English Symphony Orchestra

History

Founded in 1978 as the English String Orchestra by conductor William Boughton, the orchestra was first based in Malvern and quickly established a reputation for its recordings of music in the English Romantic and national styles prevalent in the early decades of the 20th century. These recordings were made in partnership with the record label Nimbus Records which is located nearby in Monmouthshire. Over time, the English String Orchestra's embrace of larger works, especially those requiring woodwind, brass or percussion, caused its adoption of the name English Symphony Orchestra to reflect its often augmented instrumentation.

Yehudi Menuhin served as the orchestra's Principal Guest Conductor throughout the 1990s, leading the ESO on several international tours.

Partnerships with other British or British-based musicians of great renown, including Nigel Kennedy and Michael Tippett, helped to increase the orchestra's audience beyond its original admirers. As of mid-2016 it has a broad programme of concerts and recordings including much contemporary music, a community and education programme, and an operatic premiere in preparation: John Joubert's opera Jane Eyre, based on the novel by Charlotte Brontë

Leading Personnel

Conductor Vernon Handley succeed Boughton in 2006 and served as the orchestra's Principal Conductor until his death in 2008. Kenneth Woods was appointed as the orchestra's third Principal Conductor in 2013. Philip Sawyers is the orchestra's "John McCabe Composer-in-Association" and Matthew Sharp is Artist in Residence.