London Symphony Orchestra
Resident Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is built on the belief that extraordinary music should be available to everyone, everywhere. It was established in 1904 and today is among the world’s top orchestras
As Resident Orchestra at the Barbican since the Centre opened, it performs some 50 concerts here every year, under the batons of a family of conductors that includes Chief Conductor Designate Sir Antonio Pappano, Conductor Emeritus Sir Simon Rattle, Principal Guest Conductors Gianandrea Noseda and François-Xavier Roth, Conductor Laureate Michael Tilson Thomas and Associate Artists Barbara Hannigan and André J Thomas.
Events
London Symphony Orchestra/Alan Gilbert: Walton & Tippett
Two moving, meaningful works to bring the LSO’s 2019/20 season at the Barbican to a close – the first work Antoine Tamestit performed with the Orchestra, and Tippett’s oratorio A Child of Our Time.
London Symphony Orchestra/François-Xavier Roth
Sticking close to this season’s theme of ‘roots and origins’, for the second concert in his LSO Artist Portrait violist Antoine Tamestit has chosen a work imbued with the sights and sounds of Sicily.
London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Simon Rattle: Gershwin
Six portraits of America from the first half of the 20th century round off Sir Simon Rattle’s season-long exploration of sources of musical inspiration in toe-tapping style.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra & LSO: The Jungle
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Wynton Marsalis paints a musical portrait of New York City with The Jungle, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.
London Symphony Orchestra/Manfred Honeck: Strauss
Manfred Honeck conducts Beethoven at his most relaxed, alongside Strauss’ valiant, heroic journey.
London Symphony Orchestra/Ádám Fischer: Dvořák's Ninth
Three works of irresistible effervescence mark Ádám Fischer’s LSO conducting debut.
LSO Singing Day: Immortal Bach
Join the LSO Choral Director Simon Halsey to spend a day singing music by JS Bach’s and the composers he inspired.
London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Simon Rattle: Mahler 4
Sir Simon Rattle conducts Mahler, Ligeti and Villa-Lobos – three pieces to sum up the 20th-century.
LSO Discovery Day: Sounds from South America
Discover music by composers from South America at this Discovery Day, with a morning rehearsal conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, and talks and chamber music in the afternoon.
London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Simon Rattle: Bartók
Bartók’s last, great masterpiece is heard alongside the gruesome fairy-tale of Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, conducted by Music Director Sir Simon Rattle.
Half Six Fix: Concerto for Orchestra LSO/Rattle
Béla Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra is introduced and conducted by Sir Simon Rattle in this early-evening Half Six Fix concert.
London Symphony Orchestra/Daniel Harding: Widmann & Bruckner
Antoine Tamestit – a soloist with a mission to make listeners fall in love with the viola – opens his LSO Artist Portrait, which runs throughout the season and showcases his musical inspirations.
London Symphony Orchestra/Gianandrea Noseda: St John Passion
Gianandrea Noseda leads a Palm Sunday performance of James MacMillan’s dramatic, large-scale telling of the St John Gospel, acclaimed as ‘a landmark for contemporary music’.
London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Mark Elder: Elgar and Sibelius
Sir Mark Elder presents two 20th-century masterpieces by Elgar and Sibelius, including a work that with a deep connection to both orchestra and soloist – Elgar’s Violin Concerto.
Discover
Profile: London Symphony Orchestra
Listen to our selection of LSO recordings from across the years in our Spotify playlist.
Barbican Sessions: Peter Moore
London Symphony Orchestra’s young trombonist, Peter Moore, performs 'Doolallynastics – a brief torture for solo trombone’ by Brian Lynn in our latest Barbican Session, filmed in one of our Frobisher Auditoriums.
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