The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) was founded in 1904 as the first self-governing orchestra in England and quickly earned its reputation as one of the finest in the world. Over the past several decades it has been led by André Previn (1968–79), Claudio Abbado (1979–88), Michael Tilson Thomas (1988–95), and Colin Davis (1995–2007); Previn continues to have a connection to the LSO as Conductor Laureate, while Davis holds the position of President. In 2007 Valery Gergiev began his tenure as Principal Conductor. Daniel Harding and Tilson Thomas are Principal Guest Conductors, and Bernard Haitink, Pierre Boulez, and Simon Rattle are also regular guests. The London Symphony Orchestra presents over 70 concerts a year in the Barbican Centre, its permanent home since 1982. The musicians have a regular residency at Lincoln Center in New York, the Salle Pleyel in Paris, and, since 2010, at the Aix-en-Provence Festival; they also appear regularly in the musical capitals of Europe and in the Far East. The LSO places special emphasis on innovative and broadly based program offerings for audiences of all ages and educational levels. It reaches over 60,000 people each year through these projects, which include the multiple-award-winning program LSO Discovery. These activities include family concerts, school projects, a unique collaboration with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and Discovery Days and also offer participants an opportunity for active music-making. The orchestra has its own label, LSO Live, which has already released over 80 recordings. These have been honored with such awards as the Grammy, the Gramophone Award, and the Classical Brit Award.
LUCERNE FESTIVAL (IMF) debut on 3. September 1982, with Claudio Abbado conducting Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique.
May 2012