Philharmonia Orchestra

Philharmonia Orchestra

Philharmonia Orchestra is a London-based orchestra active since 1945. It is known as the New Philharmonia Orchestra from 1964 to 1976. The orchestra is a classical ensemble and is associated with Philharmonia Records.

History and role

The orchestra is founded in 1945 by Walter Legge. It is originally intended mainly as a recording orchestra for EMI, where Legge is an executive, although it also gives occasional live concerts. Its debut concert takes place in 1946 and is conducted by Thomas Beecham, who later is not able to take the orchestra over or rename it.

In its early years, the orchestra works with a number of major conductors, including Arturo Toscanini and Wilhelm Furtwängler. Herbert von Karajan becomes most closely associated with the orchestra during this period and conducts numerous recordings, among them the complete Beethoven symphonies. The orchestra is described as the most recorded orchestra in the world, with more than one thousand recordings.

Performances and recordings

Since 1995, the orchestra is based at the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain, it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall in Leicester and the Bedford Corn Exchange. It appears on film soundtracks, including Laurence Olivier's 1944 film version of Shakespeare's Henry V and David Lean's Oliver Twist (1948).