London Symphony Orchestra & Chief Conductor Antonio Pappano embark on second U.S. tour (Feb 26–March 14)

Sir Antonio Pappano and the London Symphony Orchestra (photo: Mark Allan)

Highlights include:

• collaborations with Maxim Vengerov, Alisa Weilerstein, & Kirill Gerstein

• back-to-back programs in NYC’s Carnegie Hall

• LSO’s first appearance since 2009 in Boston & first since 2015 at LA’s Disney Hall

• new educational residencies in Palm Desert & Ann Arbor

• returns to three cities in Florida

(November 2026) — Early next year, the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) embarks on its second U.S. tour with two-time Grammy-winning Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano (Feb 26–March 14). Joined by Maxim Vengerov for Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and by Alisa Weilerstein for Elgar’s Cello Concerto, Pappano and the orchestra travel from coast to coast, performing programs that also include Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, Shostakovich’s Eighth, Richard Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben, and DameElizabeth Maconchy’s Nocturne for orchestra. Following new educational residencies in Palm Desert (Feb 26 & 27) and Ann Arbor (March 3 & 4); returns to Orlando, West Palm Beach, and Naples in Florida (March 6–9); the LSO’s first appearance since 2015 at Los Angeles’s Disney Hall (Feb 28) and its first since 2009 in Boston (March 11), they conclude the tour with back-to-back programs at New York’s Carnegie Hall (March 13 & 14), where pianist Kirill Gerstein joins Weilerstein and Vengerov for Beethoven’s Triple Concerto.

The upcoming U.S. tour follows the success of their first, in early 2025, which found “the LSO and Sir Antonio Pappano at the top of their collective game” (Colin’s Column). The New York Times hailed Pappano as “a conductor at the top,” and New English Review confessed: “I’ve attended concerts at Carnegie Hall for a long, long time, and this one was spectacular.” The conductor and orchestra impressed Classical Voice with an “exceptional evening of music-making” in Orange County and San Francisco Classical Voice with “their illuminating clarity of vision” in Santa Barbara, where their “overall confidence in delivery and execution embodied the ideal of musicians bringing a definitive ‘this is how it goes’ quality to a composer’s vision” (Santa Barbara Independent). Citing both Pappano’s “rip-roaring interpretation” of Mahler’s First Symphony and the “reading of blazing intensity” that he gave Walton’s, Bachtrackimplored: “Let’s not wait another two decades for these superb musicians to cross the pond.” As The New Criterion marveled, “What are the best orchestras in the world? … I am reminded: don’t forget the frickin’ LSO.”

Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano explains:

“Taking the London Symphony Orchestra to the United States is a tremendous pleasure, and I’m especially looking forward to returning to Boston, where I spent much of my younger days. We’re thrilled to welcome Alisa Weilerstein, who brings depth, humanity, and emotional honesty to her performances, and Maxim Vengerov, with his unique virtuosity and insight. Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony is a work of remarkable sweep and passion, full of unforgettable melodies that speak directly to the heart. Shostakovich’s Eighth takes us somewhere altogether darker, confronting the devastation of war and the resilience of the human spirit. I am particularly delighted to introduce American audiences to British composer Elizabeth Maconchy, whose wonderful Nocturne deserves to be heard more widely. That’s what this tour is all about: harnessing the extraordinary collective energy of the LSO to share great music with audiences across the United States.”

Also taking part in the tour is the LSO’s new Managing Director, John Harte. He says:

“I am delighted to join this tour, my first with the LSO since becoming Managing Director in August. I am particularly pleased that the orchestra is returning to Disney Hall for the first time in more than a decade, and that, with our residencies in Palm Desert and Ann Arbor, we are finding new ways of sharing the LSO’s work in education and health, extending the reach of music and demonstrating the difference it can make to people’s lives. This broader approach reflects our fundamental belief that an orchestra can play a valuable role, not only in the cultural life of a community, but also in its learning, health, and wellbeing. We hope this sense of purpose will help strengthen our existing relationships in the United States and build new connections there that will endure long after our final concert.”

The U.S. tour programs showcase three superlative guest artists. For Beethoven’s sole Violin Concerto, Pappano and the orchestra will be joined by Grammy-winning violinist Maxim Vengerov, whose 2005 recording with the LSO offers “as fine a performance of this noble work as any available” (The Guardian). MacArthur fellow Alisa Weilerstein is the soloist in Elgar’s elegiac Cello Concerto, of which she is one of today’s foremost interpreters. Possessing “an authority and poetry that demands our attention from the outset,” her recording of the work was named BBC Music Magazine’s 2014 “Recording of the Year.” At the tour’s closing concert, Vengerov and Weilerstein join forces with Gilmore Artist Award-winning pianist Kirill Gerstein for Beethoven’s Triple Concerto, a rare hybrid that combines orchestral grandeur with the intimacy of chamber music.

Two redoubtable Russian symphonies also figure prominently in the LSO’s tour programming: Shostakovich’s Eighth Symphony, which offers a searing commentary on the brutality of war, and the intensely emotional Fifth Symphony by Tchaikovsky, in whose Fourth Pappano and the LSO recently “grasped the fire and fury of every neurotic climax” (The Times of London). The conductor and orchestra complete their U.S. lineup with Richard Strauss’s epic tone poem Ein Heldenleben and the Nocturne for orchestra by English-Irish composer Dame Elizabeth Maconchy, in which “Pappano and the LSO perfectly captured the score’s richness, revealing its intricate orchestral details” (Bachtrack) last year.

Building on LSO Discovery, the orchestra’s learning and community program, the LSO will introduce new residency models in Palm Desert and Ann Arbor. At both locations, these residencies will combine two concert programs with a range of educational and community initiatives, offered before, during, and after each visit. The Palm Desert residency is designed to strengthen the LSO’s partnerships with the McCallum Theatre and Palm Springs Philharmonic school communities, enriching their curricula and deepening connections with students and teachers. In response to growing pressures on the healthcare and medical research sectors, the Ann Arbor residency will focus on arts and wellness through musical engagements in University of Michigan hospital wards, as well as through community work addressing social isolation and loneliness.

About Sir Antonio Pappano

Sir Antonio Pappano inaugurated his tenure as Chief Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra in September 2024. He was Music Director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden from 2002 until 2024 and is Music Director Emeritus of Rome’s Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, of which he was Music Director from 2005 to 2023. Other past positions include Music Director of Oslo’s Den Norske Opera, Music Director of Brussels’s Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, and Principal Guest Conductor of the Israel Philharmonic. In 2012 he was made a Knight of the British Empire for his services to music, and in 2015 he was named the 100th recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Gold Medal, the body’s highest honor.

About the London Symphony Orchestra

The London Symphony Orchestra believes that extraordinary music is for everyone, everywhere. It’s a belief rooted in creativity, collaboration, and determination – values that have shaped the LSO since 1904, when a group of musicians set out to create and run an orchestra of their own. Since then, generations of remarkable talents have built the LSO’s world-renowned reputation for excellence, innovation, and sharing the joy of music. The orchestra performs a wide-ranging repertoire in front of nearly 200,000 people every year, commissions composers to push new boundaries, and connects with millions more online through creative collaborations, and education and community programs.

In London, the LSO has been the Resident Orchestra at the Barbican since its opening, performing around 70 concerts each year. These performances feature the LSO’s internationally recognized artists: Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano, Conductor Emeritus Sir Simon Rattle, Principal Guest Conductor Gianandrea Noseda, and Associate Artists Barbara Hannigan and André J. Thomas. Further afield, major residencies and tours take the orchestra to audiences around the world.

LSO Discovery, the orchestra’s education and community program, is about changing lives through music. Each year, the LSO connects with more than 60,000 people through workshops, events, and performances – opening doors for performers and communities from every background. LSO musicians are at the heart of the program. Alongside performing, they lead workshops; mentor emerging instrumentalists, composers, and conductors; and shape the program, sharing their expertise. Much of this happens at LSO St Luke’s, the LSO’s venue and LSO Discovery’s home on London’s Old Street – an open, welcoming space where anyone can experience live music and get involved.

The LSO’s record company, LSO Live, is one of the largest independent classical labels. With more than 200 recordings – including Grammy-winning and critically acclaimed albums – it combines a musician-led approach with digital innovation. These performances reach millions of people every month through streaming, radio, and on-demand services.

For more than a century, the LSO has been the orchestral power behind moments that define global culture. It has recorded music for iconic films, video games, theme parks – and albums in almost every genre, including Rosalía’s Lux, RAYE’s This Music May Contain Hope, and the Floating Points and Pharoah Sanders album Promises.

The LSO wants to continue to inspire, connect, and belong to everyone – now and for generations to come. The orchestra is able to keep sharing extraordinary music with the world thanks to the generosity of its supporters: the City of London Corporation; Arts Council England; corporate supporters, trusts, and foundations; and individual donors.

London Symphony Orchestra & Sir Antonio Pappano: U.S. tour

Feb 26 & 27
Palm Desert, CA
McCallum Theatre
MACONCHY: Nocturne for orchestra
ELGAR: Cello Concerto (with Alisa Weilerstein, cello)
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 5

Feb 28
Los Angeles, CA
Walt Disney Concert Hall
BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto (with Maxim Vengerov, violin)
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 8

March 3 & 4
Ann Arbor, MI
Hill Auditorium

March 3
BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto (with Vengerov)
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 8

March 4
MACONCHY: Nocturne for orchestra
ELGAR: Cello Concerto (with Weilerstein)
R. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben

March 6
Orlando, FL
Steinmetz Hall
MACONCHY: Nocturne for orchestra
ELGAR: Cello Concerto (with Weilerstein)
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 5

March 7 & 8
West Palm Beach, FL
Alexander W. Dreyfoos Concert Hall

March 7
MACONCHY: Nocturne for orchestra
ELGAR: Cello Concerto (with Weilerstein)
R. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben

   March 8
BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto (with Vengerov)
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 8

March 9
Naples, FL
Hayes Hall
BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto (with Vengerov)
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 8

March 11
Boston, MA
Symphony Hall
BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto (with Vengerov)
R. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben

March 13 & 14
New York, NY
Carnegie Hall

March 13
BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto (with Vengerov)
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 8

   March 14
BEETHOVEN: Triple Concerto (with Vengerov; Weilerstein; Kirill Gerstein, piano)
R. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben