Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Announces Prince Charles as New Patron

The announcement comes as the orchestra prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary this fall

HRH The Prince of Wales has accepted an invitation to become the patron of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO). With the help of Prince Charles, the organization hopes to enhance British culture, society, and economy in the upcoming 75th anniversary season, with a focus on advocating for music education, inclusion, and presenting the UK as a Global Ambassador for the arts.

Prince Charles has had a life-long association with the arts. In 2020, he spoke about the importance of protecting the arts during the COVID pandemic, a time where many artists were unable to work or perform.

“The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is honoured to welcome as its Patron The Prince of Wales, a longstanding champion of the Arts in this country," said James Williams, Managing Director of the RPO. "The era of COVID-19 has presented a seismic challenge for the Arts community but, as lockdown slowly eases, it is time to look forward.

"At the RPO, we have been hard at work for some months, shaping a bold strategy for our concert, community engagement, inclusion and education programmes to enrich communities when it matters most; we aim to help people and businesses to rebuild after the long, dark months of lockdown. With the announcement of The Prince of Wales as our Patron and the appointment of Vasily Petrenko as our new Music Director, the RPO is well placed to lead the resurgence and spread the joy of orchestral music in a post-COVID world.”