Event
London Symphony Orchestra
Visiting Orchestras Series
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Antonio Pappano, chief conductor
Maxim Vengerov, violin
Beethoven — Violin Concerto
Shostakovich — Symphony No. 8
The venerated London Symphony Orchestra and Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano make a triumphant return to Hayes Hall, bringing along Maxim Vengerov, one of the greatest living violinists, for a program showcasing a stark contrast between Classical warmth and 20th-century devastation. The evening opens with Beethoven’s serene yet technically demanding Violin Concerto, where Vengerov brings his clarity and depth to bear on one of the repertoire’s most enduring works. In the second half, the focus shifts dramatically to Shostakovich’s Eighth Symphony, a bleak and powerful wartime statement marked by stark intensity, restless energy and a profound sense of unease.
Music and Museum
All Visiting Orchestras tickets include same-day admission to The Baker Museum. Special museum hours on the day of the London Symphony Orchestra performance: 10am-7:30pm. In addition, the doors to Hayes Hall will open 90 minutes prior to this performance. Arrive early to enjoy the exhibitions and light fare available at Heidi's Place.
The Visiting Orchestras series is generously sponsored by Judy and Verne Istock.
London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) was established in 1904 as one of the first orchestras shaped by its musicians. Since then, generations of remarkable talents have built the orchestra’s reputation for quality, daring, ambition and a commitment to sharing the joy of music with everyone. Today, it is ranked among the world’s top orchestras, reaching tens of thousands of people in London, more on stages around the world and millions through streaming, downloads, radio and television.
As resident orchestra at the Barbican since its opening in 1982, the LSO performs some 70 concerts there every year. The orchestra also has major artistic residencies in Paris, Tokyo and at the Aix-en-Provence Festival and tours regularly in the U.S. and Asia. Its record label, LSO Live, celebrated its 25th anniversary in the 2024-25 season and remains a leader among orchestra-owned labels, bringing to life the excitement of a live performance. The orchestra’s catalog of over 200 acclaimed recordings reflects the artistic priorities of the orchestra, from popular new releases, such as Janáček’s Katya Kabanova with Sir Simon Rattle, to favorites like Vaughan Williams’ Symphonies with Sir Antonio Pappano and Verdi’s Requiem with Gianandrea Noseda. The LSO has been prolific in the studio since the infancy of orchestral recording and has made more recordings than any other orchestra — over 2,500 projects to date — across film, video games and bespoke audio collaborations.
Sir Antonio Pappano
Sir Antonio Pappano
One of today’s most sought-after conductors, Sir Antonio Pappano is renowned for his charismatic leadership and inspiring performances across both symphonic and operatic repertoires. He is chief conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and conductor laureate of the Royal Opera and Ballet Covent Garden and music director emeritus of the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, having held the position of music director at both institutions from 2002 to 2024 and 2005 to 2023, respectively. Nurtured as a pianist, repetiteur and assistant conductor at many of the most important opera houses of Europe and North America, including at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and several seasons at the Bayreuth Festival as musical assistant to Daniel Barenboim, Pappano was appointed music director of Oslo’s Den Norske Opera in 1990, and from 1992 to 2002 served as music director of the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels. From 1997-1999 he was principal guest conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
Pappano is in demand as an opera conductor at the highest international level, including with the Metropolitan Opera New York, the State Operas of Vienna and Berlin, the Bayreuth and Salzburg Festivals, Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Teatro alla Scala, and has appeared as a guest conductor with many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras.
Pappano has been an exclusive recording artist for Warner Classics (formerly EMI Classics) since 1995, and his discography features numerous complete operas as well as a number of orchestral recordings with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and other ensembles, including the London Symphony Orchestra and Berliner Philharmoniker.
Maxim Vengerov
Maxim Vengerov
Universally hailed as one of the world’s finest musicians and often referred to as the greatest living string player, Grammy Award winner Maxim Vengerov also enjoys international acclaim as a conductor and is one of the most in-demand soloists.
Born in 1974, he began his career as a solo violinist at age 5, won the Wieniawski and Carl Flesch international competitions at ages 10 and 15 respectively, made his first recording at the age of 10, and went on to record extensively for several high-profile labels, earning among others, Grammy and Gramophone artist of the year awards.
Tireless in his search for new means of creative expression, Vengerov is inspired by many different styles of music, including baroque, jazz and rock and, in 2007, followed in the footsteps of his mentors, the late Mstislav Rostropovich and Daniel Barenboim, and turned his attention to conducting.
In the last few seasons, Vengerov has performed as soloist and/or conductor with all major orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra and Toronto Symphony Orchestra and toured extensively around the world in recital. His most recent recordings include Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and a 2025 live recording in Vienna of the same work.
