City of London Sinfonia

Friday 23rd April, 7.30 pm,
Mayfield Parish Church

The City of London Sinfonia (CLS) was founded in 1971 by Music Director Richard Hickox. It performs primarily chamber orchestra repertoire, often with
a focus on the human voice, and it enthusiastically includes music by British composers.

CLS performs throughout the UK, with regular London appearances at Cadogan Hall and St Paul's Cathedral and is resident orchestra at the capital's popular summer opera festival, Opera Holland Park. The Orchestra is regularly invited to perform by the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden and in music festivals in Brighton, Bath and Newbury.

Education and Community work has been at the heart of the Orchestra's work since its foundation. As part of its Meet the Music programme, CLS musicians spend around 100 days a year making music with a wide range of community groups, young and old. CLS musicians also deliver an acclaimed programme of music-based professional skills training called Development through Music to companies all over the UK. The programme was founded in 2000 and was one of the first of its kind in the country.

City of London Sinfonia has travelled to many corners of the world. During the 2008-09 season the Orchestra enjoyed its first ever visit to Croatia, performing with Principal Guest Conductor Douglas Boyd, and in January 2009 spent two weeks in Colombia as orchestra-in-residence at the Cartagena Music Festival. CLS has over 100 recordings to its name, including a series of operas by Benjamin Britten conducted by Richard Hickox on the Chandos label.

Richard Hickox died suddenly in November 2008. He was an extraordinary musician and human being, whose passion, leadership and energy inspire and live on in the Orchestra today.