The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Founded in 1946 by Sir Thomas Beecham, with his vision of bringing world-class performances of the greatest music to the entire country, the Orchestra continues to maintain Beecham’s legacy by offering audiences in the UK and abroad the highest possible standards of music-making, accompanied by some of the most acclaimed artists of the day. Since its formation over 60 years ago, the Orchestra has been directed by some of the world’s finest conductors, most notably Rudolf Kempe, Antal Doráti, André Previn and Vladimir Ashkenazy. The RPO continues to thrive, undertaking a busy concert, touring and recording schedule, under the inspired leadership of Maestro Daniele Gatti (Music Director since 1996).
As an international orchestra, the RPO has toured more than 30 countries in the last five years, including performances for the late Pope John Paul II in the Vatican, the President of China in Tiananmen Square and at the tenth anniversary celebration of Kazakhstan’s independence. To launch the RPO’s 60th anniversary celebrations, the Orchestra undertook an extensive month-long tour of the USA with Charles Dutoit in January 2006, with other recent tours including performances across Europe and in South Korea.