Think of all the classical music you love. All of it began with a composer, each one reliant on others to help bring it into the world.

Think of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Remarkably, it was a group of music-loving individuals right here in the UK – the original members of the Royal Philharmonic Society – who gave Beethoven the means to create the piece. His thanks to them is recorded in his own hand on the manuscript score in the British Library.

Imagine being part of the circle that made that happen. As we celebrate the 200th anniversary of that extraordinary moment, we invite you to join us in helping a new generation of composers to make their own mark on the world.

We are newly launching an appeal to help us commission and support a host of composers whose talent and imagination stands to have a huge positive impact on audiences, but risks not being heard given limited opportunities and funding cuts UK-wide.

‘The RPS is incredibly supportive, nurturing and encouraging. The programme has not only reinvigorated my love for composing, it’s given me a deep understanding of what it means to build and embark on a sustainable, proactive and imaginative career.’ - Sarah Frances Jenkins RPS Composer

Your support will:

• cultivate our RPS Composers programme that grants a cohort of early-career composers a commission and premiere with a noted UK ensemble, festival or venue, and provides a year of professional development to help them build the profile, skills and contacts they need to build resonant careers.
• provide much-needed support to mid-career composers, giving them a new commission that captures fresh interest from audiences and performers, building better profile and recognition for them and their music.
• help make opportunities for composers who, despite great promise, find themselves unfairly marginalised owing to personal circumstances or background, giving them the opportunity to be heard

A donation of any size will be dearly valued.

Whatever you can donate, you can have faith – given our care and our track record dating back to Beethoven – that we will ensure it makes a transformative difference to composers in need. You can make a donation through our online appeal page, or by calling us on 020 7287 0019. All donors will receive a personal thank-you from one of our current RPS Composers.

If you have the means to help at a higher level, we will be so pleased to create a special association for you…

A donation from £400

We will ensure you are recognised for the care and appreciation you have for today’s music-makers, and offer you:

• acknowledgement of your kind support of our appeal on the RPS website.
• a lasting credit for you, and all who support at this level, printed in the scores of the new works our 2025 RPS Composers are writing, ensuring your name will take its place within our historic collection of manuscripts dating back to Beethoven’s Ninth.

A donation from £900

We are pleased to offer a musical experience you’ll never forget, and the opportunity to meet some of the composers whose prospects you are helping us to transform. In addition to the benefits pledged above, you will also receive:

• a pair of stalls tickets – strictly while stocks last – for a landmark concert marking the 200th anniversary of the UK premiere of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, performed by Antonio Pappano and the London Symphony Orchestra, on Sunday 23 March 2025 at the Barbican, with an exclusive interval drinks reception
• an invitation to meet our 2025 RPS Composers, and be thanked in person for your support, at our annual networking event where we introduce the composers to key industry figures, in October 2025.

We – and the composers we support – are sincerely grateful for any gesture you can make.

There’s no limit to the support we can give composers and performers in need. You can play a valued and connected part in this by joining the Royal Philharmonic Society, and becoming an RPS Member yourself.

RPS Membership – from £5 a month

Every note of a symphony matters. Become an RPS Member and be an integral part of all that we do year-round to support composers and to bring new music into the world. In return, you can fuel your passions and make fresh discoveries through our specially-curated newsletter Discover emailed to you, our magazine Philharmonic, and Backstage – the exclusive Members area of our website full of musical content to spark your interest. You can find out more about RPS Membership and join our cause here on our website.

‘Without the creative energy of new composers, music can only have a past. The Royal Philharmonic Society gives you the opportunity to help ensure a future for music.’ - Pierre Boulez