The LSO was the first British orchestra owned by its players, and its fiercely independent ethos has never waned. We were one of the first orchestras to make gramophone records and film scores; today we have more recordings to our name than any other orchestra in the world. We were also the first to have our own peak-time television series.
Our story started in 1904, when 50 members of the Queen’s Hall Orchestra rebelled against Sir Henry Wood’s edict that ‘no deputies’ be sent to rehearsals and concerts, and formed their own orchestra. Since then, we have seen many of the important developments of British orchestral life, including premieres of now popular works and relationships with some of the greatest conductors. And more than a century on, the revolution continues.
