15 Years of Multi-Story Orchestra
In 2026 we celebrate a decade and a half of visionary music-making. This year, as we look ahead to another exciting round of productions, we’re also taking a moment to reflect on the work, the people, and the ideas that led us to where we are today. Here we explore the many definitive moments from our history as we evolved from a classical music orchestra into an organisation that puts young people at its centre.
From then to now…
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2011
Multi-Story Orchestra is born, co-founded by composters Kate Whitley and Christopher Stark with the vision of taking orchestral music out of the concert hall and into unexpected urban spaces. The debut performance of The Rite of Spring on the rooftop of a Peckham car park, Bold Tendencies, sets the tone for the years to come: orchestral performance made modern, unconventional and experimental.
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2012-2015
Multi-Story Orchestra transforms from an ambitious experiment into a defining musical force. Following its debut with The Rite of Spring, the orchestra establishes an annual summer presence in Peckham, steadily growing its audience and ambition. By 2014, landmark performances of Symphony No. 5 and De Staat signal a major artistic breakthrough. In 2015, experimental works such as Living Room Music alongside Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 cement a distinctive identity — playful, genre-defying, and reimagining what an orchestra could be.
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2016-2017
Multi-Story Orchestra makes a landmark leap onto the national stage with a performance at the BBC Proms, taking place for the first time ever in a car park. Reviving works like De Staat in this unconventional setting, the orchestra captures the imagination of audiences across the UK. The year marks MSO’s transition from a local phenomenon to a nationally recognised ensemble solidifying the orchestra’s reputation for innovation and boundary-pushing performance.
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2018-2019
Multi-Story Orchestra expands its creative practice through a partnership with Kings Place, blending orchestral performance with spoken word, poetry, and theatrical elements. Programmes includ Kate Whitley’s Trois Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé and newly commissioned settings of texts by Sabrina Mahfouz, highlighting MSO’s commitment to cross-disciplinary storytelling, audience engagement, and artistic experimentation. These performances reflect the ensemble’s evolving identity as a platform for bold and immersive musical experiences.
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2020-2021
2020 marks a turning point for Multi-Story. In the wake of the tragic stabbing of 17-year-old Malcolm Mide-Mandariola in Peckham, the orchestra embraces a youth-led model, giving young people a central role in shaping artistic decisions, creative direction, and performance.
The Endz emerges from this moment, developed in close collaboration with young creatives from Harris Academy Peckham. The production blends orchestral music with rap, spoken word, song, and theatrical performance to explore friendship, grief, resilience, and the realities of growing up in an urban environment shaped by social pressures and violence. Its narrative follows two friends whose bond is tested by tragedy, offering audiences an intimate insight into the experiences and emotions of young people confronting loss. It is received with universal critical acclaim.
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2022-2023
MSO consolidates its reputation as a leading force in contemporary orchestral performance. New works such as Verified, which explores the pressures of social media and the realities of youth life, premiere at Bold Tendencies and the Southbank Centre.
This period also marks significant institutional recognition: MSO becomes an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, securing long-term support and affirming its position on the national stage. In 2023, the orchestra’s transformative work is further celebrated with a Royal Philharmonic Society Award for The Endz, honouring its excellence in creative engagement and collaboration with young people and communities.
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2024
Multi-Story continues to expand its reach with a series of dynamic and immersive performances. The ensemble staged Bottled Up, a powerful orchestral and choral work exploring emotional intensity and release, across venues including the Southbank Centre and Fairfield Halls. The season also features performances of Activate! and A Musical Journey at festivals and cultural spaces.
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2025
Multi-Story Orchestra premiere STUCK, a bold new musical fusing orchestral scores with grime, drill, gospel, and Afrobeat. Staged at Bold Tendencies and later at the Southbank Centre, the production explored themes of community, home, and change, reflecting the experiences of contemporary urban life. That year also sees the debut of Love in Many Forms, created with the Young Creatives to explore diverse perspectives on love. Internationally, The Endz tours in collaboration with the Mozarteum Orchestra, including a performance at Austria’s Salzburger Landestheater, further expanding MSO’s global presence and impact.
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2026
Two major new productions anchor MSO’s 2026 programme. 2026 also brings significant leadership developments. In April, Emma Doherty joined MSO as Artistic Director, bringing extensive experience in co‑creative and socially engaged work with young people and communities, while Rachel Louis is appointed permanent Executive Director, reinforcing the orchestra’s strategic and organisational strength. Together, Emma and Rachel will guide MSO’s next chapter, building on its community roots and ambitious creative vision.
with thanks to all those who have brought our work to life.
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