We all know a holiday helps us feel more creative, but not many of us actually come home and compose a masterpiece people will still be enjoying nearly two centuries later. Mendelssohn did – a visit to the ruins of Holyrood Palace and a hike on the stunning west coast back in 1829 had him brimming with ideas for his Scottish Symphony.  

Let the music transport you – first to the Suffolk coast in the company of composer Benjamin Britten, then down the river Volga, as Tchaikovsky weaves Russian folk tunes into a symphony. Pause on your journey to hear musical sparks fly as charismatic cellist Sol Gabetta takes on one of the trickiest but most exciting cello concertos in the repertoire.  

No need to choose between discovering a Finnish hero, enjoying a night at the ballet, or hearing one of today’s top pianists. We’ve rolled all three into one enticing evening featuring our next Principal Conductor, Santtu-Matias Rouvali.

“Cry ‘God for Harry, England, and St George’!” With words by William Shakespeare, acting and direction by Laurence Olivier, and music by William Walton played live by the Philharmonia, this groundbreaking 1943 film is a Technicolor treat for cinephiles, Shakespeare fans and curious culture vultures alike. 

Trade dark autumnal London for the warmth and colour of Andalusia, and watch piano genius Denis Kozhukhin play one-handed. Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand was commissioned by a concert pianist who lost an arm in the First World War but refused to let that stop him.

Schubert was just 19 and, according to his diary, “infatuated with Mozart”, when he composed his Fifth symphony. It’s an astonishing achievement for such a young man, brimming with youthful sunshine and memorable melodies. We’ve paired it with Beethoven’s glorious Violin Concerto, in the hands of one of its all-time great interpreters, Thomas Zehetmair.