Association of British Orchestras

London Chamber Orchestra

Contact details

1 Green Way Swaffham
United Kingdom
London
PE37 7FD
The London Chamber Orchestra (LCO), one of the world’s finest ensembles, combines the charismatic leadership of Principal Conductor Christopher Warren-Green with the skills of London’s most exceptional musicians. Having been founded in 1921, it is the UK’s oldest professional chamber orchestra. In that time it has established an enviable reputation as an innovative and adventurous ensemble. It has premiered works by a veritable Who’s Who of 20th-century composers, including Stravinsky, Bloch, Vaughan Williams, Respighi, Delius, de Falla, Finzi, Prokofiev, Hindemith, Poulenc and Villa Lobos. And that continues today, with premieres by figures such as Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, James MacMillan and Graham Fitkin, as well as a host of young composers. In 2012, LCO premiered Track to Track, commissioned by The LCO Trust as part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad and PRSF New Music 20×12. “LCO’s honest vigour and palpable display of enjoyment always refreshed the ears.” Geoff Brown, The Times Alongside this is an equal dedication to established orchestral repertoire and LCO performs frequently with internationally renowned soloists and conductors, who have recently included Vladimir Ashkenazy, Maria João Pires, Alison Balsom, Lang Lang, Pekka Kuusisto, Lawrence Zazzo, Han-Na Chang, Paul Lewis, Augustin Dumay, Sol Gabetta, Natalie Clein and Julian Lloyd Webber. The orchestra’s London season is based at the ideally intimate space of Cadogan Hall. Aside from its enviable national credentials, LCO is also recognised globally, having appeared in concert halls around the world – from La Scala, Milan, to City Hall, Hong Kong, and throughout the Far East, the USA and Europe. As well as recordings for EMI, Virgin and Sony, it has also recorded a number of CDs as part of the ‘LCO Live’ series on Signum Records. Community and education projects form a vibrant strand of LCO’s activities; highlights include a recent partnership with London’s National Gallery and the ongoing Music Junction project. LCO enjoys the Patronage of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall, and in 2011 it performed at the wedding service of TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to an estimated global audience of two billion people. Remarkably, it has received no public subsidy during its entire history, instead enjoying significant support from private donors, trusts and foundations, corporate sponsors and enthusiastic audiences: a tribute to its impeccable performance credentials.

Annual Conference

The next ABO conference will take place in Bristol,
hosted by Bristol Beacon, from 24-26 January 2024.