About

Launched in 1999, the London Symphony Orchestra’s own record label, LSO Live, was the first of a new breed of artist-owned labels which have helped revitalise the market for classical music. LSO Live recordings are owned by the Orchestra itself. The players, conductors and soloists are stakeholders in the recordings on which they appear.

LSO Live is dedicated to making exciting recordings that have the power to reach and inspire new audiences, and has over 200 recordings in the catalogue so far—from popular new releases such as Janáček’s Katya Kabanova with Sir Simon Rattle and Ayanna Witter-Johnson’s collaborative album, Ocean Floor, with the LSO Percussion Ensemble; to perennial favourites including Handel’s Messiah with Sir Colin Davis and Verdi’s Requiem with Gianandrea Noseda.

Throughout its history, LSO Live has always been at the forefront of digital recording. The label works closely with some of the world’s leading producers and sound engineers, and was the first classical label to make its entire catalogue available for download. In the years since, the label has enabled the London Symphony Orchestra to extend its reach far beyond the concert hall, and to share its performances with millions of people around the world every month through music streaming services, digital partnerships, and an extensive programme of live-streamed and on-demand online broadcasts.

Since collecting its first Grammy Award in 2002, the label has won numerous international prizes including Gramophone Awards, BBC Music Magazine Awards, Classical Brit Awards, Opus Klassik, Orphées d’or, Chocs de l’année and Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik.

In addition to its promotion of LSO recordings, LSO Live also manages a group of independent partner labels, which includes percussionist Colin Currie, the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, The Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Washington DC and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

A conductor stands on a podium, leading an orchestra of musicians playing string instruments in front of an audience in a concert hall.
A large orchestra dressed in formal black attire stands in rows with their instruments, including strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, and timpani, posing inside a spacious hall with brick walls and tall windows.
A man stands with his hand on his chest next to another man who is clapping. Behind them, an orchestra with musicians holding instruments applauds. Some orchestra members are wearing masks.
An elderly man with short white hair, dressed in a dark suit, gestures with his hand as if conducting music. The background is softly blurred, with indistinct figures and warm lighting.
A conductor leads a large orchestra on stage, with musicians playing violins, cellos, and brass instruments. The musicians are formally dressed and focused on their music, with the conductor holding a baton mid-motion.