The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) was founded in 1946 by Thomas Beecham, with the goal of bringing the highest possible standards to the most significant works of the musical literature. Beecham undertook this responsibility himself as Principal Conductor, holding that position until his death in 1961. His followers included, among others, Rudolf Kempe (1962–75), Antal Dorati (1975–78), and André Previn (1985–92), the latter serving together with Vladimir Ashkenazy (1987–94) as heads of the Orchestra. Daniele Gatti has been Music Director since 1996r; in the 2009-10 season he turns this office over to Charles Dutoit. The chief home of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is Cadogan Hall at London’s Sloane Square, with a series of concerts also performed at the Royal Albert Hall. Distinguished conductors and soloists regularly perform with the RPO; this year, for example, has seen appearances by Martha Argerich, the sisters Katia und Marielle Labèque, Leonard Slatkin, and Pinchas Zukerman. The musicians also perform as a resident orchestra in Northampton, Croydon, Lowestoft, Reading, and Crawley, and in the summer they give open-air concerts before tens of thousands of listeners throughout the whole country. In 1950 the RPO conducted its first tour of the United States – the second British orchestra overall to do so. Regular international guests appearances are among its activities: In last five years alone, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has performed in 30 countries, including at the Vatican and at the Gate of Heavenly Peace in Beijing. Among its socially oriented activities, the Orchestra has been involved in projects for the homeless, the probation service, and youth clubs, as well as school and family concerts. In 1986 the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, which is patronized by the Duke of York, founded its own record label, RPO Records.
LUCERNE FESTIVAL (IMF) debut on September 6, 1980 in works by Haydn, Szymanowski and Brahms under the baton of Antal Dorati. Previous appearance was on August 20, 2001 in works by Strauss and Holst, with Matthias Bamert conducting.