Press Release: London Symphony Orchestra Announces Trio of Artistic Partners for LSO St Luke's 2026/27 Programme

The London Symphony Orchestra today announces a diverse range of Artistic Partners for the coming seasons at LSO St Luke’s. This cohort brings distinct cultural influences, exceptional quality and varied creative styles to enrich LSO St Luke’s programming.

LSO St Luke’s Associate Artists are typically drawn from the alumnae of the Orchestra’s emerging artist schemes, such as the LSO Helen Hamlyn Panufnik Composers’ Scheme, Soundhub and Jerwood Composer+. They will perform an average of four concerts each year across two distinct programmes.

Commenting on the announcement, Stephanie Hutchinson, Head of LSO Discovery, said:

‘We are thrilled to welcome these three exceptional musical forces to LSO St Luke’s for our 2026/27 season. These partnerships allow us to co-produce work that harnesses both the technical capabilities of LSO St Luke’s and the expertise of our in-house production team, collaborating with invited artists to bring original, exciting and meaningful projects to life. Artists are approached directly to develop work that reflects their unique voice and artistic vision, diversifying the programme and attracting new audiences. Tangram, Ayanna Witter-Johnson and Drake Music each challenge traditional musical boundaries in profound ways.’

The Three Artistic Partners

Tangram

Tangram is an artist collective specialising in multidisciplinary and cross-cultural productions, led by former LSO Soundhub composers Alex Ho and Rockey Sun Keting. Nominated for the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Young Artist Award 2023, Tangram’s work builds on a foundation of contemporary classical music, drawing out its capacity for storytelling by interweaving design, movement, text, film, visual installation and performance art. Tangram projects have ranged from collaborations with Chinese sword dance and Chinese opera masters, programmes of music made for stones, ice blocks and plastic bags, and performances with live action painting and audience participation.

Ayanna Witter-Johnson

English composer, singer, songwriter and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson joins the roster, marking a continuation of her 15-year relationship with the LSO. Her collaboration began after graduating from Trinity Laban Conservatoire, when she participated in the LSO’s Helen Hamlyn Panufnik Composers’ Scheme and the Soundhub Scheme. She has since been commissioned directly by the LSO for pieces including Where Clouds Meet the Sea (for the Brass Ensemble), DreamCity and FAIYA!, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. Her creative partnership reached a new milestone with the release of her live album Ocean Floor on the LSO Live label, recorded alongside the LSO Percussion Ensemble and LSO Principal Percussion Neil Percy. Her work combines classical orchestration with alternative R&B, soul, jazz and her Caribbean heritage.

Drake Music, LSO St Luke’s Community Partner

Drake Music works across music, Disability, and technology to create opportunities for Disabled people to make music. They support artists across genres and focus on removing barriers so they can develop and progress their careers. Their work is underpinned by the Social Model of Disability. They recognise that barriers in society limit creative potential, and work to remove them so Disabled musicians can create, share, and advance their work. They are led by Disabled people, with delivery shaped by lived experience and long-term relationships with artists.

Drake Music continues its pioneering partnership with the LSO to deliver accessible, inclusive music programmes that empower Disabled, Learning Disabled and Neurodiverse adults and youth to compose and perform using assistive technology.

The collaboration focuses on three core initiatives at LSO St Luke’s:

• LSO Create: Creative music-making workshops for Learning Disabled and Neurodiverse adults, facilitated by Drake Music experts.
• Accessible Artistic Showcases: Jointly hosted live events designed to progress the professional careers of Disabled musicians.
• Accessible Venue Development: Collaboration to push the boundaries of inclusive performance through venue access guides, virtual backstage tours, and inclusive event staging.

LSO St Luke’s delivers an ambitious artistic programme that combines outstanding performance with creative innovation and community connection, bringing together global artists, emerging voices and local participants across classical, contemporary and cross-disciplinary work. The Associate Artists play a central role within this offer, which includes 18 BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concerts recorded for future broadcast, Free Friday Lunchtime Concerts and Gresham College lectures. Across the year, guest artists from a wide range of musical genres appear alongside ensembles and soloists drawn from the ranks of the London Symphony Orchestra, reinforcing LSO St Luke’s position as both a vibrant local cultural hub and an internationally connected centre for artistic collaboration.