London Philarmonia at UC Berkeley

The Philharmonia is on a high with Esa-Pekka Salonen," wrote The Observer of London's Philharmonia Orchestra and indeed, this revered ensemble has entered the new millennium during the most exciting phase in its history. Led by one of today's visionary conductors, Esa-Pekka Salonen, the orchestra is a musical pioneer, leading the field with its extraordinary quality of playing. The Philharmonia is also celebrated for its use of new technology to reach and inspire a global audience.

The orchestra has enjoyed fruitful collaborations with many of the past century's greatest conductors, including Wilhelm Furtwängler, Richard Strauss, Arturo Toscanini, and Herbert von Karajan. Otto Klemperer was the first of many outstanding principal conductors, a storied list that includes Riccardo Muti, Giuseppe Sinopoli, and Christoph von Dohnányi.

Current Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Esa-Pekka Salonen made his London conducting debut in 1983 at age 25 with the Philharmonia, stepping in at the last minute to lead a now-legendary performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 3. Today, he has forged an incredible, dynamic relationship with the ensemble, both as a conductor and composer, rediscovering and reinvigorating the music of the past as well as creating and championing the music of our time.

Join these formidable artists as they perform cornerstones of the symphonic repertoire, and arguably, the greatest opera of the 20th century, Alban Berg's Wozzeck.