Santtu-Matias Rouvali bio

Víkingur Ólafsson bio

Víkingur Ólafsson is one of the most celebrated classical artists of our time; a unique and visionary musician who brings his profound originality to some of the greatest works in music history. His recordings resonate deeply with audiences around the world, reaching more than one billion streams and winning numerous awards, including a Grammy for Best Classical Instrumental Solo in 2025, BBC Music Magazine’s Album of the Year, and an Opus Klassik for Solo Recording of the Year two years in a row. Other notable honors include the Rolf Schock Prize in Musical Arts, Gramophone’s Artist of the Year, Musical America’s Instrumentalist of the Year, Iceland’s Order of the Falcon, as well as Iceland’s Presidential Export Award.

In November 2025, Mr. Ólafsson releases his latest album, Opus 109, which places Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 30 at its heart. In an illuminating and thrilling musical dialogue with Schubert, J. S. Bach, and other works by Beethoven, it traces the lineages that converge on this masterpiece of the piano literature. He tours the anticipated new program widely, bringing it to the greatest concert halls across Europe and North America.

In the 2025–2026 season, Mr. Ólafsson tours the US with the Philharmonia Orchestra, and performs alongside the Berliner Philharmoniker with Semyon Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic with Sir Antonio Pappano. He also reunites with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the baton of John Adams for performances of After the Fall, a piano concerto Adams wrote expressly for him. Other highlights include a solo recital presented by Müpa Budapest, appearances as artist-in-residence at Cal Performances, and a program celebrating the 100th birthday of György Kurtág at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London.

Philharmonia Orchestra bio

This season, the Philharmonia Orchestra celebrates 80 years of being one of the world’s great orchestras. Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali took up the baton as principal conductor in 2021, and Marin Alsop joined as principal guest conductor in 2023. They follow in the illustrious footsteps of Otto Klemperer, Riccardo Muti, and Christoph von Dohnányi—key figures who have honed the renowned Philharmonia sound.

In recent seasons, the orchestra has toured extensively across Europe, also performing in China, Colombia, Japan, Mauritius, and the US. Highlights of the 2025–2026 season include a major tour of the US, a tour of Korea, and performances at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and Vienna’s Musikverein.

The Philharmonia Orchestra thrives on collaboration and has premiered works by Richard Strauss, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Kaija Saariaho, Errollyn Wallen, and Laufey, and performs with many of the world’s most admired soloists. This season, the ensemble welcomes pianist Víkingur Ólafsson as featured artist, Gabriela Ortiz as featured composer, and dance theater company Thick & Tight as artists-in-residence.

Known for embracing innovation and technology, the Philharmonia Orchestra has created immersive installation experiences to further the reach of classical music. In 2017, the orchestra created a virtual reality film to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Voyager launch, whose Golden Record includes the Philharmonia’s recording of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony—still traveling through space today. The ensemble launched Philharmonia Records in 2023, releasing live recordings of major works by R. Strauss, G. Mahler, and Stravinsky, with Mr. Rouvali at the helm. The group has also released streamed performances, benchmark LPs, and more than 150 film and video game soundtracks.

The Philharmonia Orchestra serves as resident ensemble at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, as well as Anvil Arts in Basingstoke, The Marlowe in Canterbury, Garsington Opera, and the Three Choirs Festival. Central to each of these residencies are programs that highlight community, using orchestral music to enrich people’s lives. The Philharmonia also hosts an Emerging Artists program to nurture and develop the next generation of instrumentalists and composers, with a focus on increasing diversity within classical music.

The Philharmonia Orchestra is a registered charity. It is proud to be supported by Arts Council England and grateful to the many generous individuals, businesses, trusts, and foundations who make up its family of supporters.