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BBC Symphony Orchestra
Background information
Also known as	BBCSO
Origin	London, England, United Kingdom
Genre(s)	Classical
Occupation(s)	Symphony orchestra
Years active	1946-present
Associated acts	BBC Symphony Chorus
Website	Official website
Members
Chief Conductor Jiří Bělohlávek Principal Guest Conductor David Robertson Conductor Laureate Andrew Davis Artist-in-Association John Adams Chorus Director Stephen Jackson
Former members
Founder Adrian Boult

The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.

The orchestra was founded as a full time organisation in 1930, with Adrian Boult as its first chief conductor. He remained chief conductor until 1950, when Malcolm Sargent took over (holding the post until 1957). Other principal conductors have included Antal Doráti (1962-66), Colin Davis (1967-71), Pierre Boulez (1971-75), Gennady Rozhdestvensky (1978-81) Andrew Davis (no relation to Colin) (1989-2000), and Leonard Slatkin (2000-2004). Also in 2000, the orchestra appointed its first Associate Composer, Mark-Anthony Turnage. John Adams became the BBC Symphony Orchestra's Artist in Association in June 2003. Leonard Slatkin's final concert as Chief Conductor was the Last Night of the Proms 2004. In early 2005, the Czech conductor, Jiří Bělohlávek was named the next Chief Conductor, which position he assumed from the first night of The Proms 2006.

As well as these principal conductors, the orchestra has had several notable guest conductors, including Arturo Toscanini, who made a series of commercial recordings with the orchestra in Queen's Hall from 1937 to 1939, which were released by His Master's Voice in the U.K. and RCA Victor in the U.S. EMI later issued recordings of broadcast concerts with Toscanini and the orchestra. Past Principal Guest Conductors have included Bělohlávek and Jukka-Pekka Saraste (2002-2005). The current Principal Guest Conductor is the American conductor David Robertson, who took on the role in October 2005 and has recently extended his contract to 2011.

The orchestra frequently commissions works by contemporary composers, and is a particular champion of new British works. Harrison Birtwistle's Earth Dances, Pierre Boulez' Rituel in memoriam Bruno Maderna and John Tavener's The Protecting Veil were all BBC commissions first played by the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

The orchestra plays a prominent role in The Proms, the annual season of concerts played at the Royal Albert Hall. It plays on both the first and last nights of the season.

The other professional BBC performing groups are the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra, the BBC Big Band and the BBC Singers. There are also two volunteer choruses, the BBC Symphony Chorus and the BBC National Chorus of Wales.

BBC Portal

• Adrian Boult (1930-1950)
• Malcolm Sargent (1950-1957)
• Rudolf Schwarz (1957-1963)
• Antal Doráti (1962-1966)
• Colin Davis (1967-1971)
• Pierre Boulez (1971-1975)
• Rudolf Kempe (1976)
• Gennady Rozhdestvensky (1978-1981)
• John Pritchard (1982-1989)
• Andrew Davis (1989-2000)
• Leonard Slatkin (2000-2004)
• Jiří Bělohlávek (2006-present)

• BBC Symphony Orchestra Official website
• Discography at SonyBMG Masterworks