Artist
Swedish Radio Orchestra Orchestra
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The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra is one of the major international orchestras, and a leader in quality and programming innovation in the Nordic countries.
In 1925 radio broadcasting began in Sweden when Radiotjänst, a private concern, took to the airwaves. The facilities and the right to the license were held by a consortium of radio production companies, receiver manufacturers, and newspapers. In 1936, the organization founded the Radiotjänsts Dansorkester (Radiotjänst Dance Orchestra), better known as Waldimir's Orchestra. It began to be heard around Europe when Sweden founded its External Service of short-wave broadcasts in 1939. After World War II, in 1948, the orchestra's name was changed to the Radio Orchestra (Radioorkestern).
It remained a relatively small orchestra. Though it produced notable performances of standard repertory and historic premieres of Swedish and other Scandinavian music during the 1950s under the batons of conductors Sten Frykberg and his successor, Stig Westerberg, the start of its present high international reputation can be dated to the arrival in 1962 of conductor Sergiu Celibidache. The excellence of the performances that Celibidache drew from the orchestra prompted Sveriges Radio AB (the corporate name of the broadcasting organization since 1957, reflecting the addition of civic organizations as shareholders in the company) to begin enlarging the orchestra. In 1967, another ensemble of the company, the Underhållningsorkestern (or Entertainment Orchestra) was merged with the Radio Orchestra to create a 100-member symphony orchestra, which was then renamed the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
In 1979, Celibidache was succeeded by Herbert Blomstedt, who oversaw the orchestra's move into its new permanent quarters, the Berwald Hall in Sweden (named after the prominent Swedish Romantic composer). Berwald Hall is now a distinct unit of Swedish Radio and administers the orchestra.
The orchestra's growing reputation was reflected by its list of guest conductors, which have included John Barbirolli, Georg Solti, Colin Davis, Kurt Sanderling, Myung-Whun Chung, Riccardo Muti, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Carlo Maria Giulini, who was given the title Conductor Laureate in 1996. After Blomstedt, the principal conductors have been Esa-Pekka Salonen (1985 - 1995), Yevgeni Svetlanov (1995 - 2000), and Manfred Honeck (commencing as music director in autumn 2000). Principal guest conductor Mark Wigglesworth remains in that position. Under Salonen the reputation of the orchestra was recognized world-wide, as he took it on tours through Europe and the U.S.
The orchestra remains known for its promotion of newer music. It records for Sony Classics and has produced discs of the complete Nielsen symphonies, Dallapiccolla's Il Prigioniero (Cecilia Award winner), the Nielsen Violin Concerto with Cho-Liang Lin (Gramophone Award), and Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex.
© Joseph Stevenson, All Music Guide
In 1925 radio broadcasting began in Sweden when Radiotjänst, a private concern, took to the airwaves. The facilities and the right to the license were held by a consortium of radio production companies, receiver manufacturers, and newspapers. In 1936, the organization founded the Radiotjänsts Dansorkester (Radiotjänst Dance Orchestra), better known as Waldimir's Orchestra. It began to be heard around Europe when Sweden founded its External Service of short-wave broadcasts in 1939. After World War II, in 1948, the orchestra's name was changed to the Radio Orchestra (Radioorkestern).
It remained a relatively small orchestra. Though it produced notable performances of standard repertory and historic premieres of Swedish and other Scandinavian music during the 1950s under the batons of conductors Sten Frykberg and his successor, Stig Westerberg, the start of its present high international reputation can be dated to the arrival in 1962 of conductor Sergiu Celibidache. The excellence of the performances that Celibidache drew from the orchestra prompted Sveriges Radio AB (the corporate name of the broadcasting organization since 1957, reflecting the addition of civic organizations as shareholders in the company) to begin enlarging the orchestra. In 1967, another ensemble of the company, the Underhållningsorkestern (or Entertainment Orchestra) was merged with the Radio Orchestra to create a 100-member symphony orchestra, which was then renamed the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
In 1979, Celibidache was succeeded by Herbert Blomstedt, who oversaw the orchestra's move into its new permanent quarters, the Berwald Hall in Sweden (named after the prominent Swedish Romantic composer). Berwald Hall is now a distinct unit of Swedish Radio and administers the orchestra.
The orchestra's growing reputation was reflected by its list of guest conductors, which have included John Barbirolli, Georg Solti, Colin Davis, Kurt Sanderling, Myung-Whun Chung, Riccardo Muti, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Carlo Maria Giulini, who was given the title Conductor Laureate in 1996. After Blomstedt, the principal conductors have been Esa-Pekka Salonen (1985 - 1995), Yevgeni Svetlanov (1995 - 2000), and Manfred Honeck (commencing as music director in autumn 2000). Principal guest conductor Mark Wigglesworth remains in that position. Under Salonen the reputation of the orchestra was recognized world-wide, as he took it on tours through Europe and the U.S.
The orchestra remains known for its promotion of newer music. It records for Sony Classics and has produced discs of the complete Nielsen symphonies, Dallapiccolla's Il Prigioniero (Cecilia Award winner), the Nielsen Violin Concerto with Cho-Liang Lin (Gramophone Award), and Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex.
© Joseph Stevenson, All Music Guide
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© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.
© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.
The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra is one of the major international orchestras, and a leader in quality and programming innovation...
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