Leave a Gift in Your Will
A legacy for future generations.
Do you remember the first time you experienced a live symphony orchestra?
Leaving a legacy is one of the most enduring gifts you can make, and ensures that future generations can enjoy the outstanding music-making of the LSO.
When the time is right for you to include a gift in your Will, please remember us and consider joining our family of LSO Guardians.
On this page discover:
Get in touch
We would be delighted to hear from you if you have left a gift to the LSO in your Will or have a question about leaving a legacy.
Please write to us at legacies@lso.co.uk or call us on
+44 (0) 20 7382 2506 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm).
Alternatively, you may wish to complete our contact form below and we will respond to you within a few working days:
Contact Form
How your legacy helps
By remembering the LSO in your Will, you help the Orchestra to inspire hearts and minds through world-leading music-making.
Gifts in Wills support all areas of the Orchestra’s work. This includes the Orchestra’s London concert season, our international residencies and touring programme, our iconic recordings, and LSO Discovery which enriches lives through the transformative power of music.
Through its support, we can plan for ambitious artistic projects with confidence and remain resilient to future challenges.
Legacy gifts are invaluable and are by preference directed to the LSO Endowment Trust, which is a registered charity (No 233700) and is administered by its own Board. This ensures that gifts it receives are used to underpin priority areas of the Orchestra’s work.
LSO Discovery Create Workshop
How to leave a legacy to the LSO
Leaving a gift to the LSO in your Will is easy to arrange and is one of the most flexible ways of giving.
Gifts left to the LSO (a registered charity) in your will are completely free of inheritance tax. Giving to charity can have significant tax advantages. For those who leave at least 10% of their net estate to charity, the inheritance tax rate is discounted from 40% to 36%.
Writing or amending your Will
When considering your gift or writing your Will, we recommend that you seek the advice of a professional advisor who will be able to provide detailed guidance on the various types of legacy gifts.
If you have already written your Will and wish to include a gift to the LSO, you can simply make an addition by including a codicil, or note of amendment, to your existing Will.
Types of Legacy gifts
A legacy gift can be made many different ways.
You may wish to leave the LSO a proportion of your residuary estate, a specific sum, or the gift of an asset, such as stocks and shares. Your professional advisor will be able to provide more details about this.
If you have a specific gift in mind such as a musical instrument, we would be grateful to have the opportunity to discuss your intentions to ensure that when the time comes, the LSO will be able to accept your gift.
This orchestra doesn’t just play music; it speaks to the heart of everyone who hears it. Preserving its future means ensuring that this unique voice continues to ignite passion, inspire young musicians, and connect deeply with audiences for generations to come.
Sir Antonio Pappano, Chief Conductor
Support your personal interests and passions
By directing your gift to the LSO Endowment Trust, you contribute to the lasting success of our work.
Within the Endowment Trust, you may choose to direct your gift to an area that reflects your personal interests and passions.
When preparing your Will, you may wish to indicate any area of interest you would like to support by using the listed fund names, making clear that it is intended for the LSO Endowment Trust. If you would like to discuss any aspect of your gift, we would be delighted to speak with you further.
Unrestricted gifts to the General Fund allow us to direct funds where they’re most needed at the time and to areas which will have greatest impact. The general fund provides vital flexibility to seize opportunities and respond to challenges.
The LSO Discovery Fund secures the long-term future of LSO Discovery’s work to enrich lives through the transformative power of music, offering inspiring and inclusive opportunities for performers, creators and listeners of all ages. Through a wide range of workshops and events, LSO Discovery uses music to enhance wellbeing and shares the knowledge and experience of the LSO family to help creativity, potential and talent flourish.
Contributes to the presentation of our concerts, including guest artists, production, and commissioning new orchestral repertoire, ensuring audiences continue to experience world-class performances of the highest quality.
Invests in the composers of the future by providing development opportunities through commissioning, mentorship programmes and the performance of new work – championing innovation and ensuring new voices are heard on the world’s leading stages.
Enables the recording and distribution of the LSO’s performances, including to young people and new audiences, maximising the Orchestra’s reach and presence across the world.
LSO Guardians
We thank everyone who has pledged a legacy to the LSO for your invaluable support.
We stay in touch with our legacy community through regular updates about the Orchestra’s work and an invitation to our annual LSO Guardians event where we celebrate the commitment made by this special group of individuals.
Next Guardians Event
We look forward to welcoming our family of Guardians and those intending to leave a legacy for an exclusive rehearsal visit and reception in June 2026.
More details will be shared with LSO Guardians soon.
Get in touch
While there is no obligation to let us know your intentions, we would love to have the opportunity to thank you for your support, keep you informed of the LSO’s work, and invite you to an annual LSO Guardians events where we celebrate the commitment made by this special group of individuals.
To inform us of your intentions, or to have a discussion about leaving a legacy to the LSO, please contact:
Ed Gimson Patrons Co-ordinator
legacies@lso.co.uk | +44 (0) 20 7382 2506 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm)
Alternatively, you may wish to complete our contact form below and we will respond to you within a few working days.
