The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s (RPO) mission is to place orchestral music at the heart of contemporary society and to ensure that live orchestral music is accessible to as inclusive and diverse an audience as possible. As part of this commitment, the Orchestra enjoys four key residencies outside of London and is proud to be Resident Orchestra in Reading.
Having made its debut at The Hexagon on its opening year in 1978, the RPO has been a fixture in the Reading area for over four decades, delivering orchestral experiences and community and education programmes that have reached far and wide. Performing three orchestral concerts each season, featuring internationally acclaimed artists and a vast range of music, as well as the annual Noisy Kids concerts that have become something of a fixture, giving many young people their first taster of a full symphony orchestra. RPO Resound has an active role across the region, offering creative music-making opportunities and engaging with individuals to share and enjoy music together, through work with partner organisations, such as the Berkshire Music Trust, and programmes like The Lullaby Project (with the Irene Taylor Trust), a transformative initiative that empowers parents facing challenging circumstances, including those with experience of the criminal justice system, asylum seekers, and refugees.
The current season of concerts at The Hexagon features performances from Francesca Chiejina, Matthew Kofi Waldren, Nil Venditti, Andrew Byun and Clara Jumi-Kang, amongst others, with music ranging from an opera gala and an evening of music for brass ensemble to Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.5, Rachmaninov’s Symphony No.1, Dvořák’s Cello Concerto and Hisaishi’s Encounter for String Orchestra.
RPO has been resident in Reading since 2008 |
Noisy Kids concerts as family favourites |
RPO performs four concerts at The Hexagon every season |