Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Britain’s national symphony orchestra, based in London and founded in 1946 by Sir Thomas Beecham, who was music director until his death in 1961. Toward the end of Beecham’s tenure, Artur Rodzinski, Georges Prêtre, and Rudolf Kempe were actively involved as conductors. Kempe succeeded Beecham as music director (1961–75), and under his leadership Leopold Stokowski, Erich Leinsdorf, and Sir Malcolm Sargent were among the conductors active with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO)....