The BBC Concert Orchestra, formed in January 1952 in London, England, is a
British radio orchestra. It was created from the disbanded BBC Opera Orchestra,
which originated in 1931 as the BBC Theatre Orchestra. Operating with around 50
musicians, the ensemble was established to perform light classical, popular, and
non-symphonic repertoire for radio broadcast, serving as the resident orchestra
for the BBC Radio 3 programme Friday Night Is Music Night. Its principal
conductors included Gilbert Vinter, Charles Mackerras, Vilém Tauský, Marcus
Dods, Ashley Lawrence, Barry Wordsworth, ...