About us...

Formed in November 1999, the London Shostakovich Orchestra is one of the capital's most exciting ensembles. Its inaugural concert on May 13th 2000, in which the main work was Shostakovich's 10th Symphony, drew praise from audience and players alike. One listener commented that he was `astonished by the extremely high standard of interpretation and performance', a positive impression on which we have been building at subsequent concerts. We generally give one performance every six months, concerts usually falling in May and November.

The Orchestra exists to provide the opportunity for serious musicians to rehearse and perform symphonic repertoire to a high standard, with a particular emphasis on the works of Shostakovich. Drawing its membership mainly from the London amateur and semi-professional musical communities, enthusiastic players of a good standard are warmly invited to apply for membership.

Symphony cycle

Our intention is to perform all of Shostakovich's symphonies, of which we have so far covered numbers 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11 and 12. The next in our cycle will be his 15th symphony, to be performed on 19th May 2007.

Funding

Shostakovich's symphonic works are an expensive undertaking for an amateur orchestra, so if you would like to come and hear us play, we would very much appreciate your support! At present, the orchestra is funded only from players' contributions and ticket sales.

Alternatively, if you would be interested in making a donation towards the costs of our activities, sponsoring a future event or sponsoring this website, we'd be more than happy to hear from you. Please drop us a line or fill out a form.