Royal Academy Opera performs Handel’s penultimate opera Imeneo in May, and our Musical Theatre Company takes to the Susie Sainsbury Theatre stage for two shows, Adam Guettel’s The Light In The Piazza and the late Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along.

Highlights at Southbank Centre include Semyon Bychkov conducting the Academy Symphony Orchestra in Mahler’s Symphony No 3 at Royal Festival Hall, and side by side concerts with players from the London Philharmonic Orchestra – celebrating the music of Oliver Knussen – and the London Sinfonietta in a programme of Vivier and a world premiere by Nicole Lizée.

Our two-year series of concerts celebrating Bach’s great first cycle of cantatas continues throughout the year, directed by some of the finest interpreters of Bach, including John Butt, Peter Whelan and Dame Jane Glover.

The Summer Piano Festival, curated by Joanna MacGregor, focuses on film improvisation, bold premieres, Bach’s keyboard works and music from America across 24 dynamic and varied concerts. Seen and Heard returns for its second year, celebrating diversity in classical music with three programmes.

In Jazz, award-winning saxophonist Julian Siegel’s recent album Tales from the Jacquard is the focus for the Big Band concert directed by Nick Smart.

28 200 PIECES premieres take place across the season, including works by Joanna MacGregor, Christian Mason, Grace-Evangeline Mason, Colin Matthews and Ryan Wigglesworth.

This term we are offering four free livestreams which will be available to watch via our YouTube channel:

  • Friday 29 April, 8pm: Jazz composers’ Big Band
  • Monday 20 June, 7.30pm: Homelands. A concert marking World Refugee Day, raising money for the 30 Birds Foundation. Featuring a stellar lineup of artists including Mary Bevan, Malcolm Martineau and Sir Simon Russell Beale
  • Monday 27 June, 2pm: Piano concerto masterclass with Timothy Redmond, part of the Summer Piano Festival
  • Wednesday 29 June, 6pm: Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (arr. Liszt), the closing concert of the Piano Festival

Please note, booking by phone will be available from Monday 25 April at 10am.

For full listings please see our summer diary.