Editing English Chamber Orchestra (section)

==History==

The English Chamber Orchestra has its origins in the '''Goldsbrough Orchestra''', founded in 1948 by [[Lawrence Leonard]] and Arnold Goldsbrough. The name was considered to prevent success outside of the UK and in 1960 it was changed to the English Chamber Orchestra, when Quintin Ballardie (a principal violinist with the original orchestra) invited Dr. Ursula Jones-Strebi to found and co-manage the new orchestra,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chong |first1=Derrick |last2=Trappey |first2=Randolph J. |date=2001 |title=Privately Held and Managing Well: The English Chamber Orchestra at 40 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41064720 |journal=International Journal of Arts Management |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=16–26 |jstor=41064720 |issn=1480-8986}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= English Chamber Orchestra &#124;|url=https://www.englishchamberorchestra.co.uk/?/news/lawrence-power-appointed-as-artistic-director-of-the-english-chamber-o |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=www.englishchamberorchestra.co.uk |language=en}}</ref> where they also expanded its repertoire beyond the [[baroque music|Baroque]] period for the first time. Its repertoire remained limited by the group's size, which has stayed fairly consistently at around the size of an orchestra of [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]'s time.

Shortly afterwards, it became closely associated with the [[Aldeburgh Festival]], playing in the premieres of [[Benjamin Britten]]'s ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream (opera)|A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' (1960), ''[[Owen Wingrave]]'' (1970), ''[[Curlew River]]'' and several other of his works. The occasions on which Britten conducted the orchestra included the opening concerts of the [[Queen Elizabeth Hall]] and [[Snape Maltings]] in 1967.<ref name="ECO">{{Cite web |url=http://www.englishchamberorchestra.co.uk/about/history |title=History: Britten and the ECO |access-date=2018-04-01}}</ref> He also made a number of records with the group.

The orchestra did not at this time have a principal conductor, but worked closely with a succession of guest conductors including [[Raymond Leppard]], [[Colin Davis]] and [[Daniel Barenboim]]. In 1985 [[Jeffrey Tate]] was appointed the ensemble's first principal conductor.  In 2000, [[Ralf Gothóni]] was appointed second principal conductor.

In June 2009, the English Chamber Orchestra named [[Paul Watkins (musician)|Paul Watkins]] its new [[music director]], effective with the 2009–2010 season, for an initial contract of three years.<ref>Martin Cullingford, "Paul Watkins named ECO music director".  ''Gramophone'', 19 June 2009.</ref> The orchestra has also worked regularly with guest conductors [[Paul Goodwin (conductor)|Paul Goodwin]], [[Lawrence Power]] and [[James Sherlock]]. In 2023, the orchestra appointed [[:fr:Roberto For%C3%A9s Veses|Roberto Forés Veses]] as Principal Guest Conductor. Having led the orchestra for over 30 years, Stephanie Gonley was recognised as Leader and Principal of the English Chamber Orchestra in 2023.