ARTISTS

From delivering artistic excellence on stage, in recordings and on film, to its world-leading music education and community programme, the London Symphony Orchestra strives to bring great music to as many people as possible. Established in 1904, the LSO was one of the first self-governing orchestras, built on the values of partnership and artistic ownership. That entrepreneurial spirit continues today.

The LSO has been the Resident Orchestra at the Barbican Centre in the City of London since it opened in 1982. Every year, it gives over 70 concerts in London and performs 50–60 worldwide. The LSO also programmes concerts and workshops at LSO St Luke’s through its pioneering community and education programme, LSO Discovery, one of the first in the UK. The Orchestra is a champion for new music, regularly commissioning some of the foremost British composers to write significant new works for full orchestra whilst also working to develop the UK’s younger generation of conductors.

The LSO has developed a close family of artists who continually demonstrate their commitment to this Orchestra, with Sir Simon Rattle as Music Director, Gianandrea Noseda and François-Xavier Roth as Principal Guest Conductors and Michael Tilson Thomas as Conductor Laureate. It also enjoys long-standing relationships with some of the world’s greatest conductors and soloists who relish the boundless musical ambition that the LSO offers.

The LSO has a history of innovation that helps to keep it relevant and contemporary. With the formation of its own recording label LSO Live in 1999, the Orchestra brought about a revolution in how live orchestral music is recorded and disseminated. Since then, LSO Live has produced over 150 releases and continually embraces new digital technologies, with pioneering moves into digital film, Blu-Ray Audio, downloads and streaming. The LSO has more recordings to its name than any other orchestra, and many millions have enjoyed the Orchestra through its leading work for film, which includes hundreds of classic scores from Star Wars toThe King’s Speech, The Shape of Water and Indiana Jones. 

The LSO seeks to bring live orchestral music to millions of people each year through performances in London and around the world. The LSO is supported by public funding through the Arts Council and the City of London Corporation for its residency at the Barbican Centre, who together with its strategic partners in the private sector enable it to continue delivering a dynamic range of work.