About

Sinfonia of London is an award-winning orchestra, directed by British conductor John Wilson

Often described as a 'super orchestra', we are a hand-picked group of world-class musicians including numerous principals and leaders from other UK and international orchestras, notable soloists and members of distinguished chamber groups.

We meet throughout the year for tours and recordings and our aim is simple: to make the best orchestral music possible.

RECORDINGS

Since its relaunch in 2018 by John Wilson, Sinfonia of London has continued its 20th Century heritage as a studio recording orchestra, recording no fewer than 27 albums of music with our partner label Chandos Records, to consistent and exceptional critical acclaim.

Our debut recording, Korngold’s Symphony in F sharp received glowing critical reviews and won a BBC Music Magazine Award for orchestral music 2020. Respighi's Roman Trilogy reached number 1 in the UK Specialist Classical charts and won the BBC Music Magazine Award for orchestral music 2021. The orchestra scooped the BBC Music Magazine Award for orchestral music for the third year running in 2022, for its 5 star record of Dutilleux — Le Loup.

In 2022 the orchestra was nominated for three Gramophone Classical Music Awards, including Orchestra of the Year and the 2022 Orchestral Award (for Metamorphosen). Ravel Orchestral Works received the Gramophone Classical Music Award for Spatial Audio in partnership with Apple Music.

In 2023, Sinfonia of London received two out of the six shortlisted places for the Gramophone Awards (for Rachmaninoff Symphony No.3 and Music for Strings), the only UK orchestra to appear on the shortlist. The orchestra's landmark release of the first ever complete version of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, in its original orchestration, entered the UK Specialist and Classical Charts at Number 1 on release. So too did our latest release of the complete Ravel Daphnis et Chloé, recorded in a new edition by John Wilson and receiving yet more five-star and glowing reviews.

LIVE CONCERTS

The orchestra made its live debut at a widely acclaimed BBC Proms concert, conducted by John Wilson, in September 2021. It was invited to mark the Benjamin Britten birthday weekend that year with two concerts at Snape Maltings featuring repertoire from its English Music for Strings album. Sinfonia of London returned to the BBC Proms again in July 2022 and August 2023, with all three concerts broadcast for TV on BBC Four.

Sinfonia of London's first tour to five UK venues in 2022 was received as an outstanding success by both critics and audiences alike, with unanimous five star reviews. In 2023 the orchestra appeared for two performances at the Aldeburgh Festival (also filmed for Marquee TV) and at the 2023 BBC Proms (also broadcast on BBC Four and BBC Radio 3). In November 2023, the orchestra embarked on its biggest tour yet, playing ten concerts in some of the biggest halls around the UK to a combined audience of over 15,000 people.

We look forward to further recordings and tours into 2024, with details to be announced in the new year.

Previous history

  • 1955 – 1969

    The original Sinfonia of London was founded in 1955 by flautist Gordon Walker, for the purpose of recording music for the film industry. Walker chose personnel from the most famous musical ensembles of the day, creating an orchestra of outstanding virtuosity. Sinfonia of London appeared in the musical credits of over three hundred British and American films of the 1950s and ’60s, including the 1958 soundtrack by Bernard Herrmann for Hitchcock’s Vertigo. Among their most celebrated gramophone recordings were Sir Colin Davis’ first discs of Mozart Symphonies and Sir John Barbirolli’s famous recording of English Music for Strings.

  • 1982 – 2002

    In 1982 the title Sinfonia of London was taken over by Peter Willison and Howard Blake for the purpose of recording the music for the animated children’s classic The Snowman. Under their management, the orchestra went on to record many soundtracks for major Hollywood films, including Batman, The Mummy Returns, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Lost in Space, The Lawnmower Man, Stargate, Tombstone, RoboCop and Young Sherlock Holmes. The orchestra also worked extensively in the field of TV, video gaming and pop tours.