The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symphony Orchestras.

An orchestra is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments:String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, and double bassWoodwinds, such as the flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and occasional saxophoneBrass instruments, such as the horn, trumpet, trombone, cornet, euphonium, and tubaPercussion instruments, such as the timpani, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, tam-tam and mallet percussion instruments