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THE LONDON SCHUBERT PLAYERS chamber orchestra was founded in 1989 by Romanian-born pianist Anda Anastasescu as the orchestra-in-residence of the French Institute in London. The Players’ concert tours in Europe, Asia and South America and appearances in prestigious festivals such as Windsor, Three Choirs, Lichfield, Santander (Spain), San Lucar de Barrameda (Spain) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) have been greeted with enthusiasm and critical acclaim. The LSP have also performed at London's South Bank, St John's Smith Square, the Fairfield Halls, St Martin-in-the-Fields and St Giles as part of the Barbican Centre's series.

The orchestra’s programmes combine the classical with the contemporary and explore the unknown repertoire. Building on the success of their adventurous Silvestri-Shostakovich-Copland-Turina series on London’s South Bank, the LSP presented from November 2005 to February 2006 A Romanian Musical Adventure, the first London festival of Romanian composers. In November 2006 they perform in the Alberto Ginastera Festival in London, conducted by Pedro Calderon – principal conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Argentina.

The orchestra has been championing English music overseas and worked with choirs from Britain, Spain, Norway and Japan.

The LSP is also a registered trust which creates cultural and personal bridges between young musicians worldwide. The orchestra played in Romanian orphanages; brought live music to remote Spanish villages; provided concerts and school workshops in Sri Lanka and India, with a memorable experience at Woodstock School, 2,000 metres up in the Himalayas; and gave educational and community concerts in the UK for schools, nursing homes and various charitable causes.

The Players recorded for Cressidia Classics in the UK and for Electrecord in Romania. Their CD, A World of Music, which has been featured in several BBC Radio 3 programmes, contains:

Constantin SILVESTRI	(1913 -1969)	Three Pieces for Strings
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART	(1756 - 1791)	Piano Concerto K414
Malcolm WILLIAMSON	(1931- 2003)	Lento for Strings Scenes from the French Camargue
Joaquin TURINA	(1882 - 1949)	Rapsodia Sinfonica for piano and strings

(Available by mail order or special offer)

A delightful rendition of Mozart's Piano Concerto K414 by pianist Anda Anastasescu and three folk-inspired pieces by Constantin Silvestri.  His 'Three Pieces for Strings' are full of vigour and culminate in a finale of stunning percussive velocity. The Strad

Silvestri's Three Pieces is not unlike Bartók's Divertimento, except that the folk idiom is Romanian.  A dance section... a song-like slow theme... a vigorous, twisting flurry of a finale. HiFi Record Review

Silvestri’s Three Pieces for Strings is his only composition currently available in the catalogue. The opening Pesante brims with life…the Cantabile offers a true singing line…the closing Veloce is quietly rousing...

The Mozart concerto is upbeat from the first with Anastasescu setting a lively tempo and securing playing of clarity from the orchestra. The middle movement is notable for capturing a sense of space in the reading that never cloys…the performance continues in its lightly-sprung vein until an ending that is most naturally arrived at.

Williamson’s Lento for Strings is plushly upholstered in the rich and sonorous playing of the orchestra…

Turina’s Rapsodia Sinfonica…noticeably Spanish…the feeling for the idiom of the music comes through as strongly as before, as does the strength of interpretation.  Evan Dickerson http://www.musicweb.uk.net/classrev/2006/Mar06

CONCERT REVIEWS

Magnificently projected playing which allowed individual voices to integrate seamlessly into the whole…The performance was one of insightful integrity of execution mixed with much enjoyment of the experience…the unison playing and tonal blending were notable…
Evan Dickerson http://www.musicweb.uk.net/SandH/2006Jan-Jun06/romania1802.htm

A bold and characterful reading of Shostakovich's Piano Quintet...they captured its combination of dark richness and biting sarcasm with expressive eloquence. The Strad

A splendid concert ... an enthusiastic performance ...  Stratford-upon-Avon Music Society

The London Schubert Players were superb Sheffield Telegraph

The sweetness and delicacy of the strings and winds was fully revealed in Mozart and plenty of warmth and vivacity in Schubert Birmingham Post

A superbly sparkling concert…they played with finesse in Silvestri’s music, entranced with its buoyant, catchy rhythms and acerbic harmonies, while …Dvorak’s magical string sonorities and plangent melodies were conveyed with freshness and conviction. Cambrian News

This accomplished performance showed sensitive changes of dynamics and tempo highlighted by the consummate lightness of touch and lilting brightness of the violins Wisbech Standard

This was an exciting start to the 54th Season of Concerts…a brilliant performance of Schubert’s Symphony No. 5…the well-deserved applause was rewarded with a gem of an encore… Fenland Citizen

The audience really liked it. The quirky work, which galloped along, was so professional…rapturous applause. Newark Advertiser

A memorable concert – a triumph!  Penrith Music Club

A wonderful concert…a great end to our 59th Season. The playing of everyone was superb and the programme perfect.  Andover Music Club

The Players charmed the ears and tickled the imagination of the large audience at the Assembly House.  Norwich Music Society

It is so rare to hear chamber music of this calibre. Thank you for a wonderful concert! Maidenhead Music Society

On behalf of The Crossing can I just say how superb 'King Leo' was... It was a great honour having you all here. David Jordan, The Crossing Arts Centre, Worksop

Brilliant opening of the International Festival by a splendid British group with outstanding control and naturalness in phrasing ... A real pleasure to listen to.  Seville, Spain

A unique musical experience...a most beautiful sound produced by an orchestra of international reputation. Dvorak's Serenade for Strings was breathtaking.  Sandefjord, Norway

Londoners at ease in modern and romantic works…the strings’ playing had as much precision as expressiveness. Fribourg, Switzerland

The players were distinguished for their musical intelligence, sensitivity and enthusiasm.  Bucharest, Romania

Sparkling clarity...The London Schubert Players saw to it that music flowed from Mozart's score 'like oil', to use Mozart's own phrase.  Delhi, India

Anda Anastasescu | Constantin Silvestri | The London Schubert Players Trust

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