“The conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali doubled down in this blast of a performance. What a sound he drew from the Philharmonia — the strings were a blaze of scorching sunlight, the wood and brass bold and gleaming.” ― The Times, London

London’s Philharmonia Orchestra returns to Hill Auditorium, with both the exciting young Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali and Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson making their UMS debuts.

Rouvali took over the podium at the Philharmonia in 2021. He’ll conduct Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, an emotional rollercoaster that received huge acclaim at its 1937 premiere.

Pianist Víkingur Ólafsson has captured public and critical imagination to become one of the most sought-after artists of today, with recordings that have led to over a billion streams. His recent recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations captured the 2025 Grammy for Best Classical Instrumental Solo and served as the only work he toured in the 23/24 season; he performed it 90 times across the world. Ólafsson performs Beethoven’s spirited “Emperor” Concerto, a work that has not been performed at a UMS concert since 2004.

Looking for free student tickets? All U-M undergraduate students are eligible to receive a FREE ticket to a UMS performance per academic year through the Bert’s Ticket program (a $20 value)!