En Shao - Principal Conductor

The Guildford Philharmonic is at the heart of music-making in the south east, with a huge repertoire extending from the 17th century to the present day.

The Guildford Philharmonic's scope ranges from concerts for children and with children, via chamber concerts in more intimate venues, to large-scale choral and orchestral works. The repertoire covers everything from jazz and light music to new music, and the emphasis is to work with young soloists wherever possible and to help these musicians at the outset of their careers.

En Shao was appointed Principal Conductor in 1995 and the orchestra continues its work of attracting new audiences for all types of classical music and of making concert-going an exciting experience.

Guildford Borough Council has funded and managed the Philharmonic as part of its arts provision for the Borough since the orchestra's inception in 1945. The Council is grateful to the South East Arts Board, South East Music Trust, and to its major corporate sponsors BOC Gases, Borax Europe Ltd, Stevens & Bolton and The Guildford Nuffield Hospital for financial assistance towards the costs of running the orchestra during the 2002/2003 season.