As the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) and Music Director Vasily Petrenko prepare for their performance in the final week of this year’s BBC Proms season, new research from the Orchestra reveals that the public’s appetite to discover orchestral music has hit a record high – and, among school children, the new academic year starts with a record number of children wanting to learn a musical instrument.
The RPO’s annual tracking research, conducted among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults, reveals the public’s appetite for broadening musical horizons is strong this autumn, with 92% of adults expressing an interest in learning about one or more genres of music. For the first time in six years, orchestral music topped the list of music genres people would like to discover (35% – up sharply from 20% a year ago).
This appetite for orchestral discovery among adults is mirrored by their children – with 85% interested in having the opportunity to learn a musical instrument – up from 80% in 2023. Orchestral instruments featured prominently among the top choice instruments children would like to learn, which included: piano (32%), guitar (26%), drums (25%), flute (16%) and violin (15%).
Vasily Petrenko, Music Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra comments: “The start of September is always an exciting time, one that signifies both the end of a season but also new beginnings. As summer draws to a close, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and I are excited to be performing at the BBC Proms on Sunday, a musical festival that does so much to introduce new and diverse audiences to the orchestral genre. Our latest research indicates an emphatic and resurgent interest in orchestral discovery from the public, and festivals such as the Proms play their part in supporting this. For people young and old, the autumn promises to be a time when many resolve to get more involved with orchestral music – and we are very excited to launch the RPO’s 2026-27 season of concerts later this month, continuing to push boundaries, whilst injecting new life and passion into core repertoire.”
“For me and the RPO, the BBC Proms concert this Sunday is very much about the promise of a new season ahead. And we’re aiming high. From the cosmic visions of Wagner to the joy of Bernstein and the symphonic mastery of Gustav Mahler—our new season will see us create music that speaks directly to our audiences, whether in the grandeur of the Royal Albert Hall or the intimacy of Cadogan Hall. We want to move, surprise, and make hearts soar through the extraordinary power of live orchestral music.”
For this Sunday’s Proms performance, Petrenko and the RPO will take the audience on a musical tour of Europe – from London to Rome to Paris. Children play in the gardens of Rome’s Villa Borghese, while a nightingale sings at night in high branches. Respighi’s sun-soaked outdoor portrait of Italy’s capital contrasts with both the smoky thrum and after-hours jazz rhythms of Milhaud’s Le boeuf sur le toit – a musical homage to Paris – and the impressionistic colours of Vaughan William’s A London Symphony, in which Big Ben’s chimes and a busker’s harmonica break through the urban bustle.
For more information on the RPO’s new season visit: visit https://www.rpo.co.uk/whats-on