Philharmonia Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Philharmonia Orchestra
Philharmonia concert, 2011
Background information
Also known as	Philharmonia New Philharmonia Orchestra
Origin	London, England, UK
Genres	Classical Popular music Soundtrack
Occupation(s)	Symphony orchestra
Years active	1945–present

Members	Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Esa-Pekka Salonen Honorary Conductor for Life Christoph von Dohnányi Conductor Emeritus Kurt Sanderling Conductor Laureate Vladimir Ashkenazy

Otto Klemperer, the first principal conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra

Esa-Pekka Salonen, the principal conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra since 2008

The Philharmonia Orchestra is a famous orchestra based in London, England. It is known for playing classical music, but also for its work on movie soundtracks. The orchestra performs many concerts and has made over a thousand recordings.

History of the Philharmonia Orchestra
Philharmonia Concerts Today
Recordings and Film Music
Principal Conductors and Music Directors
Images for kids
See also

History of the Philharmonia Orchestra

How the Orchestra Started

The Philharmonia Orchestra was created in 1945 by a man named Walter Legge. He was not a conductor. Instead, he was a music producer who helped musicians make recordings. The orchestra spent most of its early years recording music. They also performed concerts sometimes.

Their very first concert was in 1946. It was led by the famous conductor Thomas Beecham. However, Beecham wanted to control the orchestra completely. He even wanted to change its name. The musicians did not agree with him. So, Beecham left to start his own orchestra, called the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Famous Conductors and Recordings

In its early days, many world-famous conductors worked with the Philharmonia. These included Arturo Toscanini, Wilhelm Furtwängler, and especially Herbert von Karajan. Karajan helped the orchestra become one of the best in the world. He made many recordings with them, including all the Beethoven symphonies.

In 1954, Karajan left to conduct the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Walter Legge then found another great conductor, Otto Klemperer. Klemperer was quite old, but he made many excellent recordings with the orchestra. In 1959, the orchestra gave Klemperer the special title of Music Director for the rest of his life.

Becoming Independent

In 1964, Walter Legge thought the orchestra had made enough recordings. He decided to stop the orchestra. But the musicians and Klemperer wanted to continue playing. So, the orchestra decided to manage itself. They changed their name to the New Philharmonia Orchestra.

Their first concert under the new name was on 27 October 1964. They performed Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, with Klemperer conducting. After becoming independent, the orchestra gave many more concerts. In 1977, they got their original name back: the Philharmonia Orchestra. They have been known by this name ever since.

Later Conductors

Klemperer stopped conducting in 1971. He remained the official principal conductor until he passed away in 1973. Since then, the orchestra has been led by several other famous conductors. These include Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Muti, Giuseppe Sinopoli, and Christoph von Dohnányi. Esa-Pekka Salonen has been their principal conductor since 2008.

Philharmonia Concerts Today

Today, the Philharmonia Orchestra still performs many concerts. They travel all over Britain and also perform abroad. Since 1995, their main home has been the Royal Festival Hall in London. They also play regularly in other cities, like Leicester and Bedford. When they travel abroad, they often perform in Paris and Amsterdam.

Recordings and Film Music

The Philharmonia Orchestra has made over one thousand recordings. Their music has also been used in many film soundtracks. Some classic movies featuring their music include Laurence Olivier's 1944 film Henry V. They also played for David Lean's 1948 film Oliver Twist.