The Philharmonia Orchestra

The Philharmonia Orchestra is recognised as one of the world’s great orchestras. Resident at London’s Royal Festival Hall, it attracts the most significant and recognised conductors and soloists to work with an outstanding collective of musicians. Beyond the concert platform the Philharmonia reaches 13,000 young people directly every year through its community and education programme Open Doors, and many millions of people since 1945 have enjoyed their first experience of classical music through one of their recordings.

Today, audiences can engage with Philharmonia through webcasts, podcasts, downloads, computer games and film scores, as well as through The Sound Exchange, one of the most innovative interactive music education websites in the world. The Sound Exchange enables the Philharmonia to engage with new and existing audiences, particularly young people, and to allow anyone, anywhere in the world to experience their work.

As well as featuring a vast amount of behind–the–scenes information about Philharmonia’s life and work, much of it on film, the site offers rich musical resources for children, teachers, students, parents and adults, offering assistance in learning and playing instruments, composition, musical notation, theory, analysis and history. Two million people visit The Sound Exchange every year, 4,000 viewers watch or download the Philharmonia’s video podcasts each month and 50,000 YouTube viewers engage from across the world.

More recent innovations include The Sample Sequencer, a free downloadable software programme enabling anyone, anywhere in the world to create Philharmonia compositions by manipulating an 8–track player. Budding composers can use every note of every instrument from their online sample library via their computer.

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© Guy Wigmore, Philharmonia Orchestra