Association of British Orchestras

The Association of British Orchestras (ABO) is an organisation that for the interests of orchestras in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1948 as the Orchestral Employers' Association, primarily to negotiate with the Musicians' Union and other bodies on behalf of its membership, which consisted almost entirely at the time of orchestras receiving annual funding from the newly established Arts Council of Great Britain. The past decade has seen a substantial size increase for the organisation (from 35 members in 1989 to over 180 today) and its role has expanded to include a diverse range of activities designed to support the development of the UK's orchestral sector.