London Chamber Orchestra removes dress code

This week, at the opening night of the orchestra’s centennial season, the London Chamber Orchestra (LCO) announced the removal of its dress code for all performance.

LCO’s managing director Jocelyn Lightfoot comments: ‘Every musician who plays with LCO is hand-picked for their professionalism and skill. When our orchestra walks out on stage, we celebrate the individual personalities and backgrounds brought to the performance by those musicians. Each person is a unique and valued ingredient that contributes to a magnificent whole’

In a move designed to promote inclusivity, equality, and diversity within the organization the orchestra is removing what Lightfoot describes as the ‘anonymity of a uniform or dress code’. Instead, LCO is encouraging their musicians to ‘reflect the culture they identify with and how they interpret the occasion for which they are performing’ to ‘enable them to be free to perform authentically and enjoy the experience to the full. ‘

Lightfoot adds that the LCO ‘urge our audience to reciprocate. It is crucial that we mirror the community that joins us at our live events and the beautiful variety of people that includes. We pride ourselves on sharing the experience of performing with our audience. This way we can celebrate, together as equals, the absolute joy of music making which grows from diverse individuals’ lives and experiences.’

The announcement comes as LCO unveils its plans to celebrate its hundredth anniversary with performances across the capital, the appointment of Freya Waley-Cohen as the season’s composer in residence, and the revival of their emerging composer scheme LCO New. The orchestra will also release several new recordings, a new book detailing the organization’s history, and the release of an exclusive ‘LCO 100’ sparkling wine.

You can find out more about the London Chamber Orchestra at their website.