The Orchestra

The London Symphony Orchestra is widely regarded as one of the world's leading orchestras.

Its many activities include an energetic and ground-breaking education and community programme LSO Discovery, a record company LSO Live, a music education centre LSO St Luke's and pioneering work in the field of digital music.

Since its formation in 1904 it has always attracted excellent players from all over the world, many of whom have flourishing solo, chamber music and teaching careers alongside their orchestral work. The LSO draws on an enviable roster of soloists and conductors, including Principal Conductor Valery Gergiev, LSO President Sir Colin Davis, and Principal Guest Conductors Daniel Harding and Michael Tilson Thomas.

Continuing the Orchestra's long association with film music, the LSO has recently recorded soundtracks for Twilight: New Moon, Tamara Drewe and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Parts 1 & 2). The orchestra also features on radio, TV, computer games and in-flight music programmes, and has launched the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, the world's first-ever online orchestra.

Conductors

Sir Colin Davis, President
After his acclaimed tenure as Principal Conductor of the LSO since 1995, Sir Colin became the Orchestra's President from 2007, the first since Leonard Bernstein died in 1990. The Orchestra has collaborated with Sir Colin on some epic concert series and operatic performances, all to great acclaim, and their partnership is widely thought to be one of the greatest.

Valery Gergiev, Principal Conductor
After the triumph of the complete Prokofiev Symphonies cycle in the 2004 Centenary year, Valery Gergiev was appointed Principal Conductor and took up his post in January 2007. It was one of the most talked about conductor appointments in classical music - Gergiev is one of the world's most electrifying musical personalities.

Players

First Violins
Gordan Nikolitch (Leader) // Roman Simovic (Leader) // Carmine Lauri (Co-Leader) // Tomo Keller (Assistant Leader) // Lennox Mackenzie (Sub-Leader) // Nigel Broadbent // Ginette Decuyper // Jorg Hammann // Maxine Kwok-Adams // Claire Parfitt // Elizabeth Pigram // Laurent Quenelle // Harriet Rayfield // Colin Renwick // Ian Rhodes // Sylvain Vasseur // Rhys Watkins // David Worswick

Second Violins
David Alberman (Principal) // Evgeny Grach (Principal) // Tom Norris (Co-Principal) // Sarah Quinn (Sub-Principal) // Miya Vaisanen // David Ballesteros // Richard Blayden // Matthew Gardner // Belinda McFarlane // Iwona Muszynska // Philip Nolte // Andrew Pollock // Paul Robson // Louise Shackelton

Violas
Paul Silverthorne (Principal) // Edward Vanderspar (Principal) // Gillianne Haddow (Co-Principal) // Malcolm Johnston (Sub-Principal) // Regina Beukes // German Clavijo // Lander // Echevarria // Anna Green // Richard Holttum // Robert Turner // Heather Wallington // Jonathan Welch // Natasha Wright

Cellos
Rebecca Gilliver (Principal) // Tim Hugh (Principal) // Alastair Blayden (Sub-Principal) // Jennifer Brown // Mary Bergin // Noel Bradshaw // Daniel Gardner // Hilary Jones // Minat Lyons // Amanda Truelove

Double Basses
Rinat Ibragimov (Principal) // Colin Paris (Co-Principal) // Nicholas Worters (Sub-Principal) // Patrick Laurence // Matthew Gibson // Tom Goodman // Jani Pensola

Flutes, Piccolo, Oboe, Cor Anglais
Gareth Davies (Principal) // Adam Walker (Principal) // Siobhan Grealy // Sharon Williams [Piccolo] // Kieron Moore [Oboe] // Christine Pendrill [Cor Anglais]