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Founded by Harry Blech in 1949 as the UK’s first chamber orchestra, the London Mozart Players (LMP) is regarded as one of the finest ensembles, bringing together outstanding musicians from the UK and abroad to perform music of the highest quality. Internationally renowned for its live performances and CD recordings and
particularly known for its definitive performances of the core Classical repertoire, it also has an innovative approach to music-making and gives many world premières, especially of British composers.
The LMP has performed with many distinguished conductors, including Sir John Barbirolli, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir Roger Norrington and Sir Georg Solti. Former Music Directors of the LMP include Andrew Parrott, an acknowledged expert in the field of early music, Matthias Bamert, Jane Glover and Harry Blech himself. The orchestra has an on-going relationship with Sir James Galway and the actor Simon Callow. David Juritz has been Leader of the LMP since 1991.
Supported by Croydon Council, the LMP has been Resident Orchestra of Fairfield and the London Borough of Croydon since 1989, performing a series of concerts at Fairfield and undertaking many education and community activities throughout the borough. The LMP has regularly performed at the South Bank Centre and the Barbican and has current relationships with Cadogan Hall and St John’s, Smith Square.
Touring is a major part of the orchestra’s schedule, appearing in festivals and concert series throughout the UK and abroad. It is Orchestra in Association of The Anvil, Basingstoke, Turner Sims Concert Hall, Southampton, and Portsmouth Grammar School. Overseas, the LMP has recently visited Germany, Spain, Belgium, Holland and Ireland, and in the summer of 2006 performed at the Salzburg and Dubrovnik festivals and Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Recent and forthcoming tours include visits to France, Belgium and Spain.
The 2007/08 season sees the culmination of an exciting and critically-acclaimed Beethoven Cycle with Stephen Kovacevich, performing all his symphonies and piano concertos at Cadogan Hall as well as touring the concerts to venues around the UK.
The LMP has developed an extensive and highly regarded education, community and audience development programme. The LMP is committed to developing new audiences in outer London boroughs and more rural locations nationally. With this aim, the orchestra has a strong relationship with East Lindsey District Council, Lincolnshire, where it is building on six years of residency, in which time it has generated a huge following for live classical music in the area and has seen a work written by Lynne Plowman especially for the residency be performed and recorded for CD. This success has led to a further residency being developed this year with South Holland District Council, Lincolnshire, which aims to reach into the heart of the fenland communities. It has recently developed associations with Royal Holloway University of London and The Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey, working with students in masterclasses and education work, to add to the established relationships with Portsmouth Grammar School, Wimbledon College and Whitgift School,Croydon. In 2007 the LMP was nominated for an RPS Award for its ‘Orchestra in a Village’ project in Swavesey, Cambridgeshire.
The LMP is funded by Croydon Council and receives project funding from Orchestras Live, East Lindsey District Council and Kingston Borough Council. In addition, the LMP receives grants from trusts, foundations and many individuals, particularly the Friends of the LMP in Croydon.
Recording has played a major part in the orchestra’s life for many years. Past projects include piano concerti by Hummel and Mozart with Howard Shelley for Chandos and Mozart symphonies for ASV with Jane Glover. Currently the LMP is recording its acclaimed Contemporaries of Mozart series with Matthias Bamert for Chandos, numbering over 20 CDs to date. Recent releases from Chandos include symphonies by John Marsh and Franz Xaver Richter as well as ballet music by Hummel.
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