Is there a dress code for London Philharmonic Orchestra concerts at Royal Festival Hall?

You can wear what you like to our concerts at the Royal Festival Hall. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable and enjoy the music.

When do I clap?

When a piece is complete. It can be difficult to tell when a piece is over. A good tip is to watch out for the conductor. Conductors will hold still at the end of a piece, and then noticably relax, put their arms by their sides and turn to face the audience to receive their applause.

It is great anyway to enjoy the moment of silence just after the piece has finished. If you are unsure as to whether the piece has finished, wait for someone else to clap!

Can I find out what the music will sound like before I book tickets?

You'll never find out exactly how the conductor and Orchestra are going to play a piece until the concert itself, which is part of the fun - even the same orchestras and conductors vary their interpretation from performance to performance.

However, familiarity with a piece may help you enjoy it more, and for some concerts we have put playlists together which contain excerpts from pieces in the programme. To access the music samples, visit the performance section of our website, select the date of the concert, and click 'more info'. If a sample is available it will appear as a link beneath the concert description.

Alternatively, you may be able to find a recording of it on www.naxos.com, the website of the Naxos recording label. If you look via the Catalogue Search and register for a free account you’ll be allowed to listen to 25% of each track.

Where can I find out about bringing a group of people to a concert?

We offer discounts on tickets for groups of 10 or more at our Royal Festival Hall series concerts. Find out more on our groups page.

How do I get a career with the London Philharmonic Orchestra?

Current vacancies within the London Philharmonic Orchestra administration can be viewed at www.lpo.org.uk/careers with full details of application procedures.

Current vacancies for players within the London Philharmonic Orchestra can be viewed at www.lpo.org.uk/careers with full details of application and audition procedures.

Can I get voluntary work with the London Philharmonic Orchestra?

There are possible placements available in the Marketing department. Candidates must be 18 or over, and available for a minimum period of 3 months. The main tasks include:

• Providing support to the Box Office Administrator at busy times, answering telephone calls and processing ticket bookings.
• Working with the Marketing team to develop promotional contacts in business and leisure services.
• Support the Marketing and Development teams on concert evenings, selling programmes, setting up information points and acting as a public representative of the orchestra.
• Provide administrative support to the Marketing department – help in fulfilling mailings and filing.
• Work on specific concert promotions.
• Help the Publications Editor collate photographs and biographies

If you are interested in applying for a placement, please send your CV to katy.rodda@lpo.org.uk, with details of your availability.

Voluntary positions are not currently available in other departments, or within the Orchestra itself.


Back to top >