Bruckner 4 with Esa-Pekka Salonen
Two magisterial musical statements by Beethoven and Bruckner are united in a Philharmonia Orchestra concert of deep emotion, beauty and vigour.
Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3 balances classical elegance with Romantic drama, shifting between a stormy first movement, the dreamlike serenity of its second and an imposing, triumphant conclusion.
In the hands of Leif Ove Andsnes, whose complete cycle of Beethoven’s piano concertos was described by BBC Music Magazine as ‘some of the best Beethoven playing you will ever hear’, we can expect a masterclass in Beethoven’s stormy passion and heartfelt beauty.
Somewhere in the forest, the air shimmers and the light glows. In the mist, a lone hunter sounds his horn. From this mystical, otherworldly opening, the majesty of Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony unfolds: building gradually from minor key darkness to the life-affirming radiance of its blazing finale, this is a symphony which is alive with soaring imagination.
When Conductor Laureate Esa-Pekka Salonen first heard Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony on the radio as a child, he thought, ‘Maybe I should become a musician, if music can be like this.’ Bruckner’s extraordinary musical structures, monumental yet inviting, seductive yet awe-inspiring, still have the power to amaze, enchant and change us.
Performers
Philharmonia Orchestra
Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor *
Leif Ove Andsnes piano, *
Repertoire
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.3 *
Interval
Bruckner: Symphony No.4 (Romantic) *
Need to know
* Please note change of artists and repertoire from originally advertised.
Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
04 Oct 2026, 3pm
Run time
2 hours and 20 minutes (approx)
All timings are approximate and subject to change
Standard entry
from £26
Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand.
Concessions
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Multi-buy Autumn/Winter 26/27 discount
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15+ events: 30% discount
Discounts apply to selected events, September 2026 – January 2027 inclusive. Offer can’t be combined with the Spring/Summer 2026 multi-buy.
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This event is held at the Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre
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