Philharmonia Orchestra

The Philharmonia Orchestra is an orchestra based in London. Since 1995 it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke. Esa-Pekka Salonen is the orchestra's Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor. The orchestra was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, and although it gave live concerts occasionally, it was main... more

The Philharmonia Orchestra is an orchestra based in London. Since 1995 it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke. Esa-Pekka Salonen is the orchestra's Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor. The orchestra was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, and although it gave live concerts occasionally, it was mainly intended to be a recording orchestra for EMI, where Legge was an executive. Thomas Beecham led its debut concert in 1946, but he was rejected as the orchestra's principal conductor, following his attempts to take control of the orchestra and change its name. Beecham instead went on to found the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In its early years, many prominent conductors made recordings with the ensemble, including Arturo Toscanini (released only in the 1990s due to the lack of Toscanini's approval) and Wilhelm Furtwängler. However, Herbert... less