London Philharmonic Orchestra

The London Philharmonic Orchestra occupies a foundational place within Britain’s classical music landscape, presenting core symphonic works, British classics, new compositions, and additional repertoire. Through its discography the ensemble has also ventured repeatedly into non-classical territory.

Established in 1932 amid widespread agreement that London’s leading orchestras suffered from weak direction and lagged behind their German and American counterparts, the orchestra owed its creation to Sir Thomas Beecham, who recruited 106 elite musicians. The ensemble achieved immediate success, yet Beecham guided it through early wartime financial strain before stepping down because of health issues and disagreements concerning artistic policy. After the war the podium was occupied by Eduard van Beinum from 1947 to 1951 and then by Sir Adrian Boult from 1951 to 1958; Boult launched an ambitious recording schedule whose releases still serve as reference points.

Bernard Haitink took the post of principal conductor in 1966 and remained until 1979, a span unmatched by any predecessor until Vladimir Jurowski’s tenure. In 1975 the players restored a disused church, renamed it Henry Wood Hall, and adopted the venue for rehearsals and sessions. Haitink’s replacement was Sir Georg Solti, principal conductor from 1979 to 1983 and thereafter conductor emeritus, who continued to appear and record frequently with the orchestra. Three German maestros followed in succession: Klaus Tennstedt in 1983, Franz Welser-Möst in 1990, and Kurt Masur in 2000. During Welser-Möst’s leadership the London Philharmonic was formally installed as resident orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, its principal concert home ever since.

Numerous guest conductors have also shaped the group’s output, especially in crossover projects. Although less prolific in this area than the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic has produced prominent film scores, among them Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), The Fly (1986), the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the 1984 collection Academy Award Themes. The catalogue further includes albums exploring the music of Pink Floyd and Yes, as well as the 1959 release Hawaiian Paradise. In 2011 the orchestra recorded 205 national anthems ahead of the London Olympic Games the following year. By 1997 its total releases, spanning both classical and other genres, had reached 280; more than 250 additional albums have appeared since, including 21 in 2001 alone. In the mid-2000s the ensemble founded its own LPO label, which has issued extensive recordings classical and otherwise, among them Genius of Film Music: Hollywood Blockbusters 1980s to 2000s in 2018.

In 2007 the London Philharmonic capitalized on the influx of gifted Russian musicians working in the West by appointing Vladimir Jurowski principal conductor. He held the position until 2020, becoming the orchestra’s longest-serving leader and directing a 2021 recording of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 (“Symphony of a Thousand”). Karina Canellakis was named the ensemble’s first female principal guest conductor in 2020. Edward Gardner succeeded Jurowski in 2021, marking the first time in decades that the principal conductor has been British.