‘The London Chamber Orchestra play with a mixture of creative daring and technical brilliance that I find inspiring, other composers too, must regard them as the ensemble of their dreams’. Sir Michael Tippett

The stylish and vibrant London Chamber Orchestra, under the distinguished direction of Christopher Warren-Green, attracts Britain’s finest musicians, bringing exceptional talent, energy, passion and enjoyment to every performance.

As Britain’s oldest chamber orchestra, LCO has been inspiring audiences for over 80 years. Founded by Anthony Barnard, the orchestra gave its inaugural performance on 11 th May 1921 at the London home of Viscountess Nancy Astor. Since then the orchestra has given more than a hundred UK premieres including works by Malcolm Arnold, Manuel de Falla, Gabriel Fauré, Leos Janacek, Maurice Ravel, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Igor Stravinsky’s ‘Pulcinella Suite’ and the first professional performance in Italian of Mozart’s opera ‘Idomeneo’ . The orchestra continues to champion living composers and recent premieres include works by Graham Fitkin and James Francis Brown.

The essence of the orchestra can be found in its recordings, described by Hi-Fi News as ‘…..playing as if their lives depended on it’ . In 1995 LCO received a Mercury Music Prize nomination for its recording of James MacMillan’s ‘Seven Last Words from the Cross’ and has since won unparalleled accolades for its catalogue of recordings on the Virgin record label – ‘ravishing and gloriously unforgettable’ Gramophone.

The London Chamber Orchestra divides its time between UK concerts, international tours, education and outreach work and the recording studio where it continues to record many soundtracks for cinema and television.

LCO receives no government subsidy but enjoys rewarding and fruitful relationships with major commercial sponsors including MFI UK Ltd and Waitrose. The former has supported LCO’s innovative education initiative ‘A Chance to Play’ since its inception in 2002 and the orchestra recently participated in a series of sell out concerts at venues across southern England hosted by Waitrose. The orchestra’s annual London season of concerts at St John’s, Smith Square, featuring some of the world’s most distinguished soloists, attracts capacity audiences who are assured of music making of the highest order. ‘……a sound to match the Berlin Philharmonic and more……’ The Guardian.

The London Chamber Orchestra’s seductive sound and diversity captivates audiences worldwide. Major tours to the USA, sell-out concerts in La Scala Milan and Vienna’s Musikverein, critically acclaimed tours of Japan and to almost every corner of the world attest to LCO’s global allure. ‘It was a performance from which nearly every musician could learn and which every music lover could enjoy’ Seattle Times.

The often-elusive live performance ‘buzz’ is palpable in audience and musicians alike at LCO concerts. The orchestra’s members are imbued with a sense of total commitment whilst retaining an indomitable spirit of freedom; these attributes combine to assure LCO’s standing amongst the great chamber orchestras of the world, ‘…. performances that are unforgettably inspirational’ Gramophone.