The London Symphony Orchestra is widely regarded to be one of the world’s leading orchestras, with over 100 years of performing experience. The LSO was founded in 1904 as an independent, self-governing organization, the first such orchestra in the UK. It played its first concert on 9 June of that year, with the legendary Hans Richter conducting 1911. The LSO became the first British orchestra to play overseas when it went to Paris in 1906, and the first to play in the United States, in 1912. LSO has performed all across the world and even recorded soundtracks for films, such as all the Star Wars films, the Harry Potter series, The Queen, The Land Before Time, Braveheart, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Superman. They were also prominently featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s film, The Man Who Knew Too Much!

In 2000, LSO launched their own classical label, LSO Live. Since then LSO Live has become one of the world’s most talked about classical labels. 2010 marked LSO Live’s 10 year anniversary; in that decade LSO has recording with some of the world’s greatest conductors, including the orchestra’s President Sir Colin Davis, its Principal Conductor Valery Gergiev, as well as Bernard Haitink, Mstislav Rostropovich and Mariss Jansons. Today LSO Live has over 70 titles in its catalogue. Every LSO Live recording is edited from several concerts, using the very latest high definition recording technology whilst preserving the unique energy of a live performance. Without a doubt they are are one of the finest orchestras of all time, and the recordings bare witness.
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