The London Mozart Players, the UK’s longest established chamber orchestra, was founded in 1949 by Harry Blech to delight audiences with the works of Mozart and Haydn, and the orchestra is known for its unmistakable British roots. Over the last seventy-three years, the LMP has developed an outstanding reputation for adventurous, ambitious programming from Baroque through to genre-crossing contemporary music, and continues to build on its long history of association with many of the world’s finest artists including Dame Jane Glover, Howard Shelley, Nicola Benedetti, Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Michael Collins. The orchestra enjoys an international reputation, touring throughout Europe and the Far East and records frequently for Naxos, Convivium, Chandos and Hyperion Records.
The London Mozart Players performs on London’s premier concert platforms, including the Royal Festival Hall, St John’s Smith Square and Cadogan Hall, as well as cathedrals and other venues across the UK. LMP has been the resident orchestra at Croydon’s Fairfield Halls for 33 years, and the ensemble continues to demonstrate a commitment to the borough’s cultural life. LMP is also embedded in the local community with an office at St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood, where it runs an award-winning programme of initiatives. The orchestra has brought classical music stars Nicola Benedetti and Sheku Kanneh-Mason to SE19 in world-class performances, and has implemented a tailored calendar of events including family concerts and collaborations with local community groups and schools. LMP has remained active throughout the pandemic. This player-led chamber orchestra was the first ensemble to offer daily unique online content throughout lockdown with ‘At Home with LMP’ (available to view on YouTube), it was also the first UK orchestra to perform after restrictions were lifted in mid-June 2020, with their LMP Live! concert series with Tasmin Little and Jennifer Pike attracting an audience of over 1 million via Classic FM’s social media channels. In autumn 2020 LMP was in the vanguard of UK orchestras testing the waters with paid-for online orchestral concerts to support their musicians, with their eight-concert Classical Club series. Their current online series ‘Spotlight On…’ , featuring concerts by Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason, Jess Gillam and Leia Zhu, is now available to view via the LMP website.
As one of the original pioneers of orchestral outreach work, LMP has enjoyed a host of relationships with schools and music hubs across the UK (and recently in Dubai and Hong Kong), working with teachers to inspire the next generation of musicians and music lovers. LMP continues its 73-year tradition of promoting young talent: Nicola Benedetti, Jacqueline du Pré and Jan Pascal Tortelier are just three of many young musical virtuosi championed early in their careers by the orchestra. In January LMP launched its ambitious 100k challenge this year, to reach 100,000 children and young people through music in 2021. LMP is the only professional orchestra in the UK to be managed operationally and artistically by the players.
The orchestra has enjoyed the patronage of HRH The Earl of Wessex since 1988.
