The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a former assistant at the Royal Opera House. Since 1995, the orchestra has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. The Philharmonia also has residencies at De Montfort Hall, Leicester, the Corn Exchange, Bedford, and The Anvil, Basingstoke. Since 2008, Esa-Pekka Salonen is the orchestra's principal conductor and artistic advisor.