Like orchestras all over the world, the English Symphony Orchestra has been dealt a devastating artistic and financial blow by the COVID-19 crisis.

Concerts and recordings that were years in the planning were all cancelled, and the orchestra has lost over 60% of its annual turnover in earned income and cancelled concert fees. It has been our musicians who have been most hard-hit by this. Like most orchestral musicians in the London orchestras and chamber orchestras around the UK, they are paid on a freelance basis, so this has been a time of real hardship for all of them.

The work of the ESO is dependent on the generosity of our supporters. Every donation, no matter how small, helps to secure the future of the orchestra and allows us to grow our educational projects and continue our commitment to music making of the highest calibre.