London Festival Orchestra

Last updated

The London Festival Orchestra (LFO) was an orchestra established in the 1950s. Originally it was the 'house orchestra' for Decca Records, initially directed by Peter Knight, but in 1980 it was incorporated as an independent orchestra, directed by Ross Pople. [1] [2]

With the staging of the orchestra's summer festival of music in cathedrals, under the title Cathedral Classics, sponsored by American Express and British Gas, London Festival Orchestra quickly became a household name in the UK and abroad. In 1994 Pople's vision of artistic independence inspired the creation of The Warehouse; making LFO the first British orchestra to own a permanent, independent home. The Warehouse, situated in the heart of the South Bank, is a state of the art rehearsal, recording and concert venue and a significant focal point for UK and international artists and orchestras where they rehearse, perform and record. This is also where the LFO musicians are showcased in various collaborations as The Warehouse Ensemble with in-house performances.

BMG's new classical music label Arte Nova contracted LFO to record the bulk of its new classical music label in the late 90s. The LFO's enviable discography also includes recordings for Deutsche Grammophon, Hyperion and ASV.

Additional to the LFO's London concert seasons at the Southbank Centre and the Barbican Centre, and more recently the Cadogan Hall, the Orchestra has a long history of touring in the Far East, the Middle East and the Americas; at the Seoul Olympics; as cultural ambassadors to Argentina at the resolution of the Falkland Conflict; with annual tours to Germany, France and the Netherlands.

The LFO was also featured in a 2004 episode of architectural show Grand Designs due to its objections to the colour of the brick in a neighbouring building.

Related Research Articles

Constantin-Nicolae Silvestri was a Romanian conductor and composer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Philharmonic Orchestra</span> Permanent symphony orchestra in London

The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symphony Orchestras.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warp (record label)</span> British record label

Warp Records is a British independent record label founded in Sheffield in 1989 by record store employees Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell and record producer Robert Gordon. It is currently based in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Philharmonic Orchestra</span> British orchestra based in London

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Eliot Gardiner</span> English conductor (born 1943)

Sir John Eliot Gardiner is an English conductor, particularly known for his performances of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, especially the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage of 2000, performing Bach's church cantatas in liturgical order in churches all over Europe, and New York City, with the Monteverdi Choir, and recording them at the locations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra</span>

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, commonly abbreviated as HKPO or HKPhil, is a symphony orchestra based in Hong Kong. First established in 1947 as an amateur orchestra under the name Sino-British Orchestra (中英管弦樂團), it was renamed the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 1957 and became a professional orchestra in 1974 under the funding of the government.

The Academy of St Martin in the Fields (ASMF) is an English chamber orchestra, based in London.

The Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra is a Canadian orchestra specializing in historically-informed performance and based in Toronto. The orchestra plays period instruments appropriate to the era of music, including baroque, classical and romantic eras.

The Sixteen are a British choir and period instrument orchestra; founded by Harry Christophers, they started as an unnamed group of sixteen friends in 1977, giving their first billed concert in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Davis (conductor)</span> English conductor (1944–2024)

Sir Andrew Frank Davis was an English conductor. He was the long-time chief conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He was music director at the Glyndebourne Festival from 1988 to 2000, and especially known for conducting the traditional Last Night of The Proms, including Last Night speeches. He was music director and principal conductor of the Lyric Opera of Chicago from 2000 to the 2020/21 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Woodward</span> Australian classical pianist (born 1942)

Roger Robert Woodward is an Australian classical pianist, composer, conductor, teacher and human rights activist. He is widely regarded as a leading advocate of contemporary music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sinfonia of London</span> English symphony orchestra

Sinfonia of London is a symphony orchestra based in London, England, conducted by John Wilson.

The Philharmonia Chorus is an independent self-governing symphony chorus based in London, UK. Since its foundation in 1957 the Chorus has given over 900 concerts and made over 100 recordings. The Chorus Master is Gavin Carr.

Ross Pople is a New Zealand-born British conductor. He is the principal conductor of the London Festival Orchestra. He has worked with Yehudi Menuhin, Clifford Curzon, David Oistrakh, Kentner, George Malcolm, Sir Adrian Boult, Rudolf Kempe, Benjamin Britten, Witold Lutosławski, Krzysztof Penderecki, Michael Tippett, Georg Solti, Leonard Bernstein, George Benjamin, John Casken, Edwin Roxburgh, Luciano Berio, John Tavener, Malcolm Arnold, Pierre Boulez as well as many other major orchestras, choirs and soloists.

The London Philharmonic Choir (LPC) is one of the leading independent British choirs in the United Kingdom based in London. The patron is Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy and Sir Mark Elder is president. The choir, comprising more than 200 members, holds charitable status and is governed by a committee of 6 elected directors. As a charity, its aims are to promote, improve, develop and maintain education in the appreciation of the art and science of music by the presentation of public concerts.

Simon Hewitt Jones is an English musician. He is the Director of ViolinSchool, a researcher at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

The London Contemporary Orchestra (LCO), founded in 2008 by Hugh Brunt and Robert Ames, is an ensemble of young musicians whose stated aim is "to explore and promote new music to an increasingly wide audience". LCO staged its inaugural season at LSO St. Luke's and has since performed at venues and festivals both in the UK and internationally, including the Roundhouse, Latitude Festival, The Old Vic Tunnels, Snape Maltings, Southbank Centre, Barbican, Spitalfield's Music, Royal Opera House, Yota Space, and Unsound Festival. LCO has since provided its work on films including Theeb, Moonlight, Macbeth, Slow West,The Master, The Two Popes and American Animals.

Odaline de la Martinez is a Cuban-American composer and conductor, currently residing in the UK. She is the artistic director of Lontano, a London-based contemporary music ensemble which she co-founded in 1976 with New Zealander flautist Ingrid Culliford, and was the first woman to conduct at the BBC Promenade Concerts in 1984. As well as frequent appearances as a guest conductor with leading orchestras throughout Great Britain, including all the BBC orchestras, she has conducted several leading ensembles around the world, including the Ensemble 2e2m in Paris; the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra; the Australian Youth Orchestra; the OFUNAM and the Camerata of the Americas in Mexico; and the Vancouver Chamber Orchestra. She is also known as a broadcaster for BBC Radio and Television and has recorded extensively for several labels.

Guy Protheroe is a British conductor, musical director, composer and musicologist/forensic musicologist. He has been conductor and musical director of the contemporary music ensemble Spectrum and the English Chamber Choir throughout his career. He has known for his collaboration with artists, in particular Rick Wakeman, Vangelis and Eric Lévi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polo Piatti</span> Argentine classical composer and pianist

Polo Osvaldo Ernesto Piatti is a British-Argentine neo-romantic composer, concert pianist and conductor based in the United Kingdom. He is one of very few high-profile international musicians concentrating exclusively on the creation, performance and promotion of melodic, universally appealing classical music. His compositions are performed all over the world for their evocative and passionate character. Considered a pioneer performer of classical piano improvisations since his youth, he toured Europe, Asia, North and South America premiering his own works as a soloist, performing with international orchestras. Piatti is a member of the Royal Society Of Musicians Of Great Britain, the Ivors Academy and the British Music Society among others.

References

  1. "London Festival Orchestra". Marmoset. Marmoset Studio. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  2. Matthew-Walker, Robert (September 2001). "Twenty-one years of the London Festival Orchestra". Musical Opinion . Vol. 124, no. 1426. p. 262. ProQuest   212315988 . Retrieved 18 February 2024 via ProQuest.