Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra is a youth orchestra based in Leicester, England.
It was founded in 1948 by Eric Pinkett the first county music adviser, with the support of Leicestershire's education committee. Sir Michael Tippett had a strong association with the orchestra, and was a regular guest conductor, joining the orchestra on overseas tours. He wrote The Shires Suite for orchestra and was its patron until his death.
In the 1970s the orchestra notably premiered works by Havergal Brian, then an almost completely neglected figure. Several performances were recorded and released to critical acclaim. The Welsh composer William Mathias composed his Sinfonietta for the orchestra.
The orchestra is currently conducted by Russell Parry.
