In the 2007/08 season, the London Philharmonic Orchestra celebrates
its seventy-fifth birthday, inaugurates Vladimir Jurowski
as its new Principal Conductor and moves back into its splendidly
restored Royal Festival Hall home.
Today the London Philharmonic Orchestra is recognised as one
of the world's great orchestras, and following Sir Thomas
Beecham's founding tenure the ensemble's Principal Conductorship
has been passed from one celebrated musician to another. It
is the only symphony orchestra in the UK to combine an annual
subscription concert season with regular work in the opera
house - resident at both the Royal Festival Hall and Glyndebourne
Festival Opera (also performing regularly in the nearby south
coast towns of Brighton and Eastbourne).
Touring forms a significant part of the Orchestra's performing
schedule, and it regularly appears in North America, Europe
and the Far East, often headlining at major festivals and
concert-hall openings. As a counterpoint to its travels, the
Orchestra's membership has itself benefited from increased
migratory freedoms, today including outstandingly talented
musicians of varying world nationalities from Brazilian to
Hungarian.
The London Philharmonic Orchestra has long been embraced by
the recording, broadcasting and film industries. It enjoys
strong relationships with major record labels and in 2005
began releasing live, studio and archive recordings on its
own label CDs which are distributed worldwide. The Orchestra
has broadcast regularly on domestic and international television
and radio from both the concert hall and the opera house,
and has worked extensively with both Hollywood and the UK
film industries, recording soundtracks for blockbuster motion
pictures including the Oscar-winning score for The
Lord of the Rings trilogy and scores for Lawrence
of Arabia, The Mission,
East is East and In
the Name of the Father.
The London Philharmonic Orchestra's international reputation
is matched by a steadfast and unflinching commitment to the
communities of its local London boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark
and Lewisham. The Orchestra reaches thousands through its
varied and extensive programme of education work, both community
and school-based, which includes the acclaimed offshoot ensembles
Renga and the Open Ear Orchestra. Education activities also
nurture budding excellence, and in 2005 the Orchestra launched
its apprenticeship scheme for young instrumentalists, Future
Firsts, who benefit from a year of mentoring and performance
opportunities.
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