Association of British Orchestras

News & Press

UK and EU Music Industry Chiefs Join Forces to Urge Political Leaders to Tear Down Barriers to Touring the EU

Musicians and industry leaders from the UK and Europe have joined forces to demand urgent action to remove the barriers to touring across the EU.

The Association of British Orchestras calls on Government to support ‘An Orchestra in Every School’ initiative

ABO asks for nationwide access to live music and dedicated time in schools to live music making ABO pledges live music making experiences to over one million children and young people in the UK Reports show a sharp drop in Music A-Level entries and schools offering Music GCSE, alongside £161.4m ‘black hole’ in government funding for music education

UK orchestras reaching more children and young people than ever before, new data report shows

The UK’s orchestral sector has almost tripled the number of events dedicated to giving hundreds of thousands of children and young people across the country unique opportunities to listen to or perform music, a new data report reveals today.

ABO Welcomes UK Government Investment in Culture

The Association of British Orchestras (ABO) welcomes Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy’s announcement today, of additional in investment in cultural venues and creative skills.

Michael Eakin OBE, Chief Executive of the of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society, Honoured at the Association of British Orchestras Awards 2025

The Association of British Orchestras Launches #AnOrchestraInEverySchool at Annual Conference

On 5th February 2025, the ABO launches a new #AnOrchestraInEverySchool initiative at its annual conference #AnOrchestraInEverySchool highlights the transformative power and value of a high quality music education for all young people The initiative is part of the ABO’s #MusicThatMovesYou public campaign, which celebrates the impact of UK orchestras in our everyday lives, cultural heritage, communities and economy

A statement from The Musicians' Union and the Association of British Orchestras on culture change in classical music

The MU and ABO are working jointly to ensure the UK's orchestra sector has a bright future. The sector faces multiple challenges, particularly in the face of a real terms reduction in public funding in many cases, whether national or local. But this is also a time of evolution and opportunity.

ABO Welcomes Launch of Sexual Harassment Toolkit for Orchestras

The Association of British Orchestras (ABO) today welcomes the launch of a new toolkit to support orchestra managers and those with HR responsibilities to prevent sexual harassment in the music industry, developed by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the Independent Society of Musicians (ISM).

Related information

For press enquiries please contact Hanna, ABO's Head of Policy and Communications.

View the ABO Bulletins

Annual Conference

The next ABO conference will take place in London,
hosted by The Southbank Centre, from 4-6 February 2026
.