A panel of leading international critics has ranked Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra no 1, defeating orchestras like Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Bavarian Radio Symphony. It is the magazine Gramophone who has asked eleven critics to rank the best orchestras in the world. The panel included three British critics from the Gramophone, two Americans, two Asians and one each from Le Monde (France), Die Welt (Germany), De Telegraaf (the Nether-lands) and Die Presse (Austria). These are the best orchestras, according to Gramophone 's critics: 1 Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra 2 Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra 3 Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra 4 London Symphony Orchestra 5 Chicago Symphony Orchestra 6 Bavarian Radio Symphony 7 Cleveland Orchestra 8 Los Angeles Philharmonic 9 Budapest Festival Orchestra 10 Dresden Staatskapelle 11 Boston Symphony Orchestra 12 New York Philharmonic 13 San Francisco Symphony 14 Mariinsky Theatre