Our Story
The Social London Orchestra is a community orchestra that aims to democratise classical music and make it more accessible to audiences in and around London through free performances.
Founded in 2021, SLO was born from a vision: an orchestra where musicians connect socially, blend tradition with innovation, and perform music beyond the concert hall - bringing it directly to Londoners across every corner of the city.
A simple survey asking whether London needed such an orchestra sparked an overwhelming response from over 100 musicians. From this momentum, a dedicated founding team was formed, led by Meerav Shah and Aisling Heneghan, alongside a committee of six others who established SLO for years of remarkable success to follow.
Guided by Musical Director and Conductor Hugo Jennings, SLO officially launched in May 2022. In January 2025, we became a registered charity—marking the start of an exciting new chapter in our mission to share the joy of music with everyone.
Since beginning our journey, we have delivered on our aim - blending both well-known and contemporary orchestral music across landmark London venues including The Clapham Grand and the V&A Museum, as well as community spaces such as the O2 Finchley Road, Ravenscourt Park, and Riverside Studios.
Our Musical Director
Hugo Jennings (2022 - Present)
Hugo has worked as the conductor of SLO since its inception in May 2022, having studied orchestral conducting under Monica Buckland. At Durham University, he conducted the Palatinate Symphony and Chamber orchestras, as well as the university Concert Band, and numerous choirs and forming his own big band. During his time in the North East, he also worked as assistant conductor for the New Tyneside Orchestra. In addition to conducting SLO, Hugo works as a full-time pianist and singer on the London jazz scene, as well as teaching singing and piano to pupils of all ages, working in choral music, and running regular jazz nights at St Mary's, Battersea. He is the founder and director of the Battersea Jazz Festival, at which SLO performed "Scheherajazz" at the Clapham Grand in August 2023.
The Musical Director role at SLO is contracted on a three-year basis. Future open positions will be advertised on Making Music.
Our Team
Our SLO team is made up of committee members elected by the orchestra every two years. Asterisked individuals are legal trustees of the organisation.
Our Supporters and Key Individuals
Lifetime Recognition Award
Aisling Heneghan
Aisling Heneghan was awarded a Lifetime Recognition Award in May 2025 honouring her as Co-Founder and Treasurer of SLO, who operationally stepped up to lead the orchestra in 2024 whilst the Chair was working abroad