Academy of St Martin in the Fields

The Academy of St Martin in the Fields is an English chamber orchestra, based in London.

John Churchill, then Master of Music at the London church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, and Neville Marriner (later Sir Neville) founded the orchestra as The Academy of St.-Martin-in-the-Fields in London as a small, conductorless string group. The original group numbered 11, all male. The orchestra gave its first concert on November 13, 1959, in the church it was named after. In 1988, the orchestra dropped the hyphens from its full name. Marriner holds the title of Life President.