English Symphony Orchestra

The English Symphony Orchestra is named not for its national reach but for the concept of Englishness. Its reputation, however, is international. Based in the city of Worcester, the orchestra bills itself as "The International Orchestra of Elgar Country." The English Symphony Orchestra was founded in the city of Malvern in 1974 as the English String Orchestra. Its founding conductor, William Boughton, remained on the podium for many years and developed the orchestra's repertoire in the direction of large orchestral works of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After the orchestra began to program music of full symphonic scale, its name was changed in 1984 to the English Symphony Orchestra. Kenneth Woods assumed the baton in 2013 and was later named artistic director. The year 2024 saw a trio of releases, including The Song of Songs, the Poet in Exile: Works by Walter Arlen.