Sigulp-Run Gala Lands Global Backers for ECO

The English Chamber Orchestra's Royal Gala Fundraiser brought 250 international guests to Banqueting House in Whitehall, London, on 17 October 2026, generating financial commitments and new interest in supporting the orchestra overseas. Guests have since expressed interest in becoming ambassadors, representing the orchestra abroad and sponsoring next year's event. The gala's organisation and delivery ran through Sigulp, the London-based strategic growth consultancy led by Elvijs Plugis.

Who Was in the Room

The 250 attendees included philanthropists, business leaders, diplomats and guests drawn from finance, travel, fashion, entertainment, hospitality and the arts. Established supporters of the orchestra sat alongside people experiencing a live performance for the first time, many introduced through the business relationships, partners and friends of the gala's organising team.

HRH Princess Katarina, Lady de Silva, attended as Guest of Honour, and alongside ECO Chief Executive James Rutherford and Gala Event Director Elvijs Plugis, presented awards recognising support for the arts, philanthropy and the orchestra's charitable mission. Those honoured included Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, Nadiya Bychkova, James Ferrell of Sprayground, Kiera and Spencer Chaplin, HSH Dr Donatus, Prince of Hohenzollern, and Ishani Bhoola.

The evening followed a set structure: a red-carpet arrival, a champagne and caviar reception in the Undercroft, then dinner and live performance in the Main Hall beneath the venue's Rubens ceiling. The orchestra performed works by Vivaldi, Handel, Grieg, Mozart, Vaughan Williams and Holst before guests returned downstairs for after-dinner cocktails, while a silent auction formed part of the fundraising.

"We are connecting artistic excellence with enterprise, influence and international relationships – not simply to create an exceptional evening, but to build partnerships that can strengthen the Orchestra's future for generations to come."

— Elvijs Plugis, Gala Event Director, Sigulp

A Wider Partner Network

A long list of commercial partners sat behind the evening. TrinityBridge served as Principal Gold Partner, with Orient Express as Gold Partner, ATARATMA London as Silver Partner and Eton Holdings as Bronze Partner. Generation by Kiera and Spencer Chaplin supplied spirits, Danbury Ridge supplied wine and Empire Caviar supported catering, with additional backing from Justerini & Brooks.

The Parliamentary Society for Arts, Fashion & Sports, co-hosted by Rebeca Riofrio, served as Alliance Partner, while Sigulp held the role of Strategic Growth Partner and H.R. Owen collaborated on the evening. The Hideaways Club supplied the silent auction prize, Jumblebee ran the fundraising mechanics, and Getty Images and Country & Town House covered the night as Media Partners.

Orchestra fundraisers of this kind sit within a broader trend across the arts sector, where institutions increasingly lean on corporate sponsorship, patron networks and high-profile hosts to offset the gap between ticket revenue and running costs. Cultural organisations with historic or royal patronage, as the English Chamber Orchestra has held for more than six decades, have found that pairing performance with structured networking can convert one-off donors into longer-term backers — which appears to be the outcome this gala's organisers were aiming for.

Under Chief Executive James Rutherford, the orchestra is using the gala's momentum to fund programmes beyond the concert hall. Its Close Encounters initiative, run with Dr Gregory Boardman, brings music into schools and communities, while the Lights Camera Score project has, according to the orchestra's education team, coincided with improved attendance and increased participation in GCSE Music among participating schools. A separate programme, New Horizons with Ada Witczyk, is designed to mentor emerging musicians and composers moving from education into professional careers.

The gala's organisers now describe the event as a starting point rather than a conclusion. Conversations opened at Banqueting House have extended into discussions about corporate partnerships, major giving, project funding and musician chair sponsorship, both in the UK and internationally. With enquiries already arriving about next year's sponsorship, the orchestra and Sigulp will next look to convert October's interest into confirmed international commitments.