London Contemporary Orchestra

The London Contemporary Orchestra (LCO) is an ensemble of young musicians formed in 2008 whose stated aim is "to explore and promote new music to an increasingly wide audience".^[1] LCO staged its inaugural season at LSO St Luke's and has since performed at venues and festivals including The Roundhouse, Snape Maltings, Spitalfields Festival and Latitude Festival. In April 2010 the LCO was shortlisted for the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards (Audience Development category).^[2]

2008 - present

Overview

LCO's 2008 season featured music by composers including Mark-Anthony Turnage, Kaija Saariaho, Thomas Adès, Iannis Xenakis, Simon Holt, Olivier Messiaen, Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, and new works from young composers Emily Hall, Colin Alexander and Jonathan Cole.^[3] In May 2009 the LCO collaborated with experimental electronic duo Matmos and composer Anna Meredith for a series of performances at Shoreditch warehouse, Village Underground.^[4] LCO appeared at The Roundhouse in January 2010 as part of the venue's 'Reverb' festival of contemporary music, performing works by Steve Reich, John Cage, Biosphere and the world premiere of Shiva Feshareki's turntable concerto, "TTKonzert".^[5] LCO made its debut at the Spitalfields Festival in June 2010^[6] and at Aldeburgh Music's 'Faster Than Sound' in May 2010.^[7]

Collaborations

Known for its cross-genre collaborations, the LCO performed with headliners Belle & Sebastian at Latitude Festival in July 2010^[8] and is due to rejoin the band for their UK tour in December 2010.^[9] The concerts are expected to reprise many of the arrangements first performed by Belle & Sebastian and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in 2006.^[10] In June 2010 members from the LCO joined Mercury Prize-nominated^[11] band Foals at Glastonbury Festival for a BBC 6 Music live session. LCO appear on the band's single "Spanish Sahara".^[12] In addition to LCO's collaborations with Biosphere and Matmos, the ensemble has worked alongside artists including Mira Calix, Simon Fisher Turner, United Visual Artists, Sound Intermedia and Mara Carlyle.

New Works

Emily Hall: "Put Flesh On!" (2008)
Colin Alexander: "Potential Fracture Lines" (2008)
Jonathan Cole: "Assassin Hair", revised version (2008)
Howard Quin: "Combination Curves" (2009)
Jonathan Cole: "burburbabbar za" (2009)
Shiva Feshareki: "TTKonzert" (2010)
Tristan Brookes: "Ur" (2010)
Emily Hall and Toby Litt: "Songs" (2010)
Mira Calix and Larry Goves: "pedotin"; "ipo" (2010)
Simon Fisher Turner: "Attitude" (2010)

Education

LCO has staged two open 'Call for Scores' initiatives to date, culminating in workshops for young composers led by Baldur Brönnimann, Jonathan Cole, Rolf Hind, Richard Barrett, Marcus Davey and John Woolrich.^[13] LCO was appointed Ensemble-in-Association at Brunel University in October 2008.^[14]

Organisation

LCO's Chairman is Simon Ambrose, 2007 winner of the BBC reality TV show The Apprentice.^[15]

Discography

Foals: "Miami" (Glastonbury Acoustic) feat. players from the LCO^[16]
Release Date: 02 July 2010
Label: Warner Music UK Limited

Foals: "Spanish Sahara" with London Contemporary Orchestra^[17]
Release Date: 12 September 2010
Label: Warner Music UK Limited

References

[1] ttp://twitter.com/lcorchestra

[2] ttp://www.rpsmusicawards.com/2010/shortlists/shortlist1.html

[3] ttp://www.lcorchestra.co.uk/

[4] ttp://www.villageunderground.co.uk/events/matmos-and-london-contemporary-orchestra

[5] ttp://www.lcorchestra.co.uk/news/?p=394

[6] ttp://www.spitalfieldsfestival.org.uk/index.php?pfid=12&cid=0&eid=172

[7] ttp://www.aldeburgh.co.uk/events/faster-sound-london-contemporary-orchestra

[8] ttp://www.lcorchestra.co.uk/news/?p=616

[9] ttp://www.belleandsebastian.com/tour.php

[10] ttp://www.lcorchestra.co.uk/news/?p=681

[11] ttp://www.mercuryprize.com/

[12] ttp://www.foals.co.uk/news,spanish-sahara-out-sunday_108.htm

[13] ttp://www.lcorchestra.co.uk/news/?p=391

[14] ttp://www.brunel.ac.uk/about/acad/sa/artsub/music

[15] ttp://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article7147838.ece

[16] ttp://www.foals.co.uk/store/products,miami-glastonbury-acoustic_54.htm

[17] ttp://www.foals.co.uk/store/products,_57.htm

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v t e Major orchestras based in London
Symphony	BBC Concert Orchestra BBC Symphony Orchestra London Philharmonic Orchestra London Symphony Orchestra Philharmonia Orchestra Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Chamber	Academy of St Martin in the Fields Aurora Orchestra Camerata of London City of London Sinfonia English Chamber Orchestra London Chamber Orchestra London Mozart Players Southbank Sinfonia
Specialised	Academy of Ancient Music The English Concert London Classical Players London Contemporary Orchestra London Sinfonietta Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique
Opera Ballet	Orchestra of the Royal Opera House English National Opera Orchestra