\n London\/Munich. BMW Group and the London Symphony
\n Orchestra present the fourteenth BMW Classics in London\u2019s iconic
\n Trafalgar Square on Saturday 13 June at 4pm \u2013 a free open-air concert
\n by the London Symphony Orchestra, also streamed worldwide on YouTube,
\n Facebook, and into selected BMW cars.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s BMW Classics will be conducted by LSO Chief Conductor
\n Sir Antonio Pappano, who leads a programme of
\n selected highlights celebrating the Orchestra\u2019s long association with
\n two great British masterworks: Gustav
\n Holst\u2019s\u00a0‘The Planets’\u00a0and Edward
\n Elgar\u2019s\u00a0‘Enigma Variations’.<\/p>\n
In 2026 and 2027, the LSO launches an ambitious multi-platform
\n celebration of Holst\u2019s ‘The Planets’, with the BMW Classics concert
\n serving as the project\u2019s largest live performance moment. This
\n wide-ranging initiative will unfold across the two years, bringing
\n digital, educational, and live experiences to audiences in the UK and internationally.<\/p>\n
The series begins in March 2026 with a new album on LSO Live, pairing
\n Holst\u2019s astrological suite with Arnold Bax\u2019s ‘Tintagel’. This release
\n marks the LSO\u2019s fourth major recording of ‘The Planets’, following the
\n pioneering acoustic and electronic recordings conducted by Holst
\n himself in the 1920s, and the acclaimed later versions led by Andr\u00e9
\n Previn and Sir Colin Davis. At BMW Classics on\u00a013 June, audiences in
\n Trafalgar Square and online will hear selected movements \u00a0\u2013
\n Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Uranus.<\/p>\n
The LSO\u2019s next live exploration of ‘The Planets’ takes place in
\n January 2027 with two Barbican performances of Symphonic
\n Cinema, created by Dutch film director Lucas van
\n Woerkum. In these concerts, his film ‘Loss’ \u2013 featuring
\n Emma Thompson and Greg Wise, and
\n portraying a soul\u2019s farewell to earthly life \u2013 is synchronised with a
\n live performance of Holst\u2019s score.<\/p>\n
At the centre of this year\u2019s Trafalgar Square concert is the
\n world premiere of a new work by Louise
\n Drewett titled ‘Four Dances’, which has been
\n specially commissioned for BMW Classics. Written for a mixed-ability
\n orchestra, the piece brings together LSO musicians, Guildhall School
\n students, and 55 young musicians from east London
\n participating through the LSO Discovery programmes. Each section is a
\n distinct dance and each flows seamlessly into the next. The dances
\n celebrate London itself and depict four striking public spaces. From
\n start to finish, travelling downriver, these are The Queen\u2019s Walk near
\n London Bridge, Columbia Wharf in Rotherhithe, South Dock on the Isle
\n of Dogs, and Greenwich Pier in Maritime Greenwich. These places are
\n not far apart yet, as so often in London, evoke vastly different
\n moods, from busy urban environments to tranquil, reflective landscapes.<\/p>\n
For the finale, the Orchestra performs excerpts from Edward
\n Elgar\u2019s ‘Enigma Variations’. The LSO has
\n held a profound connection with Elgar since its foundation in 1904,
\n when the composer conducted the Orchestra during its inaugural season.
\n Its first Principal Conductor, Hans Richter, was also
\n a leading champion of Elgar\u2019s music in Britain and abroad.<\/p>\n
The 2026 programme reflects the LSO and BMW\u2019s shared commitment to
\n supporting ambitious, forward-looking cultural projects. As the LSO
\n embarks on its multi-year exploration of Holst\u2019s ‘The Planets’,
\n BMW Classics serves as the flagship live moment,
\n bringing a major orchestral work into a fully public space \u2013 \u00a0free,
\n open, and accessible to all. The world premiere of ‘Four Dances’
\n further underlines the shared mission of BMW and the LSO to foster
\n young talent and expand musical participation across generations.<\/p>\n
For the streaming into select BMW models the content is made
\n available via the Video App (DTS AutoStage Video Service Powered by
\n TiVo\u2122) in the latest infotainment systems of BMW and MINI*. The Video
\n App brings together a wealth of video content from a wide range of
\n providers, including news and live or on-demand shows. A number of
\n streaming services are available internationally, including Disney+,
\n YouTube, Joyn, Bloomberg, TED, ARTE and Plex. These are accompanied by
\n market-specific streaming services.<\/p>\n
\n Dame Kathryn McDowell, Managing Director of the London
\n Symphony Orchestra: \u201cIt is a great pleasure to be
\n celebrating some of Britain\u2019s greatest and most popular orchestral
\n music this summer at BMW Classics. The Orchestra has a long
\n association with both \u2018The Planets\u2019 and \u2018Enigma Variations\u2019, and we
\n particularly remember the stirring moment during the Opening Ceremony
\n of the London 2012 Olympic Games, when the LSO and young musicians in
\n our LSO Discovery programme performed \u2018Nimrod\u2019 as the ceremony\u2019s
\n emotional climax \u2013 a moment we are delighted to bring to audiences in
\n Trafalgar Square. Alongside these two great classics, we are thrilled
\n to present the world premiere of British composer, Louise Drewett\u2019s
\n \u2018Four Dances\u2019, commissioned especially for BMW Classics.\u00a0On behalf of
\n the LSO and our audiences both in Trafalgar Square and around the
\n world online, I extend our sincere thanks to our esteemed partner BMW
\n and to the Mayor of London for making this event possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n Ms Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW
\n AG, People and Real Estate said: \u201cFor 15 years, BMW
\n Classics has stood for the idea that extraordinary music should be
\n open to everyone. This year\u2019s programme \u2013 from Holst\u2019s \u2018The Planets\u2019
\n to a new commissioned work created for young musicians \u2013 \u00a0shows how
\n powerful cultural experiences can be when barriers are removed. I am
\n especially excited that audiences around the world can join us
\n digitally and, for the second time, directly from selected BMW
\n vehicles. Our partnership with the LSO continues to demonstrate how
\n technology, creativity and youth engagement can come together to
\n inspire entire communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan: \u201cI\u2019m delighted that
\n the London Symphony Orchestra will be returning to Trafalgar Square
\n for another special open-air concert this summer. The BMW Classics
\n brings outstanding, free classical music to the heart of the capital
\n for Londoners and visitors to enjoy. It\u2019s also a wonderful opportunity
\n for talented young musicians to perform alongside this world-renowned
\n orchestra, helping to inspire the next generation of talent as we
\n continue to build a better London for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am grateful to the London Symphony Orchestra for commissioning
\n this new work. It has been an incredible opportunity to write for so
\n many wonderful musicians of different ages at the one time \u2013 the LSO,
\n Guildhall School students and the LSO Discovery young musicians. I\u2019m
\n excited to hear this extraordinary orchestra perform at this year\u2019s
\n BMW Classics. It feels particularly special for the orchestra to
\n perform new work outside the concert hall, publicly in the heart of
\n London in Trafalgar Square,\u201c said Composer, Ms Louise Drewett.<\/p>\n
\n BMW Classics
London Symphony
\n Orchestra
Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano
Saturday 13 June at
\n 4.00pm
Trafalgar Square, London<\/p>\n
\n Gustav Holst The Planets (Mars, Mercury, Jupiter,
\n Venus, Uranus)
Louise Drewett Four Dances (world premiere), with
\n young musicians from LSO Discovery
Edward Elgar Enigma Variations (excerpts)<\/p>\n
\n https:\/\/www.lso.co.uk\/bmwclassics\/<\/a><\/p>\n For audiences around the world, the concert will be live streamed on For press material, please visit https:\/\/lso.co.uk\/more\/press.html<\/a><\/p>\n Facebook: www.facebook.com\/londonsymphonyorchestra<\/a> The BMW Group’s Cultural Engagement, with exclusive updates and \u00a0<\/p>\n
\n the London Symphony Orchestra\u2019s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com\/lso<\/a> and
\n Facebook page: www.facebook.com\/londonsymphonyorchestra<\/a>
\n and will be available to watch on demand from 14 days after the
\n concert for up to 90 days.<\/p>\n
Instagram:
\n www.instagram.com\/londonsymphonyorchestra<\/a>
@londonsymphonyorchestra
#LSOBMWClassics<\/p>\n
\n deeper\u00a0insights into its global initiatives can be followed on
\n Instagram at @BMWGroupCulture<\/a>.<\/p>\n