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Sir James MacMillan facing the camera against a grey backdrop, wearing black-framed glasses and a grey suit

Sir James MacMillan and the LSO

Ahead of the world premiere of his Concerto for Orchestra on 11 September, we look back on three decades of collaboration with Sir James MacMillan.

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Highlights with the LSO

1994
World premiere of Brittania, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas.

1996
World premiere of The World’s Ransoming, conducted by Kent Nagano.
World premiere of Cello Concerto, conducted by Sir Colin Davis with Mstislav Rostropovich.

1997
World premiere of Symphony, ‘Vigil’, conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich.

2003
World premiere of A Deep But Dazzling Darkness, commissioned by the LSO for the opening of LSO St Luke’s, with Gordan Nikolitch (LSO Leader) as soloist.

2006 & 2007
Sir Colin Davis conducts The Confessions of Isobel Gowdie.

2007
World premiere of Stomp (with Fate and Elvira), conducted by Sir Colin Davis. Commissioned by the Guildhall School, and performed alongside Guildhall students, for the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Barbican Centre. 

2008
World premiere of St John Passion, an LSO commission, dedicated to Sir Colin Davis in his 80th birthday year.

2009 & 2010
LSO Portrait Artist in the 2009/10 Season, in celebration of his 50th birthday, with performances of Into the Ferment, Epiclesis and St John Passion.
50th birthday concert at LSO St Luke’s in July 2009, with MacMillan conducting and Nicola Benedetti as soloist. Featuring music by Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky, and MacMillan’s own Í (A Meditation on Iona), From Ayrshire and Tryst.

2010
World premiere of Violin Concerto with soloist Vadim Rapin, conducted by Valery Gergiev.

2010 & 2012
Guest Composition Director (2010) and conductor (2012) for the LSO Panufnik Composers Scheme Workshops.

2018
UK premiere of Trombone Concerto with soloist Peter Moore, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda.

2018
Premiere of the full string version of All the Hills and Vales Along, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda, written for the First World War centenary.

Concerto for Orchestra

Sir James MacMillan and Sir Antonio Pappano introduce MacMillan’s new Concerto for Orchestra in this video.

Listen on LSO Live

Coming Up

MacMillan and Shostakovich 12
Nicola Benedetti holding violin and smiling.
Barbican

MacMillan and Shostakovich 12

Gianandrea Noseda and Nicola Benedetti

Thursday 3 April 2025 • 7pm

James MacMillan's dedicatee Nicola Benedetti performs his Violin Concerto No 2 and Principal Guest Conductor Gianandrea Noseda conducts Shostakovich Symphony No 12.

Header image © Marc Marnie