Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra

20/10/2026

What's it like leading a symphony orchestra from the top step of the podium?

Here's our music director and principal conductor Peter Selwyn talking about his experience of conducting, as well as one of his favourite parts of concert proceedings!

You can come and watch him (and the rest of the RTWSO!) in action at our next concert, Heroes and Legends - the baton comes down in the Assembly Hall Theatre at 3pm on November 1st! Find out more on our website, https://rtwso.org/, and purchase your tickets directly from the AHT: https://www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk/whats-on/rtwso-heroes-and-legends.html -datesTimes

13/10/2026

Our music director and conductor for our next concert, Peter Selwyn, has a few things to share about our upcoming November 1st programme!

"We're featuring two of the great German composers and there's a real depth in both pieces for the orchestra to explore. Beethoven's Eroica really broke the mould, as one of the most ambitious symphonies ever written, while Wagner's Parsifal Suite, drawn from his final opera, moves slowly and expansively. There's no singing, but there's plenty of drama to listen out for."

Looking for tickets? Here's a link to the Assembly Hall Theatre's website to purchase them: https://www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk/whats-on/rtwso-heroes-and-legends.html -datesTimes

05/10/2026

Thank you to everyone who was able to join us on Sunday for our Season Opening, with a Fanfare. It was wonderful to see so many of you in the audience, especially to enjoy Laura van der Heijden's incredible performance of the Elgar! A special thanks as well to all those who left donations at the door - the extra support always helps us keep bringing this beautiful music to Tunbridge Wells' doorstep.

Our next concert, Heroes & Legends - Beethoven's Eroica and Wagner's Parsifal Suite - is on Sunday 1st November. Find out more about the programme on our website, as well as a link to purchase tickets: https://rtwso.org/heroes-legends/

We look forward to seeing you all there!

27/09/2026

One week to go... get your tickets ready!

Since our first rehearsal on the 4th of September (pictured here), we've been working hard to bring our programme of Brahms, Elgar, and Copland to the stage of the Assembly Hall Theatre for our season opener - we'd love to see as many of you watching us as we can. Make sure to grab your favourite seats before they're gone! As always, they're available on the AHT's own website, linked below:

https://www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk/whats-on/rtwso-season-opening-with-a-fanfare.html -datesTimes

22/09/2026

With less than two weeks to go until our first concert, we had a chat with featured soloist Laura van der Heijden about her local roots, the joys of live classical music, and her insights into the Elgar Cello Concerto that she'll be performing. Have a listen to what she had to say, and then come along to the Assembly Hall Theatre on October 4th to see how much you can pick up on!

Tickets are still available from the AHT’s website: https://www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk/whats-on/rtwso-season-opening-with-a-fanfare.html -datesTimes

And don’t forget our season tickets are still available (upwards of 30% savings across all six of our 2026-2027 concerts!) – make sure you can enjoy all of the music we’ll be bringing you this year from the comfort of your favourite seat in the house! Purchase here: https://www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk/whats-on/rtwso-2026-2027-season.html

15/09/2026

We’re back! With our 2026-2027 season soon to begin on October 4th, we look forward to welcoming you all again to Tunbridge Wells’ Assembly Hall Theatre for another six concerts packed full of diverse music and talents. With much anticipation in the air for what is to come, our music director Peter Selwyn is here to talk you through a little of what you can expect this year!

As a reminder, our season tickets are still available to purchase, offering total savings in excess of 30% across the season – that’s up to £83! – and our under-18 and student tickets remain up for grabs for only £5 a concert. You can pick up this value for yourself on the Assembly Hall Theatre’s website: https://www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk/whats-on/rtwso-2026-2027-season.html

Of course, you can purchase individual concert tickets too – browse the Classical and Opera section of the Assembly Hall Theatre’s website to find their listings, or click on the direct links to tickets in your preferred concert’s Facebook Event page - the first three are already live on our Events tab, with the other three soon to come!

Want to learn more about us and read about what’s coming in more detail? You can browse our website here: https://rtwso.org/whats-on/

02/06/2026

✨RTWSO Summer Chamber Music - This Sunday!✨

Join us for the final concert in our Summer Chamber Music series with Wealden Winds, led by Andrew Muir.

Expect a lively mix of music for woodwind and brass, including Gary Carpenter’s Pantomime — full of humour, energy and wonderful sounds.

📅 Sunday 7 June, 3pm
🎭 Jubilee Theatre, Holmewood House School, Langton Green, Tunbridge Wells
🎟️ Free admission | Optional retiring collection

https://rtwso.org/2026-summer-chamber-concerts/

12/04/2026

***TODAY***

Our season finale promises to be a spectacular one!
Join us for a celebration, 3pm at the Assembly Hall Theatre 🎉
https://www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk/whats-on/rtwso-a-parisian-in-moscow-and-an-american-in-paris.html

09/04/2026

Our orchestral concert season comes to an end this weekend, but the fun continues! The annual RTWSO Quiz Night takes place on Friday 15 May - there are still a few tables availble, so gather your team together and get in touch! Advanced booking is essential, details at https://rtwso.org/annual-quiz-night-15th-may-2026/

22/02/2026

Here's an edition of the BBC's Omnibus from 1977: Andre Previn rehearsing Walton's Symphony No.1 with the LSO, and discussions with Sir William Walton. A fascinating watch, ahead of our performance on Sunday!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oxXi3tn4P0
https://rtwso.org/a-land-without-music/

Humphrey Burton uses the composer's first symphony to mark Walton's 75th birthday, first with a rehearsal, and later a performance, by the London Symphony Or...