Warner/Chappell Music Celebrates 200th Anniversary

Warner/Chappell Music, home to such legendary songwriters as Cole Porter, George & Ira Gershwin, as well as contemporary stars Green Day, Muse and Timbaland, today officially unveiled the celebration of its 200 years in music publishing. Warner/Chappell is recognizing this bicentenary with a range of events and art work commemorating the legendary achievements of the songwriters and the people – both past and present – who have contributed to making the company one of the most important and progressive music publishers in the world. The company traces its roots to the opening of Chappell & Co. in 1811, the family music shop on London’s Bond Street that has grown into one of the world’s largest music publishers, now home to more than one million copyrights and a diverse roster of 65,000 composers.

Warner/Chappell Chairman & CEO, Cameron Strang, said “This major milestone is testament to the enduring talent of our songwriters, our culture of innovation, and the dedication of the people at Warner/Chappell. We’re thrilled to be celebrating this unique anniversary and we are looking forward to finding new ways of expanding our leadership position and building our reputation as the industry’s most passionate and creative music publishing company.”

Warner/Chappell UK Managing Director, Richard Manners, added: “Over two centuries, Warner/Chappell has grown into one of the jewels of Britain’s creative industry. Extraordinary songwriters have been, and will always be, at the centre of everything we do; which is why we’ve marked this remarkable occasion by focusing on songs and their composers.”

As part of the celebration, Warner/Chappell has commissioned ten leading graphic designers to transform well-known lyrics from its catalogue into new works of art. The artwork is being featured at London’s StolenSpace gallery and can be purchased as commemorative gifts, with the proceeds being donated to the Save the Children charity.

There will be a special limited-edition commemorative songbook with personal notes and commentary from Warner Chappell’s world-class roster of songwriters, including George Michael, Dido, Gamble & Huff, Burt Bacharach, Brian Higgins and Matt Bellamy of Muse, among others.

A full history of Warner/Chappell, as well as videos, archive photos and other information about the company’s history and the celebration can be found at warnerchappell200.com.

Source: http://www.warnerchappell200.com