Summer is peak season for classical music. This is when the world’s most celebrated musicians, conductors, and composers come together to bring the very best of classical music to audiences around the world. From Austria’s Salzburg Festival to Colorado’s Aspen Music Festival, London’s BBC Proms, to Slovenia’s Summer Ljubljana Festival, these summer gatherings are essential to the cultural calendar. Summer Festivals not only offer vital performance opportunities for musicians, but they also bring classical music to new and broader audiences. 

The BBC Proms, held annually at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall, is a cornerstone of the London summer. Founded to make classical music more accessible to a wider audience, the Proms now offers everything from Beethoven to Bollywood, with orchestral blockbusters, musical theatre, and world music all part of its vibrant three-month program. 

Across the Atlantic, the Tanglewood Music Festival, summer home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, has been a beacon of top-class music in Massachusetts since 1934. Today, it’s also a hub of education and innovation, thanks to the Tanglewood Music Center, the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and the Tanglewood Learning Center, which train and inspire the next generation of musicians. 

Attending these incredible festivals is a highlight of the summer for many, but we know it’s not always possible to make it out to all the festivals you’d like to see. That’s why we’re bringing the summer festival spirit to you. Inspired by legendary festivals, Marquee TV’s hand-picked collection of classical concerts will bring world-class music to you. 

5 Classical Music Concerts on Marquee TV 

The Planets – London Philharmonic Orchestra 

Fun fact: Gustav Holst’s The Planets has been performed at the BBC Proms 20 times, a real testament to its incredible power to captivate audiences. Join conductor Edward Gardner and the London Philharmonic Orchestra for a brilliant concert of this Summer Festival favorite. 

Inspired by astrology and the imagined personalities of each planet in our solar system, Holst’s orchestral masterpiece remains one of the most beloved works in classical music. From the thunderous intensity of “Mars, the Bringer of War” to the serene beauty of “Venus, the Bringer of Peace” and the ethereal finale of “Neptune, the Mystic,” this seven-movement orchestral suite is a celestial journey through sound. 

With the addition of the London Youth Choir, this concert brings Holst’s iconic suite to life in a sweeping explosion of emotion, power, and mystery. This concert isn’t just for classical music fans. The first movement, “Mars,” famously inspired John Williams’s “Imperial March” for the soundtrack to Star Wars. Can you hear the similarities?

Movements: 

• Mars, the Bringer of War
• Venus, the Bringer of Peace
• Mercury, the Winged Messenger
• Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
• Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
• Uranus, the Magician
• Neptune, the Mystic

 

Bernstein Celebration at Tanglewood

Leonard Bernstein had a lifelong connection with the Tanglewood Music Festival.  He first arrived at the festival in 1940 as a conducting student, where he met his mentor and lifelong friend, Aaron Copland. As Bernstein’s fame grew, he continued to return to Tanglewood for over five decades, performing, teaching, and inspiring new generations of musicians. In 2018, the festival held the Leonard Bernstein Centennial Celebration, honoring his extraordinary legacy with a gala on what would have been his 100th birthday year.  

With a star-studded program hosted by six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald, this special tribute brings together some of the finest artists from Broadway, classical music, and film to honor Bernstein’s unparalleled contributions to both American musical theater and orchestral music. This brilliant tribute to Bernstein’s legacy features selections from Bernstein’s most iconic works, including West Side Story and Candide, as well as works by Mahler and film composer John Williams, who created a new composition for the occasion.

Program:
Candide Overture – Bernstein
”Phaedrus” from Serenade ( After Plato’s Symposium) – Bernstein
”Kiddish 2” from Symphony No.3 – Bernstein
”Meditations 3” from Mass – Bernstein
Selections from West Side Story – Bernstein
”Der Schildwache Nachtlied” from Des Knaben Wunderhorn – Mahler
Finale from Appalachian Spring – Copland
Highwood’s Ghost – John Williams
Finale from Symphony No.2 ”Resurrection” – John Williams
”Somewhere” from West Side Story – Bernstein

 

Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 with Sir András Schiff

Another favorite of festivals is Beethoven’s powerful Piano Concerto No.5, nicknamed the “Emperor” concerto. In this performance, renowned pianist Sir András Schiff, a frequent performer at festivals like the Proms and the Salzburg Festival, and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, give a masterful performance of Beethoven’s most famous piano concerto.  

Captured in elegant black and white, this concert doesn’t just sound great, it’s beautiful to watch.  Performing on a meticulously crafted 1822 Graf fortepiano, Schiff brings fresh insight and expressive clarity to Beethoven’s work. From the bold opening cadenza to the transcendent second movement and its seamless transition to the grand finale, this concert reveals the simultaneous grandeur and intimacy of the “Emperor” as never before. 

If you love this concert, you’re in luck. This concert is the final instalment of Schiff’s acclaimed Beethoven concerto cycle with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. You can watch the full concert series here. 

 

Julian Joseph Plays Gershwin 

Experience the undeniably catchy blend of classical and jazz in Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Saint-Saëns’s impressive Organ Symphony (Symphony No.3) all in one concert.  Under the baton of Jader Bignamini, the London Philharmonic Orchestra gives an unforgettable concert of two giants of the classical music repertoire.  

Acclaimed jazz pianist Julian Joseph joins the orchestra for a thrilling performance of Gershwin’s beloved Blues-inspired suite, performed in the heavily improvised style of Gershwin himself. You can learn more about Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue here. Then, joined by organist and TikTok sensation Anna Lapwood, the LPO delivers a stirring performance of Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony. You can practically feel the walls shake as Anna plays the impressive opening chords.  This concert is a unique musical experience that harmoniously bridges classical and contemporary. 

Program:
Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue
Saint-Saëns – Symphony No. 3 (Organ)

 

Pappano Conducts Bartók & Beethoven

Join Sir Antonio Pappano and the London Symphony Orchestra for another dynamic program of classical brilliance with a modern flair.  Featuring Beethoven’s beloved Symphony No.7. famously used in The King’s Speech, alongside the bold contemporary zing of Thomas Adès’ Concerto for Piano & Orchestra, performed by star pianist Kirill Gerstein, this concert shows off the breadth of classical music. 

Opening with Bartók’s spirited Divertimento, this concert bursts with classical energy you’ll want to bring to your living room.  

Program:
Divertimento for strings – Bela Bartók
Concerto for Piano & Orchestra – Thomas Adès *
Symphony No. 7 – Ludwig van Beethoven
*Kirill Gerstein Solist

This is just a taste of what’s streaming this season. Explore even more symphonic favorites and legendary performances in our Summer Classical Music Festival lineup, or explore the whole Marquee TV Summer Festival Series here.  Whether you’re in the mood for Beethoven or Bernstein, you’ll find a concert to suit any occasion. 

 

 

Build your own Classical Music festival at home

Ready to turn your living room into the main stage? Create your own summer festival experience at home. Here are a few ideas to get you started. 

• Watch on the big screen: Set up Marquee TV on your TV or projector to catch all the action in detail. [Here’s How] 
• Dress for the occasion: Put on your concert best and bring a bit of glamour to your evening at home.
• Pre-show bubbles: No concert experience is complete without a little pre-show glass of bubbly. Toast to the night with your favorite glass of sparkling something, to really get in the spirit. 
• Ambiance, sorted: Download the concerts on your phone using the Marquee TV app and create your own “playlist of performances” to enjoy indoors or out.
• Get the gang together: Festivals are meant to be shared. Host a summer soirée with music lovers and make it a night to remember.