Schools can grab free tickets for Liverpool Philharmonic!

Liverpool Philharmonic has announced it is offering over 400 free concert tickets to secondary schools in Liverpool City Region. Students will have the unique opportunity to experience the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra perform masterpieces by composers such as Beethoven, Brahms and Mozart live from the city’s iconic Philharmonic Hall.

Liverpool Philharmonic believes that listening to live orchestral music enhances students’ understanding and appreciation of music while also contributing to their personal and academic growth. Concerts for this programme have been specially chosen for their alignment with the main GCSE and A-level curriculum boards, supporting teachers and students with their musical education.

This initiative builds upon the success of last year’s programme, which provided 434 free tickets to school groups in the region. Feedback from participating schools highlighted the positive impact seeing the live orchestra had in supporting their musical education and inspiring them to further musical study and enjoyment.

A teacher from a participating school stated: “Thank you for organising our free tickets. The concert was absolutely incredible. Giving our young people the opportunity to come and visit the Liverpool Philharmonic was one they will never forget. 

“Two of my sixth form students had never been, and they got to listen to their set work study (the Rite of Spring) in its full-blown glory. This schools’ programme is so valuable to us as teachers, and the students really get so much out of it.”

Peter Garden, executive director of performance and learning at Liverpool Philharmonic, said: ” We are delighted to be able to provide free tickets to our local students and provide much needed resource to teachers. Live performances are deeply inspiring for young people and we hope these experiences can ignite a passion for music that stays with them throughout their lives. 

“We are committed to making classical music accessible to all, and this initiative is a testament to that commitment. By offering free tickets to Liverpool’s secondary schools, we aim to inspire the next generation of music enthusiasts and provide students with a unique and enriching cultural experience.”

This year, schools will be able to access free tickets for a range of performances throughout the season from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, visiting guest conductors and performers, the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, and the contemporary series Ensemble 10:10. 

Highlights include:

– Thursday 5 October – Beethoven’s Mass in C. Performed by guest soloists including Jennifer France, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir and conducted by Matthew Halls.

– Thursday 23 November – Brahms’ Double Concerto. Performed by violist and Liverpool Philharmonic’s Artist in Residence Simone Lamsma alongside cellist Victor Julien-Laferrière and conducted by Domingo Hindoyan.

– Saturday 27 January – Mozart’s Birthday Celebration. Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s very own star players – Cormac Henry and Elizabeth McNulty – step forward in Mozart’s enchanting Flute and Harp Concerto, while Nil Venditti conducts the majestic ‘Jupiter’ symphony and the playful Symphony No.29.

– Thursday 21 March – Free But Happy. The Orchestra perform Brahms’s Symphony No.3, Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No.2 with violinist Arabella Steinbacher, and Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody No.1.

– Sunday 20 April – Symphonie Fantastique. Ariane Matiakh makes her Liverpool conducting debut with Charles Koechlin’s Vers la voûte étoilée (Visions of the starry firmament), Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir performing Poulenc’s Gloria.

All secondary schools within the Liverpool City Region are eligible to apply for tickets to these performances. Please contact learning@liverpoolphil.com for more information.