongside more familiar American pieces by Adams and Barber plus the “New World” Symphony.

The RLPO and NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover join forces for Britten's War Requiem.

In the week of remembrance, Sheku Kanneh-Mason played Elgar’s Cello Concerto with a level of British reverence, while Andrew Manze concluded with some exquisite Ravel. 

A trio of Soviet composers provided thrills and spills in Liverpool, under popular Chief Conductor Vasily Petrenko.

On reaching the second instalment of his Brahms cycle, Vasily Petrenko brings a fresh breath of alpine air to Liverpool, while George Li impresses in Rachmaninov’s ever popular Second Piano Concerto.

Bringing their residency to a close, Anderson and Roe perform Mozart’s concerto for two pianos. Anu Tali makes her RLPO debut with Bernstein, Tubin and Sibelius.

Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra offer a stunning palette of orchestral colours in Elgar, Bell, Strauss, and Bartók.

Andrew Manze conducted the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in two English choral pieces; Stephen Hough brought a fitting conclusion to his Beethoven concerto cycle as artist-in-residence. 

A highlight of Royal Liverpool Philharmonic's season, tackling a piece not attempted by the orchestra for almost 50 years.

Symphonies by Glass and Rachmaninov played by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra show how time doesn't always flow at the same rate.

Philip Glass' 80th birthday is celebrated in style by Vasily Petrenko and The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic in the UK première of his Eleventh Symphony, alongside vibrant performances of Dvořák and Scriabin.

Evgeni Bozhanov marks his Liverpool début with the RLPO under the watchful eye of conductor Marzena Diakun. 

Petrenko and the RLPO tackle familiar Berlioz and unfamiliar Kodály and Szymanowski.  

Keyboard virtuoso Trifonov delivers a stunning rendition of Rachmaninov's Fourth Piano Concerto at Birmingham's Symphony Hall. 

Soviet Realism rubs shoulders with Romanticism and a new British work in Liverpool.

Cristian Mandeal and the RLPO offer an evening of mixed fortunes, with Brahms' Third Symphony not reaching the same level of inspiration as Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto no. 2.

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Vasiliy Petrenko make a guest visit to Sage Gateshead, bringing their contributions by Ravel and Rachmaninov to this year's concert theme of Dance.

Petrenko and the RLPO produced a Rachmaninov symphony that ticked all the boxes, a scintillating world première from Emily Howard and a Shostakovich concerto with an impressive replacement soloist.

To celebrate their ten year partnership, Vasily Petrenko and the RLPO serve up a hearty Russian meal with a British-Italian hors d'oeuvre.  

Vasily Petrenko and the RLPO perform an all-Russian programme, with an exceptional Rite of Spring and charismatic playing from solo harpist Catrin Finch. 

On a balmy evening in Liverpool, Vasily Petrenko led the RLPO in two works that explored differenet apsects of lamentation, preceded by a Straussian toboggan ride.

Under the baton of Simon Wright, the RLPO and the Leeds Festival Chorus gave an exciting rendition of Tippett’s A Child of Our Time.

Christian Lindberg conducts the RLPO in the premiere of his own Robot Gardens alongside music by Bernstein and Nielsen

Sir Andrew Davis conducted the RLPO in a programme of Mozart and Bruckner, with Esther Yoo as violinist in Mozart's “Turkish” concerto.

Joshua Weilerstein conducts the RLPO in music by Rouse, Prokofiev and Berlioz. 

Prokofiev's Cinderella shall go to the ball: under Vasily Petrenko's scrupulously magic wand this ballet masterpiece dazzled in a fairy-tale programme of original stage works.

Harriet Krijgh and Gustavo Gimeno excel in their Liverpool debuts, and the RLPO earn a rapturous reception for a ravishing Scheherazade, destined to remain long in the memory. 

Vasily Petrenko conducts a darkly coloured Alpensinfonie in Liverpool, alongside music by Tchaikovsky and Canteloube

Picking up where his Czech predecessors left off, Vasily Petrenko led the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic in a satisfying close to this year's festival.

Vasily Petrenko conducts the RLPO in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Mendelssohn's Die erste Walpurgisnacht in Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall.

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra presented not one but two gigantic works of Tchaikovsky in a packed Town Hall in Leeds.

Vastly Petrenko conducts John Adams' Saxophone Concerto with Timothy McAllister, along with Gershwin and Strauss in Liverpool. 

Compelling offerings from Petrenko with the RLPO in romantic works, while Ning Feng dazzles with his poetry and extraordinary tone. 

A feast of Strauss and Elgar delights all in Prom 19, featuring Vasily Petrenko, Inger Dam-Jensen, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra's visit to Reading featured music by Mozart, Brahms and Elgar, and the crowds of schoolchildren in attendance seemed entranced.

Thomas Dausgaard conducted energetic performances of Bruch’s First Violin Concerto and Mahler’s Fifth Symphony with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, producing a great deal of fine playing though occasionally at the expense of long structure.Norwegian violinist Henning Kraggerud was soloist for the Bruch.

Vasily Petrenko conducted the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and a fine trio of principals in an excellent semi-staged production of Puccini’s Tosca, directed by Amy Lane.The two performances of the opera form the culmination of Bryn Terfel’s two-week stint as Artist in Residence with the orchestra.

A family concert based on We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and featuring much-loved household names Michael Rosen and Tony Ross drew in a willing and high-spirited audience for this afternoon Prom, many with their own teddy bears in tow.

Since the death of conductors like Isidore Godfrey, Malcolm Sargent and Charles Mackerras, all of whom feature heavily in the Gilbert and Sullivan discography with many excellent soloists of the last century, there has been no mainstream conductor that has really given the work of Gilbert and Sullivan its due; countless amateur dramatic societies and a few professional opera houses have done their