RLPO reveals a packed new season at Liverpool Phil

A talented young cellist picked to play for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding will become one of the RLPO’s ‘artists in residence’ next season.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who won the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition in 2016, will be joined by pianists Anderson & Roe and Iranian-American harpsichord player Mahan Esfahani in a busy line-up for the 2018-19 series of concerts.

The orchestra, under the baton of chief conductor Vasily Petrenko for a 13th season – unlucky for some but not for Phil audiences – will also host the winner of the Leeds International Piano Competition, whoever that turns out to be, in their first concert after lifting the prestigious trophy as part of a new relationship between the RLPO and competition organisers.

Elsewhere there are returns for popular guest artists like violinist James Ehnes, pianists Simon Trpčeski and Boris Giltburg, accordion player Ksenia Sidorova – a hit at the Spirit of Christmas concerts in 2016, and Huyton-born, international piano virtuoso Paul Lewis, as well as faces new to Hope Street audiences.

Brahms fans will enjoy the complete cycle of the German Romantic’s symphonies, while new music being premiered comes from Gary Carpenter – the Phil’s ‘composer in association’, Mark-Anthony Turnage and Claudia Montero among others.

Conductor Vasily Petrenko. Photo: Mark McNulty. Top - Sheku Kanneh-Mason. Photo: Lars Borges

There is a strong presence from female conductors on the box over the season as well as works performed by female composers both past and present.

And along with concerts at the Philharmonic Hall, the RLPO will return to Liverpool Cathedral in November to perform Benjamin Britten’s mighty War Requiem, alongside Hannover’s NDR Radiophilharmonie, to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War.

Meanwhile 2019 marks the 10th birthday of In Harmony Liverpool, the pioneering scheme based on Venezuela’s El Sistema, and which uses orchestral music-making to improve the health, education and aspirations of children in Everton where the RLPO has its rehearsal rooms.

Vasily Petrenko said: “I’m looking forward to our new season, with the opportunity to perform such a wide variety of repertoire, from Brahms’ complete symphonies to new works by our Composer in Association, Gary Carpenter.

“I’m delighted to work with artists new to Liverpool as well as returning friends. This diversity represents what is distinctive about Liverpool Philharmonic, and is something that I cherish.”

Tickets for all concerts go on general sale on June 5. For full season details visit the website HERE