Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is Britain’s national symphony orchestra, which boasts a diverse discography that includes film scores, pop songs, and the Hooked On Classics series. ∙ Formed in 1946 by Sir Thomas Beecham, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra gave its acclaimed debut performance only four days after its first rehearsal. ∙ In 1957, the RPO recorded the original soundtrack for the film The Bridge On the River Kwai, which won both a Grammy Award and an Oscar for composer Malcolm Arnold. ∙ Hooked on Classics, the first installment of their seven-album series that set classical favorites to a disco or rock beat, reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1981. ∙ The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra launched the RPO label in 1986, becoming the first symphony orchestra to own a record company. ∙ Conducted by Lucas Richman, the RPO performed on composer Christopher Tin’s 2009 album, Calling All Dawns, which won a Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover Album. ∙ The orchestra’s chief conductors have included such esteemed figures as Rudolf Kempe, André Previn, and Daniele Gatti.