BMW Group and the London Symphony Orchestra present the thirteenth BMW Classics in London’s iconic Trafalgar Square on Sunday 15 June at 5pm, a free live concert by the London Symphony Orchestra also available to tens of thousands more around the globe watching on YouTube.
This year’s BMW Classics concert is conducted by LSO Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano for the first time, and the programme celebrates his Italian heritage with the prerequisite passion and soaring melodies from some of the great Italian composers for opera and orchestra. The concert will open with the spirited overture to Rossini’s final Italian opera Semiramide, before Sir Antonio, renowned throughout the world as one of the great conductors of Puccini’s operas, will lead the Orchestra in one of the composer’s early works for orchestra, Capriccio sinfonico.
For the central section of the concert, the LSO will play the world premiere of Isabella Gellis’ new work Opera for Orchestra, specially commissioned for this occasion and continuing the exploration of operatic repertoire. Her piece, written for a mixed-ability orchestra, brings together LSO and Guildhall School musicians with 55 young musicians from East London as part of LSO Discovery‘s programmes.
For the final section of the concert, the Orchestra will perform the rousing Grand March from Verdi’s opera Aida, and Victor de Sabata’s exuberant symphonic poem Juventus (Youth).
In a new initiative this year, BMW owners will also be able to stream the concert and a selection of previous LSO concerts from the comfort of their cars, via a dedicated LSO app on the in-car entertainment systems of selected models.
Commenting today, Dame Kathryn McDowell, Managing Director of the LSO said: ‘A big welcome to our new Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano who will lead his first BMW Classics concert this year, which is always a highlight of the Orchestra’s London Season and an important fixture in London’s summer calendar of music events. On behalf of the LSO and our audiences both in Trafalgar Square and online, a big thank you to our esteemed partner BMW, and the Mayor for London for making this possible.’
Ms Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, People and Real Estate, Labour Relations Director said: ‘We are very happy to return to Trafalgar Square with BMW Classics. It is great to celebrate the joy and passion for classical music in the heart of London. BMW’s long-standing commitment to exceptional music is an integral part of our global cultural engagement. This has been around for over half a century and inspires people all over the world. It is an honour for us to present Sir Antonio Pappano and the renowned London Symphony Orchestra on one of the most famous public stages in the world.’
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: ‘I am delighted that the London Symphony Orchestra will return to play in the heart of our capital this summer for BMW Classics. Trafalgar Square will once again become our biggest open-air classical concert venue entertaining both Londoners and visitors with this free performance. It will also be a fantastic opportunity for young musicians from East London to perform alongside the LSO on this world-renowned stage, as we build a better London for everyone.’
Composer, Isabella Gellis said: ‘I am grateful to the London Symphony Orchestra for commissioning this new piece, and I am doubly thrilled that for its premiere the LSO are forming a mega-orchestra with LSO Discovery young musicians. I cannot wait to hear them fill Trafalgar Square with sound at this year’s BMW Classics.‘
Listings
BMW Classics
Sunday 15 June 5pm
Trafalgar Square, London
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor
Gioachino Rossini
Overture: Semiramide
Giacomo Puccini
Capriccio sinfonico
Isabella Gellis
Opera for Orchestra (world premiere), with young musicians from LSO Discovery
Giuseppe Verdi
Grand March from ‘Aida’
Victor de Sabata
Juventus
For audiences around the world, the concert will be streamed live on the London Symphony Orchestra’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/lso) and Facebook (facebook.com/londonsymphonyorchestra) and will be available to watch on-demand from 14 days after the concert, for up to 90 days.
#LSOBMWClassics
Media Enquiries
Christopher Millard, London Symphony Orchestra
chris.millard@lso.co.uk | +44 (0)7545 502226
Christiane Pyka, BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Cultural Engagement
Telephone: +49 89 382 27806
Email: Christiane.Pyka@bmw.de
Website: press.bmwgroup.com
Email: presse@bmw.de
Notes to Editors
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra believes that extraordinary music should be available to everyone, everywhere – from orchestral fans in the concert hall to first-timer listeners all over the world.
The LSO was established in 1904 as one of the first orchestras shaped by its musicians. Since then, generations of remarkable talents have built the LSO’s reputation for quality, ambition and a commitment to sharing the joy of music with everyone. The LSO performs some 70 concerts every year as Resident Orchestra at the Barbican, with its family of artists: Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano, Conductor Emeritus Sir Simon Rattle, Principal Guest Conductors Gianandrea Noseda and François-Xavier Roth, Conductor Laureate Michael Tilson Thomas, and Associate Artists Barbara Hannigan and André J Thomas. The LSO has major artistic residencies in Paris, Tokyo and at the Aix-en-Provence Festival, and regularly tours to Asia and the USA.
Through LSO Discovery, the LSO’s learning and community programme, 60,000 people each year experience the transformative power of music. The Orchestra’s musicians are at the heart of this unique programme, leading workshops, mentoring bright young talent, and visiting schools, hospitals and community spaces. The home of much of this work is LSO St Luke’s, the LSO’s venue on Old Street. In 2025, following a programme of works, the LSO will open up the venue’s facilities to more people than ever before, with new state-of-the-art recording facilities and dedicated spaces for LSO Discovery.
The LSO’s record label LSO Live is a leader among orchestra-owned labels, bringing to life the excitement of a live performance in a catalogue of over 200 acclaimed recordings, and reaching millions through streaming services and online broadcasts. 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.
Through inspiring music, learning programmes and digital innovations, the LSO’s reach extends far beyond the concert hall. And thanks to the generous support of The City of London Corporation, Arts Council England, corporate supporters, trusts and foundations, and individual donors, the LSO is able to continue sharing extraordinary music with as many people as possible, across London, and the world.
BMW Group Cultural Engagement
Why Culture? Why not! Culture is knowledge, a sanctuary of beauty and depth, of meaning and peace. An inspiring escape. Tranquil at best, even unsettling sometimes. As corporate citizen, the BMW Group takes social responsibility seriously, as part of which it has been involved in hundreds of cultural initiatives worldwide for over half a century, both in the arts, music & sound, architecture as well as in design. As a long-term partner, creative freedom is key – and as essential for groundbreaking works as it is for major innovations within a business enterprise like ours.
Further information: bmwgroup.com/culture and www.bmwgroup.com/overview
Instagram: @bmwgroupculture
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The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2024, the BMW Group sold over 2.45 million passenger vehicles and more than 210,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2024 was € 11.0 billion on revenues amounting to € 142.4 billion. As of 31 December 2024, the BMW Group had a workforce of 159,104 employees.
The economic success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. Sustainability is a key element of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy and covers all products from the supply chain and production to the end of their useful life.
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