Est. 1948
0 years at Imperial
With around 80 dedicated STEMB student musicians and multiple concerto soloists per year, ICSO has been the flagship orchestra of Imperial College since 1948.
Read about conductor Oliver Gooch here and view ICSO's current committee here.
Prizes
An award-winning history
ICSO's TV debut (Channel 4) in 2002 won a BAFTA and the Golden Rose of Montreux.
ICSO also won "University Orchestra of the Year" in a one-off 2008 competition against Cambridge, Southampton, and Manchester run by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Performance Venues
Across London and abroad
We perform our annual Spring Concert at Cadogan Hall, with other venues including Imperial's Great Hall, RCM's Amaryllis Fleming Hall, and Windsor Castle.
Recent tours have led ICSO to Spain, South Africa, Italy, Finland, Czechia, and Belgium.
Watch
From the concert hall
ICSO Spring Concert at Cadogan Hall (March 2025)
Play with us
Getting involved, a step-by-step guide:
- Check out our Instagram for the latest updates
- Come chat with us at Imperial's Welcome Fair
- Sign up for an audition. Good luck!
Also, ICSO holds an Open Rehearsal that anyone can come to without auditioning, so we'd love to see you there!
This is a relaxed rehearsal on the first Wednesday of the academic year to give you a feel for what ICSO rehearsals are like. There will be snacks too!