The London Chamber Orchestra (LCO) is a professional chamber orchestra based in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in the United Kingdom. The name has also been used by historical ensembles dating back to 1921. LCO performs at small concert halls across London and has previously toured Asia, the UK, Europe and the United States.

History

The name London Chamber Orchestra was first used in 1921 by the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

conductor,

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists. In addition, an organist may accompany congregational h ...

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

and composer

Anthony Bernard Anthony Bernard (25 January 18916 April 1963) was an English conductor, organist, pianist and composer. Early life Anthony Bernard's birth was registered as Alan Charles Butler in West Ham, then classified as Essex, in early 1891. His mother was ...

. He conducted the first LCO performance, in the salon of No. 4 St. James's Square on 11 May 1921.

Royal connection

LCO's patron is Camilla, the Queen Consort. The London Chamber Orchestra performed at the

wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton took place on Friday, 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London, England. The groom was second in the line of succession to the British throne. The couple had been in a relationship si ...

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the Unite ...

on 29 April 2011. The special programme of music was conducted by Christopher Warren-Green. Music played at the royal wedding was recorded and released digitally by Decca Records on 5 May 2011.

'Longest established' claim

LCO often describes itself as the UK's 'longest established' or 'longest standing' chamber orchestra, however fellow London orchestra, the London Mozart Players, make a similar claim. One explanation of the conflicting claims is this: although the London Chamber Orchestra name has been in use since 1921, it has been represented by a series of different, often unconnected, individuals, companies and legal entities, with several lengthy periods where no such ensemble has existed or performed.

Performances and education work

The LCO has given more than 100 UK premieres, including works by

Malcolm Arnold Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold (21 October 1921 – 23 September 2006) was an English composer. His works feature music in many genres, including a cycle of nine symphonies, numerous concertos, concert works, chamber music, choral music and music ...

Manuel de Falla Manuel de Falla y Matheu (, 23 November 187614 November 1946) was an Andalusian Spanish composer and pianist. Along with Isaac Albéniz, Francisco Tárrega, and Enrique Granados, he was one of Spain's most important musicians of the first ...

, Gabriel Fauré,

Leoš Janáček Leoš Janáček (, baptised Leo Eugen Janáček; 3 July 1854 – 12 August 1928) was a Czech composer, musical theorist, folklorist, publicist, and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian and other Slavic musics, including Eastern European f ...

, Maurice Ravel, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Igor Stravinsky, and, most recently,

Graham Fitkin Graham Fitkin (born 19 April 1963) is a British composer, pianist and conductor. His compositions fall broadly into the minimalist and postminimalist genres. Described by ''The Independent'' in 1998 as "one of the most important of our younger co ...

and James Francis Brown. In 2006 the LCO premiered Sir

Peter Maxwell Davies Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (8 September 1934 – 14 March 2016) was an English composer and conductor, who in 2004 was made Master of the Queen's Music. As a student at both the University of Manchester and the Royal Manchester College of Musi ...

's ''The Golden Rule'', written to mark Queen Elizabeth's 80th birthday. The orchestra also runs an education and outreach programme called Music Junction.

Direction

The London Chamber Orchestra's principal conductor, Christopher Warren-Green, has held the position of Music Director since 1988. The President of the Orchestra is

Vladimir Ashkenazy Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy (russian: Влади́мир Дави́дович Ашкена́зи, ''Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazi''; born 6 July 1937) is an internationally recognized solo pianist, chamber music performer, and conductor. He ...

and Rosemary Warren-Green is Education & Outreach Artistic Director.Bach-Cantatas
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Discography

* Mozart: Symphony No. 29 and

concertos A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The ty ...

, *

Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widesprea ...

: The Four Seasons, * ''String Serenades'':

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...

Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

, Dvořák,

Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams, (; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...

, Josef Suk * ''Minimalist'': Philip Glass,

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before his presidency, he was a leader of t ...

, Steve Reich, Dave Heath * '' The Harder They Fall (Original Score)'' (with Jeymes Samuel) The LCO has been recorded by

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), Tom Newman. It ...

and BMG and has been broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and ITV.

References

External links

LCO web site
{{Authority control Musical groups established in 1921 London orchestras Chamber orchestras 1921 establishments in England EMI Classics and Virgin Classics artists