News and Press

Following the Government’s announcement encouraging social distancing - and the announcements from the Southbank Centre, Cadogan Hall and the Royal Albert Hall - the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) will cease its concert programme until 30 April 2020. Given the health risks presented by the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is acutely aware of the need to protect the health of concert-goers, venue staff and the ensemble itself.

With millions of people self-isolating and working from home, the RPO will soon be introducing a comprehensive ‘RPO At Home’ digital programme that is intended to enrich people’s home routines, to help lift spirits during these unprecedented times.

Please do keep in touch by visiting the Orchestra’s website and social media channels, where you can find videos, blogs and Podcasts. Further announcements on scheduled RPO concerts beyond April will be made in due course.  

A few months ago Eriko Nagayama joined the Orchestra's First Violin section. You may have seen her at a recent RPO concert. You may have also seen some of Eriko's quirky Instagram posts from our recent USA tour. Here are the career highlights of the Orchestra's award-winning First Violin:

Japanese born Eriko Nagayama is a highly acclaimed violinist, who graduated with distinction in 2018 from her MA in Performance at the Royal Academy of Music under the tutelage of György Pauk. She was also awarded for her DipRAM  Final Recital the Marjorie Bunty Lempfert Award, and the Moir Carnegie Prize.

• Three quarters (73%) of British adults have an active relationship with orchestral music, rising to 83% of those aged under 25.
• Almost half (46%) of under 25s now listen to orchestral music via streaming, compared with 15% of over 65s.
• Live concerts remain the cornerstone of orchestral engagement, with a quarter of young people attending a concert when possible
• Under 25s twice as likely than the national average to be learning a musical instrument, while one in eight would say they have a ‘good knowledge’ of the genre.

Almost three quarters (73%) of British adults have an active relationship with orchestral music – from going to concerts, streaming music online to learning an instrument – according to new research by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO). However, amongst those under 25, the proportion rose to 83%, dispelling notions that orchestras are the preserve of older people.