How to Build an Orchestra

How to Build an Orchestra is an educational project of the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) that introduces readers to all the elements and instruments of a symphony orchestra. We are first introduced to conductor Sir Simon Rattle, who served as the LSO’s conductor from 2017-2023, as he first selects music for the orchestra to play and then goes about building the orchestra by auditioning one instrument at a time. The highlight of this book is the specially curated and performed musical selections (43 separate tracks!) that correlate with each page of the book. These are downloadable as a zip file from the LSO website and are a delight to the ears as you explore the construction and characteristics of each instrument. It’s a lot to get through in one sitting, but would be fabulous to use in a group class setting where you could focus on one instrument family at a time. Elisa Paganelli’s illustrations give readers plenty to explore visually throughout the book while listening to the musical excerpts. A must-have addition to any music teacher’s library!