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Classicsonline Home » Artists » E » English Chamber Orchestra
Formed in 1960, the English Chamber Orchestra is one of the world’s most distinguished ensembles and remains the chamber orchestra of choice for many of the world’s greatest soloists. The orchestra undertakes a busy annual schedule of concert appearances, which include its prestigious London series. Overseas touring fills approximately three months of the schedule each year and since its first foreign tour the orchestra has performed in almost four hundred cities across the globe. Its worldwide reputation is enhanced by its recordings of over a thousand works and includes numerous award-winning discs as well as those of historic interest.
Benjamin Britten, the orchestra’s first patron, exerted a tremendous musical influence, and the orchestra formed lasting and fruitful relationships with a multitude of great performers including Daniel Barenboim, Pinchas Zukerman, Murray Perahia and Mitsuko Uchida amongst many others.
Today the English Chamber Orchestra continues to attract musicians of the stature few chamber orchestras can match. From 2007 it has been resident orchestra for Grange Park Opera’s summer season, and in addition to its London concerts and tours in Britain and across the world it presents highly successful Music Cruises. The orchestra is regularly invited to play for its Patron HRH The Prince of Wales and has been chosen to record many film scores (including many John Barry soundtracks and Dario Marianelli’s Pride and Prejudice and Atonement).
In 2000, the widely acclaimed and highly individual Finnish musician Ralf Gothóni was appointed principal conductor, and in 2004 Roy Goodman accepted the post of principal guest conductor.