The ECO’s first London concert at the Royal Festival Hall in 1961. Sir Colin Davis conducts the ECO with David and Igor Oistrakh. The leader is Emanuel Hurwitz, and Ray Leppard is at the harpsichord.

Benjamin Britten and pianist Sviatoslav Richter in the early days of the ECO, c.1960.

Recording with Ray Leppard at the harpsichord in the 1960s.

Benjamin Britten conducts the ECO with Mstislav Rostropovich in the 1960s. Emanuel Hurwitz is the leader.

Britten conducts the orchestra once more in the late 60s.

The great Jacqueline du Pré in rehearsal with her husband Daniel Barenboim, who sees the funny side of something, 1969.

Pinchas Zukerman on tour with the ECO in the 1970s.

Benjamin Britten with the ECO at Kings Lynn Festival, 1970.

Daniel Barenboim records Mozart with the ECO c.1970.

From left to right: Pinchas Zukerman, Daniel Barenboim and Isaac Stern recording with the ECO in the 70s.

Andre Previn in rehearsal with the ECO at the Aldeburgh Festival in 1976. Photo by Nigel Luckhurst.

Sir Simon Rattle rehearsing with the orchestra, 1979.

Jacqueline du Pré, sadly unable to play the cello by this stage of her career narrates Carnival of the Animals with Barenboim conducting, 1979.

Yo Yo Ma in session with the ECO, 1979.

ECO co-founder and principal viola Quintin Ballardie talks with HRH Prince Charles at a Mansion House dinner in 1979. To the Prince’s right is leader Jose Luis Garcia, in the middle is 1st violin Margaret Cowen and next to her is principal cello Olga Hegedus. Photo by Anthony Woodhouse.

Pinchas Zukerman and Dame Janet Baker with the ECO at Harrogate Festival, 1979. Photo by Richard Adeney.

Ray Leppard directs the ECO from the harpsichord, 1980.

Itzhak Perlman rehearsing with then principal oboist Neil Black for a performance during the South Bank Summer Music Festival, 1980. Photo by Anthony Woodhouse.

Murray Perahia rehearsing with the ECO, 1980. Photo by Suzie Maeder.

Sir Alexander Gibson conducts as ECO leader Jose Luis Garcia plays a concerto with the orchestra in the 80s.

Murray Perahia directing from the piano for a recording with the orchestra in the early 1980s.

Soprano Galina Vishnevskaya and politician Jeremy Thorpe share a moment at Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh in 1981. Her husband, Mstislav Rostropovich is in the background.

The legendary Rostropovich rehearsing for one of many performances with the ECO, 1982. The orchestra’s leader and sub-leader at the time were Jose Luis Garcia and Josef Frohlich.

Placido Domingo and Luciana Serra rehearse with the ECO, 1983. Robin Stapleton conducts. Photo by Nick Scott.

Isaac Stern and Mstislav Rostropovich rehearse the Brahms Double with ECO, 1982. Photo by Nigel Luckhurst.

Principal oboe Neil Black with the Spohr Quartet (all ECO members) - from left to right Maciej Rakowski, Christopher Bevan, Dietrich Bethge and Norbert Blume c.1983. Photo by Nigel Luckhurst.

Nicholas Kraemer rehearses with ECO at Henry Wood Hall, 1983. Co-founder of the orchestra Quintin Ballardie looks on from the front of the violas.

Steuart Bedford conducts an ECO rehearsal at Snape Maltings in 1984. Bassists Adrian Beers and Philip Simms appear to have attracted some young fans! Photo by Nigel Luckhurst.

Steuart Bedford conducts the ECO in 1984. The leader is Jose Luis Garcia, who led the orchestra for more than 25 years.

Vladimir Ashkenazy and Anthony Halstead, who was principal horn at the time, in discussion, May 1983.

Murray Perahia in concert with the ECO, 1984.

The legendary Paul Tortelier discusses something with leader Josef Frohlich at the Barbican in 1984. Behind him is Jonathan Barritt, who still plays with the ECO today as principal viola.

Jeffrey Tate and Mitsuko Uchida rehearse with the ECO in 1984

Barry Tuckwell in concert with the orchestra, January 1984.

Jeffrey Tate at a press conference to announce his appointment as principal conductor of the ECO, 31st March 1985. Photo by Nigel Luckhurst.

A stellar lineup of soloists for the ECO’s 1985 Caribbean Music Cruise. Front row from left to right: Maurice André, Salvatore Accardo, Isaac Stern, Kathleen Battle, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Keith Jarrett, James Galway and Anne-Sophie Mutter.

Yehudi Menuhin plays a duet with former ECO principal flute William ‘Wibb’ Bennett at the Barbican, 1985. Photo by Malcolm Crowthers.

Mitsuko Uchida directs the orchestra from the piano, 1986. The cello section in descending order is Olga Hegedus, Dietrich Bethge (who is still a member today), Anika Lasker and Jo Milholland.

The ECO loading their instruments onto a private flight from Jacksonville, Florida to the Bahamas, January 1986.

Zukerman takes a bow at the Royal Festival Hall, 1987.

ECO at the Barbican, c.1988.

Quintin Ballardie at a rehearsal in Henry Wood Hall for concert at QEH, January 1990. Photo by Nigel Luckhurst.

Pinchas Zukerman and Neil Black perform at the Kunsthaus in Lucern, September 1990. Photo by Peter Fischli.

Steuart Bedford conducts with John Shirley-Quirk at the Aldeburgh festival, June 1991. Maciej Rakowski is the leader, with current leader Stephanie Gonley co-leading. Photo by Nigel Luckhurst.

Mitsuko Uchida and ECO wind principals Neil Black, Julian Farrell, Thea King and Robin O’Neill during a very special and world premiere recording of the previously unknown Mozart K.452a in October 1991.

The ECO aboard Mermoz during a Mediterranean Music Cruise, September 1992. Front row from left to right: Neil Black, Stephanie Gonley, Jose Luis Garcia and Kate Hill.

An improvised green room at Playa del Carmen, Mexico for a concert amidst the palms, early 90s.

From left to right: Thea King (principal clarinet but also an accomplished keyboard player), Quintin Ballardie, Adrian Beers, Margaret Cowen and Jimmy Brown, c. 1993. Photo by Richard Adeney.

ECO recording with the Johnny Thompson singers, July 1994. Photo by Reg Wilson.

Bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff takes a bow during a concert on a cruise, 1995.

The ECO publicity photo used during the 1990s. The leader is Paul Barritt.

The ECO pose for a group photo at a Music in Country Churches concert in 1997.

Zukerman conducts a rehearsal for a Music in Country Churches concert, 1997.

Stephanie Gonley performing a concerto with the ECO in the magnificent Waterloo Chamber at Windsor Castle, c.1999.

The ECO Wind Ensemble performing a private concert at the Odeon Amphitheatre in Ephesus, Turkey, September 2001.

Maxim Vengerov conducts the ECO during the 2007 Music Cruise. Photo by Swienink Havard.

The ECO rehearsing with Thomas Zehetmair at Murten Castle, Switzerland, August 2013.

Vadim Repin rehearses Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto no.2 with Gintarus Rinkevicius conducting in Novosibirsk, Siberia for a performance at the Trans Siberian Arts Festival in April 2014. Photo by Colin Sheen.

​Tomer Lev, Berenika Glixman and Daniel Borovitzky record Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.10 K365 with the ECO at Henry Wood Hall, September 2014. Photo by Patrick Allen.