The LSO Essentials

By design, the history of the world-class London Symphony Orchestra has not been defined by musical directors. This cooperative ensemble, founded in 1904, chooses which conductors to work with instead of handing out a long-term contract to one maestro. As a result, their sound benefits from rich input from collaborators like Claudio Abbado and Sir Colin Davis. While they play English music (like former conductor Sir Edward Elgar's) with authority, they're also adept in the symphonic traditions of other nations, thanks to their work with global talents like Russian conductor Valery Gergiev.