London Symphony Orchestra

The London Symphony Orchestra is widely regarded as one of the world’s finest orchestras, but its activities extend far beyond the concert hall. These include an innovative educational and community program, a record label, a music education center, and cutting-edge work in digital music.
More than a century after its founding, the LSO continues to attract outstanding instrumentalists from around the globe. The quality of its soloists and conductors is second to none, beginning with its principal conductor Valery Gergiev and the LSO’s chairman, Sir Colin Davis. The LSO distinguishes itself from other internationally renowned orchestras through its commitment to music education, via its “LSO Discovery” program, housed at LSO St Luke’s—the UBS and LSO Music Education Center. Now in its 20th season, this program reaches some 60,000 people annually, offering a wide range of activities for music lovers of all ages and backgrounds. The Barbican’s resident orchestra in London, the LSO presents over 70 concerts annually. In addition to being orchestra-in-residence at the Aix-en-Provence Festival next year, it tours 70 times, enjoys an annual residency at Lincoln Center in New York, is the international orchestra-in-residence at the Salle Pleyel in Paris, and performs regularly in Japan, elsewhere in the Far East, and in major European cities. “LSO Live” is currently the most successful record label of its kind, showcasing the orchestra worldwide through over 70 recordings. Besides producing CDs, it was one of the first labels to embrace the internet and downloads.