Mahler 6 with Marin Alsop
The Philharmonia Orchestra takes us on a stormy musical voyage through Bernstein’s extraordinary Serenade to Mahler’s Tragic Sixth Symphony.
Big emotions. Big sound. Big talent. Huge orchestra. If you like your musical experiences super-sized, this is the concert for you.
First up is Bernstein’s take on Plato’s Symposium, for solo violin, strings and percussion. At this imagined feast, seven philosophers discuss the nature of love – by turns sweet, joyful, melancholy, dramatic, even violent – as the wine flows.
Like a good conversation, the music evolves organically, each new ‘speaker’ commenting on and developing the ideas of the ones before. Soloist Esther Yoo released her Deutsche Grammophon recording of this piece in February.
After the interval comes Mahler’s Sixth Symphony. No stranger to large orchestras, or to emotional extremes, here Mahler really pulls out all the stops.
The orchestral forces are the biggest he ever wrote for, with extravagant brass and woodwind sections, and an array of percussion ranging from a bundle of sticks to offstage bells and a mighty hammer. And the depths of feeling he explores are some of the most intense, too. According to his wife Alma, ‘Not one of his works came more directly from his inmost heart as this.’
At the helm for this stormy musical voyage is the Philharmonia’s Principal Guest Conductor Marin Alsop. With a particular affinity for both Mahler and Bernstein (her erstwhile teacher), she’s an authoritative and compelling guide.
Performers
Philharmonia Orchestra
Marin Alsop conductor
Esther Yoo violin
Repertoire
Bernstein: Serenade after Plato's Symposium for violin, strings & percussion
Interval
Mahler: Symphony No.6
Need to know
Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
19 Nov 2026, 7.30pm
Run time
2 hours and 25 minutes (approx)
All timings are approximate and subject to change
Standard entry
from £22 + £4 booking fee
Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand.
Concessions
Learn more about concession discounts
Refunds and exchanges
Find out more about our refund and exchange policy
Multi-buy Autumn/Winter 26/27 discount
3 – 4 events: 10% discount
5 – 7 events: 15% discount
8 – 10 events: 20% discount
11 – 14 events: 25% discount
15+ events: 30% discount
Discounts apply to selected events, September 2026 – January 2027 inclusive. Offer can’t be combined with the Spring/Summer 2026 multi-buy.
Become a Member
Members get free entry to the Hayward Gallery and the first chance to book our entire programme of events, including go-down-in-history gigs, concerts with world-class orchestras, and talks from cultural icons and political giants.
Join today from £60
For your visit
This event is held at the Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre
The Royal Festival Hall is open six days a week.
Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.
Plan your visit
The Royal Festival Hall is home to our largest auditorium as well as The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Members’ Lounge, Festival Bar & Kitchen, Ballroom Cafe and Skylon restaurant.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
On Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace. You can grab a coffee and a slice of freshly made cake from our Ballroom Cafe. Or alternatively enjoy destination dining in the restaurant at Skylon.
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.