London Contemporary Orchestra

Overview

LCO's inaugural 2008 season featured music by Mark-Anthony Turnage, Kaija Saariaho, Thomas Adès, Iannis Xenakis, Simon Holt, Olivier Messiaen, Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, and new works by young composers Emily Hall, Colin Alexander and Jonathan Cole. 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. LCO appeared at the Roundhouse in January 2010 as part of contemporary music festival 'Reverb', performing works by Steve Reich, John Cage, Biosphere and the world premiere of Shiva Feshareki's turntable concerto "TTKonzert". LCO made its debut at the Spitalfields Music Summer Festival in June 2010 and at Aldeburgh Music's 'Faster Than Sound' in May 2010. In October 2010, the Roundhouse staged three screenings of Metropolis (restored version) with Gottfried Huppertz's original score performed live by the LCO. Later that year, the LCO gave a performance of Frank Zappa's "The Yellow Shark" as part of the Roundhouse's 'Frank Zappa – 70th Birthday Celebration'. LCO returned to the Roundhouse in August 2011 to collaborate with Ron Arad on 'Curtain Call'. LCO staged its first 'LCO Soloists' project at The Old Vic Tunnels in May 2011. In March 2012, the LCO performed works by Xenakis, Gabriel Prokofiev, Jonny Greenwood and Vivier to a capacity audience of 1,200 as part of 'Reverb 2012' at the Roundhouse. LCO made its Southbank Centre debut in 2012 closing Meltdown Festival (curated by Antony Hegarty) with a performance of William Basinski's "The Disintegration Loops".

In 2013 LCO performed in the abandoned Aldwich underground station, 350ft underground, Claude Vivier's Glaubst du an die Unsterblichkeit der Seele ('Do You Believe in the Immortality of the Soul?'). LCO was the winner of the Ensemble category in 2015 at the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards. LCO strings and choir feature prominently on Radiohead's 2016 Mercury-nominated album A Moon Shaped Pool.

Organization

The Artistic Director role is shared between Robert Ames and Hugh Brunt. They also share the role of Principal Conductor.

Collaborations

Known for its cross-genre collaborations, the LCO performed with headliners Belle & Sebastian at Latitude Festival in July 2010 and rejoined the band for their UK tour in December 2010. The concerts reprised many of the arrangements first performed by Belle & Sebastian and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in 2006. In June 2010 members from the LCO joined Mercury Prize-nominated band Foalsat Glastonbury Festival for a BBC 6 Music live session. LCO appear on the band's single "Spanish Sahara" (radio edit). LCO has worked with artists including William Basinski, Biosphere, Mira Calix, Mara Carlyle, Mike Figgis, Simon Fisher Turner, Foals, Jonny Greenwood, Matmos, Jimmy Page and United Visual Artists.

New works

Filmography

The Master score performed by London Contemporary Orchestra
Release Date: 21 September 2012
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

'Theeb score performed by London Contemporary Orchestra
Release Date: 19 March 2015
Director: Naji Abu Nowar

'Slow West score performed by London Contemporary Orchestra
Release Date: 16 April 2015
Director: John Maclean

Rattle the Cage score performed by London Contemporary Orchestra
Release Date: 10 December 2015
Director: Majid Al Ansari

Macbeth score performed by London Contemporary Orchestra
Release Date: 11 December 2015
Director: Justin Kurzel

Radiohead: "Daydreaming" (Video Short) score performed by London Contemporary Orchestra
Release Date: 6 May 2016
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

The White King score performed by London Contemporary Orchestra
Release Date: 18 June 2016
Directors: Alex Helfrecht, Jörg Tittel

"The Dead Sea" (Short) score performed by London Contemporary Orchestra
Release Date: 3 December 2016
Director: Stuart Gatt

Assassin's Creed score performed by London Contemporary Orchestra
Release Date: 14 December 2016
Director: Justin Kurzel

Discography

Foals: "Miami" (Glastonbury Acoustic) feat. players from the LCO
Release Date: 2 July 2010
Label: Warner Music UK Limited

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

The Master (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Jonny Greenwood
Release Date: 10 September 2012
Label: Nonesuch Records Inc.

Foals: Holy Fire feat. London Contemporary Orchestra
Release Date: 11 February 2013
Label: Transgressive

Slow West (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Jed Kurzel
Release Date: 12 May 2015
Label: Sony Classical Records

Theeb (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Jerry Lane with London Contemporary Orchestra
Release Date: 7 August 2015
Label: Al Dakheel, Inc.

Macbeth (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Jed Kurzel
Release Date: 1 October 2015
Label: Decca Records

A Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead (2016)
Release Date: 8 May 2016
Label: XL Recordings
Most tracks on this album feature the orchestra and choir performing arrangements by Jonny Greenwood

Frank Ocean: Endless feat. London Contemporary Orchestra
Release Date: 19 August 2016
Label: Def Jam Recordings

Frank Ocean: Blonde feat. London Contemporary Orchestra
Release Date: 20 August 2016
Label: Boys Don't Cry

Justice: Woman feat. London Contemporary Orchestra
Release Date: 18 November 2016
Label: Ed Banger Records