London Contemporary Orchestra

The London Contemporary Orchestra (LCO) is an ensemble of young musicians formed in 2008 whose stated aim is "to explore and promote new music to an increasingly wide audience".^[1] LCO staged its inaugural season at LSO St Luke's and has since performed at venues and festivals including the Roundhouse, Latitude Festival, The Old Vic Tunnels, Snape Maltings, Southbank Centre, Spitalfields Music and Royal Opera House. In 2010 the LCO was shortlisted for the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards (Audience Development category).^[2]

2008 - present

Overview

LCO's inaugural 2008 season featured music by Mark-Anthony Turnage, Kaija Saariaho, Thomas Adès, Iannis Xenakis, Simon Holt, Olivier Messiaen, Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, and new works by young composers Emily Hall, Colin Alexander and Jonathan Cole.^[3] In May 2009 the LCO collaborated with experimental electronic duo Matmos and composer Anna Meredith for a series of performances at Shoreditch warehouse Village Underground.^[4] LCO appeared at the Roundhouse in January 2010 as part of contemporary music festival 'Reverb', performing works by Steve Reich, John Cage, Biosphere and the world premiere of Shiva Feshareki's turntable concerto "TTKonzert".^[5] LCO made its debut at the Spitalfields Music Summer Festival in June 2010^[6] and at Aldeburgh Music's 'Faster Than Sound' in May 2010.^[7] In October 2010, the Roundhouse staged three screenings of Metropolis (restored version) with Gottfried Huppertz’s original score performed live by the LCO.^[8] Later that year, the LCO gave a performance of Frank Zappa's "The Yellow Shark" as part of the Roundhouse's 'Frank Zappa – 70th Birthday Celebration'.^[9] LCO returned to the Roundhouse in August 2011 to collaborate with Ron Arad on 'Curtain Call'.^[9] LCO staged its first 'LCO Soloists' project at The Old Vic Tunnels in May 2011.^[10] In March 2012, the LCO performed works by Xenakis, Gabriel Prokofiev, Jonny Greenwood and Vivier to a capacity audience of 1,200 as part of 'Reverb 2012' at the Roundhouse.^[9] LCO made its Southbank Centre debut in 2012 closing Meltdown Festival (curated by Antony Hegarty) with a performance of William Basinski’s "The Disintegration Loops".^[11]

Collaborations

Known for its cross-genre collaborations, the LCO performed with headliners Belle & Sebastian at Latitude Festival in July 2010^[12] and rejoined the band for their UK tour in December 2010.^[13] The concerts reprised many of the arrangements first performed by Belle & Sebastian and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in 2006.^[14] In June 2010 members from the LCO joined Mercury Prize-nominated^[15] band Foals at Glastonbury Festival for a BBC 6 Music live session. LCO appear on the band's single "Spanish Sahara" (radio edit).^[16] LCO has worked with artists including William Basinski, Biosphere, Mira Calix, Mara Carlyle, Mike Figgis, Simon Fisher Turner, Foals, Jonny Greenwood, Matmos, Jimmy Page and United Visual Artists.^[9]

The Master

LCO features on Jonny Greenwood’s soundtrack to Paul Thomas Anderson’s film The Master (starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams).^[17]

New works

• Emily Hall: "Put Flesh On!" (2008)
• Colin Alexander: "Potential Fracture Lines" (2008)
• Jonathan Cole: "Assassin Hair", revised version (2008)
• Howard Quin: "Combination Curves" (2009)
• Jonathan Cole: "burburbabbar za" (2009)
• Shiva Feshareki: "TTKonzert" (2010)
• Tristan Brookes: "Ur" (2010)
• Emily Hall and Toby Litt: "Songs" (2010)
• Mira Calix and Larry Goves: "pedotin"; "ipo" (2010)
• Simon Fisher Turner: "Attitude" (2010)
• Jonathan Cole / Colin Alexander: "Forum" (2011)
• Martin Suckling: "de sol y grana" (2011)
• Gabriel Prokofiev: "Concerto for Bass Drum and Orchestra" (2012)
• William Basinski (arr. Maxim Moston) "Disintegration Loop 2.1" (2012)

Education

LCO has staged two open 'Call for Scores' initiatives to date, culminating in workshops for young composers led by Baldur Brönnimann, Jonathan Cole, Rolf Hind, Richard Barrett, Marcus Davey and John Woolrich.^[18] LCO was appointed Ensemble-in-Association at Brunel University in October 2008.^[19]

Organisation

LCO's Chairman is Simon Ambrose, 2007 winner of the BBC reality TV show The Apprentice.^[20]

Discography

Foals: "Miami" (Glastonbury Acoustic) feat. players from the LCO^[21]
Release Date: 2 July 2010
Label: Warner Music UK Limited

Foals: "Spanish Sahara" with London Contemporary Orchestra^[22]
Release Date: 12 September 2010
Label: Warner Music UK Limited

The Master (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Jonny Greenwood ^[17]
Release Date: 10 September 2012
Label: Nonesuch Records Inc.

References

External links

• METROPOLIS led by Hugh Brunt at the NIFFF at Neuchatel in Switzerland by Gaël Dupret
• Hugh Brunt at the NIFFF at Neuchatel in Switzerland by Gaël Dupret