London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Antonio Pappano

The London Symphony Orchestra open their 2026/27 season at the Barbican Hall on Thursday 22 October, with Sir Antonio Pappano conducting. It's a double bill that pairs a brand new UK premiere with one of the biggest symphonies in the repertoire, and it's the first night of the LSO's new season.

The new work is Amber Alchemy by Dai Fujikura, commissioned by the Japanese financial services group Nomura for its centenary. The inspiration comes from the bees in the hives on Nomura's London rooftop, so it's a piece of music born right here in the city. That's the UK premiere, and it takes up the first half of the evening.

The second half is Gustav Mahler's Symphony No 2, known as the 'Resurrection'. It's a massive work that grapples with life, death and ardent faith, and it needs a huge orchestra to pull it off — ten horns and eight trumpets, with soprano Maria Bengtsson, contralto Noa Beinart and the London Symphony Chorus joining in for the final movement. It's the kind of piece that fills the whole hall.

For Pappano, this marks a shift in direction. He's spent much of his tenure focused on British music, and his Vaughan Williams cycle is behind him now. He describes this new season as broadening the canvas, moving towards more Shostakovich, Mahler and Tchaikovsky. This night is the opening statement of that change, and it's generously supported by Nomura.

The concert starts at 7pm and runs for about 90 minutes with no interval. Standard tickets are from £22, which includes a £4 transaction fee, and under 18s can get in for £10. Young Barbican tickets are £18, and Wildcard tickets are £12 or £16 plus the transaction fee. If you're bringing a group of ten or more, there's 20% off, which goes up to 30% if you make two or more bookings.