A taste of Russia was on the cards again for our BMW Classics audience in 2016 and 2017! Some pesky rainclouds didn't stop us blasting out Tchaikovksy's 1812 Overture in 2016, though we were glad of better weather for Rachmaninoff in 2017, and Valery Gergiev's last BMW Classics concert with the Orchestra.
For BMW Classics 2014 and 2015 the Orchestra returned to the music of Russian composers, this time Prokofiev (2014) and Shostakovich (2015). We of course shared the stage again with young musicians from LSO On Track and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and we were delighted to welcome an extra special guest in 2015: Nicola Benedetti. Take a look at the programmes below.
The LSO and an enthusiastic group of young musicians once again returned to Trafalgar Square in 2013 for an evening of free music out in the open-air, this time on a glorious Bank Holiday Monday! After an all-Stravinsky programme to kick things off in 2012, in 2013 Gergiev turned to the one of the most flamboyant composers of the Romantic period: Hector Berlioz.
The BMW Classics concert in Trafalgar Square is one of our favourite moments of the year. Sadly we can't perform in the Square this year, but we are broadcasting 2019's concert live on Sunday 7 June at 3pm (BST). Why not make your own Trafalgar Square experience at home with these top tips...
From the very beginning, BMW Open Air Classics concerts have always promised delightful music in an iconic setting, free to enjoy beneath the balmy sky of a warm summer's evening. Back in 2012, in the run up to the Olympics during a summer like no other, an estimated 7,000 people gathered in Trafalgar Square for this feel-good, outdoor experience.
