Philharmonia Season Opening Concert: Santtu and Sol Gabetta

The Philharmonia plays three ‘greatest hits’ of the orchestral repertoire, with Principal Conductor Santtu and cellist Sol Gabetta.

Gabetta, known for the characterful energy of her playing as much as for her formidable technique, is the Philharmonia’s Featured Artist for the 2026/27 season. For her first concert she has chosen Elgar’s Cello Concerto, a moving response to the devastation of the First World War. A critic at the work’s premiere summed it up: “lovely stuff, very simple… but with a profound wisdom and beauty underlying its simplicity.” Initially out of fashion, it soared into the bestseller lists when cellist Jacqueline du Pré recorded it in the 1960s, and has never left.

In Dvořák’s ‘New World’ symphony, his trademark Czech style is tinged with the spirit of the African-American spirituals and Native American music he got to know while he was working in New York in the 1890s. The symphony packs drama, excitement and hope into one unforgettable work. From the gentle, hymn-like melody of the Largo to the blazing finale, it’s easy to see why this piece is a perennial favourite.

Santtu kicks off this evening’s programme with Brahms’s high-spirited Academic Festival Overture – student drinking songs never sounded so good.