The London Philharmonic Orchestra (frequently abbreviated to LPO), based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom. It is based in the Royal Festival Hall.
It was formed in 1932 by Thomas Beecham, and played its first concert on October 7 of that year. In 1932, it became self governing, with members of the orchestra themselves taking decisions on the organisation's affairs.
Other princpal conductors of the orchestra have included Adrian Boult (1951-57), Bernard Haitink (1967-79) and Georg Solti (1979-83). In 2000, Kurt Masur was appointed to the post.
As well as giving many classical concerts, the LPO has made several film soundtracks, including Lawrence of Arabia, Philadelphia and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. They also occasionally play on popular music records, like Chick Corea's album Corea Concerto or Nightwish's Once for example. In the mid-90's the LPO even released a tribute album to English rock band Led Zeppelin with covers of the bands songs, including an infamous rendition of "Kashmir".
Other London-based orchestras include the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Philharmonia the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
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