We make, we perform.
CLS makes music in myriad ways across platforms, venues, and styles for audiences everywhere. We perform to more than 35,000 people a year in concert halls, opera houses, theatres, parks, warehouses, care homes, communal kitchens, hospitals, and schools. We welcome all people – from classical music fans to first-time concert-goers to those who need music to find light in dark times – to join us.
At the core of our work are: Productions, Projects, Players, and Partnerships. All four are key to our ethos, our work, and our future.
Productions
Our productions, performances, and concerts range from performing Handel’s Messiah in St Paul’s Cathedral to being the resident orchestra at Opera Holland Park to platforming new commissions from the most exciting contemporary composers. Our partnerships with Faber, the London Review of Books, and leading scientists and academics, add depth and richness to our offer. As well as offering world-class classical music concerts, we also work with a range of partners to contextualise the music, highlighting its importance and relevance to contemporary life.
Projects
CLS’s work goes much deeper than our concerts, encompassing communities, mentorship, mental health, work with refugees, music in health, and more. These projects are all led by professional musicians and might see us work closely with experts, participants, and facilitators to bring music into care homes, hospitals, schools, communal kitchens, and other places where it can bring joy to vulnerable and isolated people. Some of our projects have public-facing events and some support the production of concert work for the stage.
Players
Our orchestral musicians are some of the finest in the world, and work with CLS as a flexible ensemble to meet the needs of different pieces of music. Many of our players also participate in our work outside the concert hall, often working one-on-one with vulnerable individuals to make and share music together.
Partnerships
Partnerships are core to our work at CLS. We work with partners to conceive and deliver work, to host events, and to create meaningful moments for people whoever and wherever they are. Partnerships are always embedded and full of trust, and we consider very carefully who and how we work with organisations and individuals to deliver the most authentic work, full of integrity and joy.