London Philharmonic Choir

Patron HRH Princess Alexandra
President Sir Mark Elder
Chorus Director Madeleine Venner
Associate Chorus Director Victoria Longdon
Accompanist Jonathan Beatty
Chair Tessa Bartley
Choir Manager Natasha Sofla

Founded in 1947 as the chorus for the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Choir is widely regarded as one of Britain’s finest choirs. For the last seven decades the Choir has performed under leading conductors, consistently meeting with critical acclaim and recording regularly for television and radio. 

Enjoying a close relationship with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Choir frequently joins it for concerts in the UK and abroad. Recent concerts with LPO Principal Conductor Edward Gardner have included Rachmaninoff’s The Bells, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Tippett’s The Midsummer Marriage and A Child of Our Time, Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass, Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder, Berlioz’s Damnation of Faust, Haydn’s Creation and Mozart’s Mass in C minor. Other highlights have included Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 13 with Andrey Boreyko; the UK premieres of James MacMillan’s Christmas Oratorio with the Choir’s President, Sir Mark Elder, and Tan Dun’s Buddha Passion; Wagner’s Götterdämmerung, Mahler’s Symphonies Nos. 2 & 8, Tallis’s Spem in alium and John Adams’s On the Transmigration of Souls with Vladimir Jurowski; and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 with Sir Mark Elder.

The Choir appears annually at the BBC Proms, and performances have included works by John Luther Adams, Beethoven, Busoni, Elgar, Ligeti, Orff, Vaughan Williams and Verdi, not forgetting the greatly enjoyable Doctor Who Proms. Last year for the first time, the Choir took part in the ‘Films in Concert’ series at the Royal Albert Hall, performing the score for Amadeus.

A well-travelled choir, it has visited several European countries as well as further afield. The Choir was delighted to travel to the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris, in December 2017 to perform Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Over the last year we are delighted to have appointed Madeleine Venner as Chorus Director and Victoria Longdon as Associate Chorus Director.

The choir prides itself on its inclusive culture, achieving first-class performances from its members, who are volunteers from all walks of life.