OSJ was founded fifty years ago by its Director, John Lubbock, and its original home was St John’s Smith Square in Westminster, where it still performs. OSJ appears regularly in London and at concert halls and festivals throughout the country and its concerts have featured world famous soloists such as Dame Felicity Lott, Sir James Galway, John Lill, Yuri Bashmet, Tasmin Little and Steven Isserlis.
The orchestra has built an impressive following in Oxfordshire where it has strong links with the Ashmolean and sponsors such as Blackwell’s Music and Oxford Instruments. It presents a series of ‘Proms’ in the Ashmolean Museum through the year, a concert series at Christmas and at Easter and an annual festival ‘Music in the Abbey’ in Dorchester every September.
The Orchestra has always been engaged at the heart of the community and its musicians provide more than fifty musical events each year for children with autism and for adults with dementia.
Our Young Performers scheme helps many aspiring professional musicians.