London Symphony Orchestra [UK]

From delivering artistic excellence on stage, in recordings and on film, to its world-leading music education and community programme, the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) 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 the LSO St Luke’s through its pioneering community and education programme, LSO Discovery, one of the first in the United Kingdom. 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 United Kingdom’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 Francois-Xavier Roth as Principal Guest Conductors, Michael Tilson Thomas as Conductor Laureate.

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 isseminated. 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.