‘The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra is on a high and demands attention.’ The Observer The award-winning Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra is the UK's oldest continuing professional symphony orchestra, dating from 1840. The dynamic young Russian, Vasily Petrenko was appointed Principal Conductor of the Orchestra in September 2006 and in September 2009 became Chief Conductor. The Orchestra gives over sixty concerts each season in Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and tours widely throughout the UK and internationally, most recently touring to China, Switzerland, France, Spain, Germany, Romania and the Czech Republic. In recent seasons world premiere performances have included major works by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Sir John Tavener, Karl Jenkins, Michael Nyman and Jennifer Higdon alongside works by Liverpool-born composers including John McCabe, Kenneth Hesketh, Emily Howard, Stephen Pratt and Mark Simpson. Recent additions to the Orchestra’s critically acclaimed recording catalogue include Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony (2009 Gramophone Awards Orchestral Recording of the Year), the world premiere performance of Sir John Tavener’s Requiem, 8 discs in an ongoing Shostakovich cycle (the recording of Symphony No. 10 is the 2011 Gramophone Awards Orchestral Recording of the Year); Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances, and Piano Concertos No. 2 and No.3 and No.1 and No.4 with Simon Trpčeski; and Rachmaninov’s Symphony No.2 and No. 3.