The Academy of St Martin in the Fields is an English chamber orchestra based in London, founded November 13, 1959, by John Churchill and Neville Marriner as a small, conductorless string ensemble originally named The Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. The group performed its first concert on November 13, 1959, at the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields and later expanded to include wind instruments, performing repertoire ranging from Baroque to contemporary works. In 1988, the ensemble removed the hyphens from its official name. The orchestra produced an extensive discography, including the soundtrack for Amadeus (1984), which reached Number 1 on the Billboard Classical Albums Chart, sold over 6.5 million copies, and earned 13 Gold Discs. The orchestra received The Queen's Award for Export Achievement in 1993. Murray Perahia became principal guest conductor in 2000, and Joshua Bell was appointed music director in 2011, with Bell's tenure extended through August 2028. The orchestra released the album Baroque Landscapes in August 2024.
