The orchestra was founded in 1946 when Sir Thomas Beecham decided he wanted to be able to deliver the best performances possible of the world’s great compositions to England. Its first concert was played in Croydon, London, in 1946.
It gained international acclaim and has been directed by some of the most renowned conductors, including Andre Previn, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Rudolf Kempe, Antal Dorati. Daniele Gatti and today’s musical director Charles Dutoit.
Its busy touring schedule has seen the orchestra visit over 30 countries in the last five years and in the summer it plays annual open-air concerts throughout England. It has performed for the late Pope John Paul II and the President of China and brought classical music to a wider and younger market with their Hooked on Classics and Here Come the Classics series.
They have made recordings for all the major record companies, as well as their own label, with 5 CDs being in the charts last autumn alone. Often recording film scores they have appeared on movies such as Celebrity, Idiocracy and The Red Shoes. It has made classical recordings of pop groups such as Pink Floyd, ABBA and Queen and they were the orchestral backing for the Japanese rock band X Japan on Art of Life and the folk metal band Skyclad’s Semblance of Normality.
Richard Addinsell Recordings
Christmas Carol, A – Suite
Telarc 89408 88012 (CD: It’s A Wonderful Life/A Christmas Carol/Miracle on 34th Street)
Conductor – David Newman
Chorus – Ambrosian Singers
Warsaw Concerto
Decca 0289 468 506-2 (CD: Movie Adagios)
Conductor – Moshe Atzmon
Piano – Christina Ortiz
Warsaw Concerto
London 0289 414 348 – 2 1 (CD: Addinsell: Warsaw Concerto; Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2)
Conductor – Moshe Atzmon
Piano – Christina Ortiz
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