London Symphony Orchestra

The London Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1904 by musicians who left the Queen's Hall Orchestra after a dispute over the use of deputies. Forty-five players formed a cooperative, and Hans Richter conducted its inaugural concert at Queen's Hall on 9 June 1904. The musicians' role in governing the ensemble became a defining feature of its organisation. Alongside its London concerts and international touring, the LSO developed an extensive recording career, including film soundtracks. Its own label, LSO Live, publishes recordings drawn from its performances. The orchestra's educational work is organised through LSO Discovery, with LSO St Luke's providing a base for learning and community projects. Founded in 1904 by players who walked out of Henry Wood's Queen's Hall Orchestra over a rule forbidding deputies, the LSO is the oldest of London's symphony orchestras and was run for four decades as a co-operative in which the musicians shared each season's profits. It lost ground to newer London bands in the 1930s and again in the 1950s, recovered its position in the 1960s, formed its own chorus in 1966, and has long divided its work between concerts, recordings and film sessions.