What is the London Symphony Orchestra?
Q: What is the London Symphony Orchestra?
A: The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British orchestra that is one of the most famous orchestras in the world. It is based in London's Barbican Centre and often tours to many other countries.
Q: When did the LSO start?
A: The LSO started in 1904 when most of its players were members of Henry Wood's Queen's Hall orchestra.
Q: Who was the first conductor of the LSO?
A: Hans Richter was the first conductor of the LSO, and he held this position until 1911 when Edward Elgar took over for a year.
Q: Who are some notable conductors who have worked with the LSO?
A: Some of the most famous conductors in the world have conducted with or been associated with the LSO, including Valery Gergiev (Principal Conductor since 2007), André Previn (Conductor Laureate), Daniel Harding (co-principal guest conductor), Michael Tilson Thomas (co-principal guest conductor), Richard Hickox (Associate Guest Conductor) and Gordan Nikolitch (leader).
Q: How did nearly all members of the orchestra avoid death on board Titanic?
A: All members of the orchestra avoided death on board Titanic because they changed their booking at last minute and didn't end up sailing on it.
Q: When did women become allowed to join as members?
A: Women were not allowed to become members until much later, as it was thought that their presence would affect sound quality negatively. However, women eventually became allowed to join as members at an unspecified time.
Q: What was one early accomplishment made by LSO?
A: One early accomplishment made by LSO was that they were first British orchestra to play overseas when they went to Paris in 1906 and also toured United States and Canada that same year.
