One of the oldest concert-giving organizations in the world, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (RLPO) dates back to 1840. In 1957 it was granted royal patronage, one of 111 British organizations to hold this honor, only two of which are orchestras. The RLPO gives more than sixty annual concerts at Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall and presents concerts throughout the United Kingdom, and it has recently traveled to the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic for the Prague Autumn Festival (2005). In 1998 the Orchestra launched its own recording label, RLPO Live. Gerard Schwarz was appointed music director in 2001.