Did you know that the English Chamber Orchestra, one of the world’s leading chamber orchestras and most recorded orchestras, is celebrating their 65th anniversary this year? Meet the English Chamber Orchestra.

English Chamber Orchestra – Trailer

The size of Mozart’s orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra specialises in music of the 18th century and has performed in more countries than any other orchestra. Since their first recording in 1961, they have recorded over 1300 works, performing with some of the world’s most prominent artists, to name a few: Vladimir Ashkenazy, Janet Baker, Colin Davis, Placido Domingo, Yehudi Menuhin, David Oistrakh, Murray Perahia, Itzhak Perlman, Andre Previn, Mstislav Rostropovich, Georg Solti, and Mitsuko Uchida.

Daniel Barenboim, Isaac Stern and Pinchas Zukerman in session with the ECO c.1970. Photo by Clive Barda

The ensemble, over the decades, has continued to play with impeccable excellence at the Cadogan Hall in London, one of London’s leading venues. His Majesty King Charles III is a patron of the English Chamber Orchestra, as he’s been for nearly 50 years, and the group has performed at many royal events, including the late Queen Mother’s 90tth birthday celebrations in 1990, The Prince of Wales’ 50th birthday Gala Concert in 1998 and the first concert to be broadcast from Buckingham Palace.

Publicity photograph of British composer Benjamin Britten (1913 – 1976)

The ECO’s associations with illustrious artists are noteworthy. They include the composer Benjamin Britten, their very first patron until his death in 1976, who had an enormous musical impact. Listen to the infectious vivace from Britten’s Violin Concerto in D minor Op. 15 with the ECO.

Benjamin Britten: Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 15 – II. Vivace – Cadenza (Lorraine McAslan, violin; English Chamber Orchestra; Steuart Bedford, cond.)

Closely associated with the Aldeburgh Festival, the ensemble performed the premieres of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Owen Wingrave and Crulew River. Britten conducted the orchestra at the opening of the Queen Elizabeth Hall in 1967, and the recordings with Britten of all of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos in 1969 and of the Mozart Serenades and Symphonies 25, 29, 38 and 40 are greatly admired. In fact, the latter received a Gramophone award in 1978.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Serenade No. 6 in D Major, K. 239, “Serenata Notturna” (English Chamber Orchestra; Benjamin Britten, cond.)

In the early days, the ECO didn’t have a principal conductor. Instead, they had lengthy collaborations. In 2020, to honour one such guest conductor, Raymond Leppard, the ECO featured a special program in his memory. A crew traveled to Cadogan Hall in London to film this exquisite concert, a part of the Live from London online festival. Enjoy this short excerpt.

Honoring Raymond Leppard – Live From London Highlights: English Chamber Orchestra

There have been several other historic events. On March 11, 1966, the ECO appeared with two amazing young pianists together in public for the first time: Daniel Barenboim and Vladimir Ashkenazy performing Mozart’s Double Concerto for two pianos in E-flat. The documentary ‘Double Concerto’ immortalizes the spectacular concert. Here’s a short excerpt. (If you’d like to watch the entire film, the link is at the end of this article.)

Mozart – Double Piano Concerto in Eb Major – English Chamber Orchestra / Barenboim / Ashkenazy

The ECO’s long and fruitful relationship with Maestro Daniel Barenboim led to performances and recordings of the complete cycle of Mozart Piano Concertos for EMI.

In 1985, Jeffrey Tate was appointed the orchestra’s first Principal Conductor, and the ECO’s recordings with him of all the Mozart Symphonies and late Haydn symphonies are notable. Together they also recorded two cycles of the complete Mozart Piano Concertos—one series for CBS with Murray Perahia, and another with Mitsuko Uchida for Phillips. More recent recordings include the Nine Symphonies of Beethoven with Michael Tilson Thomas.

And who else would be the perfect group to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Mozart’s death? The ECO performed a remarkable 21 concerts at London’s Barbican Centre in 1991 for the celebration, including, in chronological order, all of Mozart’s major works from each year between 1770 and 1791.

Sir Colin Davis

More recently their collaborations of note include with Ralf Gothóni, Finnish/German pianist and conductor, Paul Watkins, another of the Orchestra’s Principal Conductors named in 2009, and Sir Colin Davis, the Orchestra’s Conductor Emeritus until his death in 2012. But they also maintain the tradition of leadership from within the group, such as with Spanish violinist Jose-Luis Garcia, Leader of the ECO for 25 years, who succeeded in 1997 by the present Leader, Stephanie Gonley. She often appears as director and soloist.

Their foreign and world tours over the years began in 1969 with Daniel Barenboim, Pinchas Zukerman and Jacqueline du Pré. Their success led to another world tour in 1973 with the same soloists and Andrew Davis. The ensemble is dedicated to touring around the world, expanding their repertoire while maintaining their size. The performances on tour with stellar guest artists read like a ‘who’s who’ of musicians—Maxim Vengerov, Radu Lupu, Itzhak Perlman, Hilary Hahn, Sarah Chang, and Pinchas Zukerman.

In 1968, they performed in both South America and the USA and embarked on their first coast-to-coast tour of the USA in 1979 with Vladimir Ashkenazy. Their acclaimed tour to Japan in 1987 with Mitsuko Uchida was also filmed. Some of you may have experienced the difficulties of long travel, but imagine if you must perform at your peak upon arrival. What could possibly go wrong? Sleeplessness, missed connections, long bus rides, late rehearsals, jet lag, misplaced sheet music, unfamiliar pianos for the soloist. The cellists have the additional challenge of checking in with our cellos, and despite having reserved seats, the security personnel and stewardesses might object to taking the cellos on the plane. From the video of the concert, it seems they overcame whatever disasters loomed, and they played like angels.

Mozart in Japan – Mitsuko Uchida and The English Chamber Orchestra on Tour – 1987

Naturally the English Chamber Orchestra represents the ‘best of British’ music and musicianship such as composers Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Delius, and Julian Lloyd Webber among many others.

Frederick Delius: 2 Aquarelles (arr. E. Fenby for orchestra) – No. 1 Lento, ma non troppo (English Chamber Orchestra; Julian Lloyd Webber, cond.)
William Lloyd Webber: The Moon (version for strings) (English Chamber Orchestra; Julian Lloyd Webber, cond.)

And they also have the reputation of nurturing new talent. Pianist Emanuil Ivanov was the winner of their Sheepdrove Piano Competition in 2023. He will be featured on May 10, 2025, in a performance at the Newbury Spring Festival. The following day, at London’s Cadogan Hall on May 11th, the orchestra will feature a different distinguished young pianist, Alon Kariv (fresh from appearing at the prestigious Basel Stadtcasino Rising Stars recital series). Roberto Forés Veses, formerly the chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Orchestre National d’Auvergne and the ECO’s newly named Principal Guest Conductor, will be conducting both programs.

Perhaps you can catch one of their programs during this 65th celebratory year and we’re looking forward to the English Chamber Orchestra’s future adventures. They not only are brilliant performers, their goals are admirable. “Our commitment to excellence and community ensures that the legacy of classical music is not only preserved but also continually invigorated and shared with future generations.”

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Barenboim, Ashkenazy: Double Concerto – Documentary of 1966

Learn about the English Chamber Orchestra’s roots, present, and future