The BBC Symphony Orchestra has played a central role in British musical life since its inception in 1930 and provides the backbone of the BBC Proms with at least a dozen concerts each year, including the First and Last Nights. It has a strong commitment to contemporary music, having given the premiere of more than 1,000 works by composers from Bartók and Shostakovich to talents of today, such as John Adams, Elliott Carter, and Kaija Saariaho. It is Associate Orchestra of the Barbican where it gives an annual season of concerts. At its home in Maida Vale it makes numerous recordings, some of which are open to the public, and it also performs overseas. The BBC Symphony Orchestra enjoys close relationships with its Chief Conductor, Jirí Belohlávek, Principal Guest Conductor, David Robertson, and Conductor Laureate, Sir Andrew Davis.