DECCA CLASSICS ANNOUNCES  

REFLECTIONS  

A LANDMARK ORCHESTRAL RELEASE MARKING SIR JOHN RUTTER’S 80TH BIRTHDAY  

 FEATURING STEVEN OSBORNE & THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA 

Release 19 September 2025

Decca Classics today announces the first orchestral album from one of Britain’s most beloved composers, Sir John Rutter. Reflections will be released on Friday 19 September, just ahead of Rutter’s 80th birthday on 24 September. Known around the world for his choral music, the album includes the first recording of Rutter’s rarely-heard piano concerto, Reflections, performed by pianist Steven Osborne and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the composer himself. Rutter’s music is performed across the globe, and he has received many honours, including a CBE in 2007 and a knighthood in 2024 for services to music. Being knighted by King Charles III, a strong supporter of the arts, was a particularly special moment for Rutter.

Composed in 1979, Reflections reveals an unexpected facet of Rutter's musical voice - vibrant, expansive and cinematic. Across four colourful movements, the 38-minute concerto evokes nostalgia, playfulness and deep introspection: “‘Reflections’ is a word rich with different meanings,” writes Rutter. “First, of course, is the idea of mirror images, literal or distorted; second, the less literal reflections of light on rippling water... third, the quiet thoughts of a reflective mind, perhaps nostalgic or tinged with sadness; finally, reflection in the sense of echoes of things past.”

Joining Rutter in the recording is renowned British pianist Steven Osborne. Speaking about the experience, Osborne said: “It was a thrill to record John Rutter’s piano concerto Reflections. I grew up loving his choral music, and the concerto has the same virtues I remember from my childhood experience of his work – honesty, characterfulness, a wonderful melodic instinct, and an unselfconscious sense of rightness.”

Originally premiered in 1979 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Reflections has not been performed since – making this recording a long-awaited rediscovery. Rutter describes the work as “a sort of dialogue” between solo piano and orchestra, rather than a virtuosic display, noting: “The medium itself, of solo piano and orchestra, was chosen because of the opportunity it offered for a solo piano and an orchestra to ‘reflect’ each other’s music in a sort of dialogue – which is why, in the piano part, there is very little of the virtuoso writing associated with the Romantic-period concerto.”

Each movement explores a different kind of musical reflection. The Toccata was inspired by what Rutter calls: “‘Play of light’ reflections – capricious, darting and unpredictable…”. The Interlude offers a more introspective tone, shaped by “‘Thoughtful’ reflections... calm and almost hypnotic.” Meanwhile, the Prelude and Finale “reflect,” as Rutter writes, “a number of musical styles which acted as points of reference to me in the writing of the piece: the French Impressionist composers, blues, various kinds of jazz and vintage pop, among others.”

In addition to the title concerto, the Reflections album includes several other orchestral works by Rutter, most of them recorded for the first time. These include the festive Celebration Overture, the lyrical Four Miniatures for Orchestra, and the vibrant suite Cityscapes, which captures musical impressions of cities around the world. The album closes with Elegy for Piano and Orchestra, featuring Steven Osborne once again in a poignant tribute to memory and loss.

2025 is a milestone year for Sir John Rutter, who turns 80 on 24 September. His music will be celebrated globally through concerts and new recordings. One of the highlights will be a birthday concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at St Paul’s Cathedral on 5 November.

The RDMR contact for Decca Classics is Alice.