The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra is a Norwegian
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
based in
Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
. Its principal concert venue is the
Grieg Hall
Grieg Hall ( no, Grieghallen) is a 1,500 seat concert hall located on Edvard Griegs' square in Bergen, Norway.
Grieghallen was named in honor of Bergen-born composer Edvard Grieg, who served as music director of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra ...
.
History
![Grieghallen concert hall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Grieghallen_concert_hall.jpg)
Established in
1765 under the name ''Det Musicalske Selskab'' (The Musical Society), it later changed its name to ''Musikselskabet Harmonien''. Bergen citizens often refer to the ensemble as "Harmonien" (the Harmony).
After World War I, there was strong interest in the major Norwegian cities of Bergen and
Kristiania
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
(later
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
) in having larger orchestras. In 1919, the orchestra in Bergen was reorganized to employ 40 professional full-time musicians. As of 2015, the orchestra has 101 musicians.
The orchestra has had a long tradition of playing contemporary music.
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
's second symphony was performed in Bergen in the year it was published,
1804
Events
January–March
* January 1 – Haiti gains independence from France, and becomes the first black republic, having the only successful slave revolt ever.
* February 4 – The Sokoto Caliphate is founded in West Africa.
* Februa ...
, even before it was performed in Berlin. Bergen-born
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the foremost Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of ...
had close ties with the orchestra, and was artistic director from 1880 to 1882. He also bequeathed a portion of his estate to a fund which continues to provide financial support for the orchestra. Other composers have served as principal conductor of the orchestra, including
Arvid Fladmoe,
Johan Halvorsen
Johan Halvorsen (15 March 1864 – 4 December 1935) was a Norwegian composer, conductor and violinist.
Life
Born in Drammen, he was an accomplished violinist from a very early age and became a prominent figure in Norwegian musical life. He r ...
,
Iver Holter
Iver Paul Fredrik Holter (13 December 1850 – 27 January 1941) was a Norwegian composer. He was conductor and music director of the Oslo Philharmonic for a quarter century.
Biography
Iver Paul Fredrik Holter was born in Gausdal, Oppland, N ...
,
Richard Henneberg,
Olav Kielland
Olav Løchen Kielland (16 August 1901 in Trondheim – 5 August 1985 in Bø, Telemark) was a Norwegian composer and conductor.
Early life and education
Olav Løchen Kielland was born the son of Gabriel Kielland (1871–1960) and Margit Løchen ...
and
Per Winge. Composer
Harald Sæverud
Harald Sigurd Johan Sæverud (17 April 1897 – 27 March 1992) was a Norwegian composer. He is most known for his music to Henrik Ibsen's ''Peer Gynt'', '' Rondo Amoroso'', and the ''Ballad of Revolt'' ( no, Kjempeviseslåtten). Sæverud ...
was frequently invited to conduct his own works, and the orchestra continues to commission and perform new compositions on a regular basis. Other composers who have conducted their own works with the orchestra include
Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as "the Dean of American Com ...
,
Karl Nielsen,
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and 20th-century classical music, early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest com ...
,
Witold Lutosławski
Witold Roman Lutosławski (; 25 January 1913 – 7 February 1994) was a Polish composer and conductor. Among the major composers of 20th-century classical music, he is "generally regarded as the most significant Polish composer since Szyman ...
,
Lukas Foss
Lukas Foss (August 15, 1922 – February 1, 2009) was a German-American composer, pianist, and conductor.
Career
Born Lukas Fuchs in Berlin, Germany in 1922, Foss was soon recognized as a child prodigy. He began piano and theory lessons with J ...
, and
Krzysztof Penderecki
Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki (; 23 November 1933 – 29 March 2020) was a Polish composer and conductor. His best known works include ''Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima'', Symphony No. 3, his '' St Luke Passion'', ''Polish Requiem'', ''A ...
. In 1953, the ''Festspillene i Bergen'' was started and
Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Anthony Stokowski (18 April 1882 – 13 September 1977) was a British conductor. One of the leading conductors of the early and mid-20th century, he is best known for his long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra and his appeara ...
was contracted to conduct the orchestra. Other conductors at the Bergen Festival have included
Eugene Ormandy
Eugene Ormandy (born Jenő Blau; November 18, 1899 – March 12, 1985) was a Hungarian-born American conductor and violinist, best known for his association with the Philadelphia Orchestra, as its music director. His 44-year association wit ...
and
Sir Thomas Beecham
Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet, CH (29 April 18798 March 1961) was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras. He was also closely associated with th ...
.
American
conductor Andrew Litton
Andrew Litton (born May 16, 1959, New York City) is an American orchestral conductor. Litton is a graduate of The Fieldston School. He studied piano with Nadia Reisenberg and conducting with Sixten Ehrling at the Juilliard School of Music in New Y ...
became principal conductor in 2003 and artistic director in 2005. In 2002 the orchestra began to record the complete orchestral works of Edvard Grieg, the first Norwegian orchestra to do so. Norwegian conductor
Ole Kristian Ruud
Ole Kristian Ruud (born 2 October 1958) is a Norwegian conductor.
Ruud was born in Lillestrøm. He studied clarinet with Richard Kjelstrup at the Norwegian Academy of Music. He studied conducting at the Sibelius Academy and made his debut in Os ...
and the orchestra recorded the final of the 7 CDs for
BIS., in 2005. Litton now has the title of conductor laureate with the orchestra. The orchestra's current chief conductor is
Edward Gardner Edward Gardner may refer to:
* Edward W. Gardner (1867–1932), American balkline and straight rail billiards champion
* Edward Joseph Gardner (1898–1950), U.S. Representative from Ohio
* Ed Gardner (1901–1963), American actor, director and wr ...
, since October 2015, with an initial contract of 3 seasons. In January 2017. the orchestra announced the extension of Gardner's contract in Bergen through 2021. In September 2019, the orchestra further extended Gardner's contract through 2023. In June 2021, the orchestra announced a 1-year extension of Gardner's contract through July 2024. In November 2021, the orchestra announced the appointment of Sir
Mark Elder
Sir Mark Philip Elder (born 2 June 1947) is a British conductor. He is currently music director of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, England.
Life and career
Elder was born in Hexham, Northumberland, the son of a dentist. He played the ba ...
as its next principal guest conductor, effective 1 August 2022, with an initial contract of three years through 31 July 2025. Gardner is scheduled to conclude his tenure as chief conductor at the close of the 2023–2024 season.
Many members of the orchestra teach at the
Grieg Academy of Music, which is a music conservatory within the
University of Bergen
The University of Bergen ( no, Universitetet i Bergen, ) is a research-intensive state university located in Bergen, Norway. As of 2019, the university has over 4,000 employees and 18,000 students. It was established by an act of parliament in 194 ...
.
Chief conductors
* Samuel Lind (1765–1769)
* Benjamin Ohle (1769–1770)
* Niels Haslund (1770–1785)
* Ole Pedersen Rødder (1785–1805)
* J. Hindrich Paulsen (1805–1806, 1809–1820)
* Mathias Lundholm (1820–1827)
*
Ferdinand Giovanni Schediwy (1827–1844)
* Ferdinand August Rojahn (1856–1859)
* Otto Lübert (1855–1856)
* Ferdinand A. Rojahn (1856–1859)
* August Fries (1859–1862, 1864–1873)
* Amadeus Wolfgang Maczewsky (1862–1864)
* Richard Henneberg (1873–1875)
* Adolf Blomberg (1875–1878)
*
Hermann Levi
Hermann Levi (7 November 1839 – 13 May 1900) was a German Jewish orchestral conductor.
Levi was born in Giessen, Germany, the son of a rabbi. He was educated at Giessen and Mannheim, and came to Vinzenz Lachner's notice. From 1855 to 1858 ...
(1879–1880)
*
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the foremost Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of ...
(1880–1882)
*
Iver Holter
Iver Paul Fredrik Holter (13 December 1850 – 27 January 1941) was a Norwegian composer. He was conductor and music director of the Oslo Philharmonic for a quarter century.
Biography
Iver Paul Fredrik Holter was born in Gausdal, Oppland, N ...
(1882–1886)
*
Per Winge (1886–1888)
* Georg Washington Magnus (1892–1893)
*
Johan Halvorsen
Johan Halvorsen (15 March 1864 – 4 December 1935) was a Norwegian composer, conductor and violinist.
Life
Born in Drammen, he was an accomplished violinist from a very early age and became a prominent figure in Norwegian musical life. He r ...
(1893–1898)
* Christian Danning (1899–1901, 1902–1905)
*
Harald Heide
Harald Heide (March 8, 1876 – January 27, 1956) was a Norwegian violinist, conductor, and composer.
Heide was born in Fredrikstad, the son of the violin-maker Johan Albert Heide (1847–1925). He studied music theory and violin at the Oslo Con ...
(1907–1948)
*
Olav Kielland
Olav Løchen Kielland (16 August 1901 in Trondheim – 5 August 1985 in Bø, Telemark) was a Norwegian composer and conductor.
Early life and education
Olav Løchen Kielland was born the son of Gabriel Kielland (1871–1960) and Margit Løchen ...
(1948–1952)
*
Carl von Garaguly (1952–1958)
*
Arvid Fladmoe (1958–1961)
*
Karsten Andersen
Karsten Anker Andersen (16 February 192015 December 1997) was a Norwegian conductor.
Life
Karsten Andersen was born in Fredrikstad. He graduated from the Oslo Music Conservatory (1938–39) and Accademia Musicale Chigiana (1947). He made his deb ...
(1964–1985)
*
Aldo Ceccato
Aldo Ceccato (born 18 February 1934) is an Italian conductor.
Ceccato was born in Milan. He worked as assistant to Sergiu Celibidache and was music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from 1973 until 1977. Then, from 1976 until 1982, he ...
(1985–1990)
*
Dmitri Kitajenko
Dmitri Georgievich Kitayenko (also spelled Dmitrij Kitajenko) (born 18 August 1940) is a Soviet and Russian conductor. He was bestowed the title People's Artist of the USSR (1984).
He was born in Leningrad, Soviet Union and studied at the Glinka ...
(1990–1998)
*
Simone Young
Simone Margaret Young AM (born 2 March 1961) is an Australian conductor. She is currently chief conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Biography and career
Young was born in Sydney, of Irish ancestry on her father's side and Croatian ...
(1998–2002)
*
Andrew Litton
Andrew Litton (born May 16, 1959, New York City) is an American orchestral conductor. Litton is a graduate of The Fieldston School. He studied piano with Nadia Reisenberg and conducting with Sixten Ehrling at the Juilliard School of Music in New Y ...
(2003–2015)
*
Edward Gardner Edward Gardner may refer to:
* Edward W. Gardner (1867–1932), American balkline and straight rail billiards champion
* Edward Joseph Gardner (1898–1950), U.S. Representative from Ohio
* Ed Gardner (1901–1963), American actor, director and wr ...
(2015–present)
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra timeline
*1765 – ''Det Musicalske Selskab'' (The Musical Society) established
*1769 – Society renamed ''Det Harmoniske Selskab'' (The Harmonic Society)
*1770 – Society has over 30 members, one-third are singers. Thursday set as concert day.
*1771 – Fire destroys concert locale.
*1773 – Society rents ''
Altona'' as concert locale (until 1807).
*1774 – Society has 20 instrumentalists, mirroring
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...
's Esterhazy orchestra of 1766 to 1790
*1783 – Society engages
Ole Rødder Ole Rødder (1743–1806) was Norwegian violinist. He became the first paid musician of Bergen's '' Musikselskabet Harmonien'' in 1783, serving as concertmaster of the orchestra, which later became the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. Rødder was ...
as a paid violinist.
*1785 – Society's orchestra has 25 members.
*1799 –
Johan Henrich Poulson, student of
Giovanni Battista Viotti
Giovanni Battista Viotti (12 May 1755 – 3 March 1824) was an Italian violinist whose virtuosity was famed and whose work as a composer featured a prominent violin and an appealing lyrical tunefulness. He was also a director of French and Italia ...
leads orchestra.
*1811 – Society buys its own building on King Oscar's street. Orchestra has c. 30 members.
*1812 – Society's members give free instruction to young musicians, some of whom play in the orchestra.
*1818 – violinist
Ole Bull
Ole Bornemann Bull (; 5 February 181017 August 1880) was a Norwegian virtuoso violinist and composer. According to Robert Schumann, he was on a level with Niccolò Paganini for the speed and clarity of his playing.
Biography
Background
Bull was ...
begins playing in the orchestra at age 8.
*1819 – violinist Ole Bull performs
Ignaz Pleyel concerto with orchestra.
*1820 – Swede
Mathias Lundholm
Carl Mathias Lundholm (1785–1860) was a Swedish violinist and conductor. He studied violin in Paris with Pierre Baillot (1771–1842) from 1814 until 1816, and was teacher to both Ole Bull (1810–1880) and Otto Lindblad
Otto Jonas Lindb ...
becomes orchestra's conductor.
*1827 – Prague-born
Ferdinand Giovanni Schediwy named conductor. Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven dominate orchestra's repertoire.
*1839 – As a promotion, the society advertises that each man can bring two women to concerts.
*1855 – Otto Lübbert becomes musical leader.
*1856 – Society renamed ''Musikselskabet Harmonien''.
Ferdinand A. Rojahn named orchestra leader. First part of Haydn's "Creation" performed after over 100 rehearsals.
*1859 – August Fries named conductor.
*1862 – Musicians from ''Harmonien'' assist the 18-year-old
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the foremost Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of ...
with his first concert in his home city of Bergen after his studies in
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...
. Amadeus Wolfgang Maczewsky becomes orchestra leader.
*1863 – Edvard Grieg performs a
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
sonata with Maczewsky on a Society concert.
*1865 – August Fries leads Grieg's ''Symphony in C Minor''.
*1866 –
Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sy ...
's
''Elijah'' performed with
Nina Hagerup as a soloist.
*1870 – Orchestra has 41 permanent members
*1871 –
Johan Svendsen
Johan Severin Svendsen (30 September 184014 June 1911) was a Norwegian composer, conductor and violinist. Born in Christiania (now Oslo), Norway, he lived most his life in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Svendsen's output includes two symphonies, a violin ...
's Symphony in D Major is played for the first time in Bergen.
*1873 –
Richard Henneberg hired as conductor.
*1875 – German Adolf Blomberg becomes Kapellmeister.
*1879 –
Hermann Levi
Hermann Levi (7 November 1839 – 13 May 1900) was a German Jewish orchestral conductor.
Levi was born in Giessen, Germany, the son of a rabbi. He was educated at Giessen and Mannheim, and came to Vinzenz Lachner's notice. From 1855 to 1858 ...
hired as conductor after Grieg declines offer.
*1880 – Edvard Grieg becomes artistic director.
*1881 – Orchestra performs Grieg's A minor Piano Concerto with Alice Lindberg as soloist.
*1882 – Composer Iver Holter becomes conductor.
*1883 – Orchestra premieres Grieg's ''Landkjenning''
*1885 –
Johan Halvorsen
Johan Halvorsen (15 March 1864 – 4 December 1935) was a Norwegian composer, conductor and violinist.
Life
Born in Drammen, he was an accomplished violinist from a very early age and became a prominent figure in Norwegian musical life. He r ...
hired as concertmaster
*1886 –
Per Winge named conductor.
*1889 – No concerts.
*1893 – Johan Halvorsen becomes conductor. During his six seasons as conductor, he introduces music of
Glinka,
Delibes,
Dvořák,
Humperdinck and
Sibelius
Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...
to Bergensers.
*1907 – Death of
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the foremost Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of ...
.
*1908 –
Harald Heide
Harald Heide (March 8, 1876 – January 27, 1956) was a Norwegian violinist, conductor, and composer.
Heide was born in Fredrikstad, the son of the violin-maker Johan Albert Heide (1847–1925). He studied music theory and violin at the Oslo Con ...
becomes principal conductor. "Edvard Grieg's Fund" established.
*1915 – Orchestra celebrates 150th season. First concert in ''Koncert-Palæet''.
*1919 – Orchestra reorganized and employs 40 full-time musicians.
*1920–21 –
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and 20th-century classical music, early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest com ...
conducts his own works: ''
Symphony #2'', ''
The Swan of Tuonela
''The Swan of Tuonela'' (') is an 1895 tone poem by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. It is part of the '' (Four Legends from the Kalevala)'', Op. 22, based on the Finnish mythological epic the ''Kalevala''.
''The Swan of Tuonela'' was orig ...
'' and ''
Finlandia
''Finlandia'', Op. 26, is a tone poem by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. It was written in 1899 and revised in 1900. The piece was composed for the Press Celebrations of 1899, a covert protest against increasing censorship from the Russian ...
''
*1923–24 –
Carl Nielsen
Carl August Nielsen (; 9 June 1865 – 3 October 1931) was a Danish composer, conductor and violinist, widely recognized as his country's most prominent composer.
Brought up by poor yet musically talented parents on the island of Funen, he ...
conducts his own works, including ''
The Four Temperaments
''The Four Temperaments'' or Theme and Four Variations (''The Four Temperaments'') is an orchestral work and ballet by Paul Hindemith. Although it was originally conceived as a ballet for Léonide Massine, the score was ultimately completed a ...
''. Orchestra premieres
Harald Sæverud
Harald Sigurd Johan Sæverud (17 April 1897 – 27 March 1992) was a Norwegian composer. He is most known for his music to Henrik Ibsen's ''Peer Gynt'', '' Rondo Amoroso'', and the ''Ballad of Revolt'' ( no, Kjempeviseslåtten). Sæverud ...
''Symphony Nr. 2''.
*1924–25 –
Pierre Monteux
Pierre Benjamin Monteux (; 4 April 18751 July 1964) was a French (later American) conductor. After violin and viola studies, and a decade as an orchestral player and occasional conductor, he began to receive regular conducting engagements in ...
guest conducts.
*1925–26 – Orchestra celebrates its 160th season.
*1927–28 – First radio broadcasts of orchestra's concerts.
*1930–31 –
Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897April 8, 1993) was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to Spiritual (music), spirituals. Anderson performed with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throu ...
solos with orchestra three years before her London debut.
Kurt Atterberg
Kurt Magnus Atterberg (, 12 December 188715 February 1974) was a Swedish composer and engineer. He is best known for his symphonies, operas, and ballets.
Biography
Atterberg was born in Gothenburg. His father was Anders Johan Atterberg, enginee ...
conducts his own ''Symphony Nr. 6''.
*1931–32 – Orchestra premieres
Harald Sæverud
Harald Sigurd Johan Sæverud (17 April 1897 – 27 March 1992) was a Norwegian composer. He is most known for his music to Henrik Ibsen's ''Peer Gynt'', '' Rondo Amoroso'', and the ''Ballad of Revolt'' ( no, Kjempeviseslåtten). Sæverud ...
''Symphony No. 3''.
*1934–35 –
Karol Szymanowski featured as soloist in his own ''Sinfonia Concertante'' for piano and orchestra.
*1938 – First "Young Soloists Concert."
*1939–40 – Orchestra holds first "Worker's Concert"
*1941 – At the orchestra's 175-year jubilee concert, a Nazi mob protests against
Ernst Glaser
Ernst Glaser (born 24 February 1904 in Hamburg, Germany - 3 April 1979 in Oslo, Norway) was a German / Norwegian violinist, orchestra conductor and music teacher, married to the pianist Kari Marie Aarvold Glaser. He was the father of the pianist ...
, a Jew who was scheduled to perform as soloist on
Ole Bull
Ole Bornemann Bull (; 5 February 181017 August 1880) was a Norwegian virtuoso violinist and composer. According to Robert Schumann, he was on a level with Niccolò Paganini for the speed and clarity of his playing.
Biography
Background
Bull was ...
's violin. He is whisked away by rescuers and the concert is cancelled after the first number.
*1942–43 – Orchestra gives five memorial concerts for
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the foremost Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of ...
's 100-year jubilee.
*1943 – Air-raid warning interrupts season opening concert.
*1944–45 – Concert time changed to 6:00 p.m. because of 9:00 curfew. Orchestra holds
benefit concert
A benefit concert or charity concert is a type of musical benefit performance (e.g., concert, show, or gala) featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate hu ...
for victims of bombing in Laksevåg.
*1946–47 – Orchestra premieres
Harald Sæverud
Harald Sigurd Johan Sæverud (17 April 1897 – 27 March 1992) was a Norwegian composer. He is most known for his music to Henrik Ibsen's ''Peer Gynt'', '' Rondo Amoroso'', and the ''Ballad of Revolt'' ( no, Kjempeviseslåtten). Sæverud ...
''Oboe Concerto.'' School concert series begins.
*1947–48 – Site for Grieg Hall selected. Haakon B. Wallem donates one million
Norwegian Kroner
The krone (, currency sign, abbreviation: kr (also NKr for distinction); ISO 4217, code: NOK), plural ''kroner'', is currency of the Kingdom of Norway (including Svalbard). Traditionally known as the Norwegian Crown (currency), crown in English. ...
to building fund.
*1948 –
Olav Kielland
Olav Løchen Kielland (16 August 1901 in Trondheim – 5 August 1985 in Bø, Telemark) was a Norwegian composer and conductor.
Early life and education
Olav Løchen Kielland was born the son of Gabriel Kielland (1871–1960) and Margit Løchen ...
becomes principal conductor.
*1951 – Orchestra employs 54 full-time musicians.
*1952–53 –
Carl von Garaguly named Artistic Director.
*1953 – Bergen International Festival begins.
Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Anthony Stokowski (18 April 1882 – 13 September 1977) was a British conductor. One of the leading conductors of the early and mid-20th century, he is best known for his long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra and his appeara ...
conducts.
*1953–54 – ''Harmonien's fund for New Music'' established.
*1954–55 –
Eugene Ormandy
Eugene Ormandy (born Jenő Blau; November 18, 1899 – March 12, 1985) was a Hungarian-born American conductor and violinist, best known for his association with the Philadelphia Orchestra, as its music director. His 44-year association wit ...
guest conducts.
*1956–57 – Orchestra premieres
Egil Hovland ''Symphony No. 2.''
*1957–58 – Orchestra premieres
Geirr Tveitt
Geirr Tveitt (born Nils Tveit; 19 October 1908 – 1 February 1981) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. Tveitt was a central figure of the national movement in Norwegian cultural life during the 1930s.
Life
Early years
Tveitt was born in Be ...
''Brudlaupssuiten.''
*1958–59 –
Arvid Fladmoe becomes Artistic Director. Orchestra employs 60 full-time musicians.
*1961–62 –
Pierre Monteux
Pierre Benjamin Monteux (; 4 April 18751 July 1964) was a French (later American) conductor. After violin and viola studies, and a decade as an orchestral player and occasional conductor, he began to receive regular conducting engagements in ...
guest conducts.
*1962–63 – Orchestra has first international tour, to Copenhagen, Denmark.
*1964 –
Karsten Andersen
Karsten Anker Andersen (16 February 192015 December 1997) was a Norwegian conductor.
Life
Karsten Andersen was born in Fredrikstad. He graduated from the Oslo Music Conservatory (1938–39) and Accademia Musicale Chigiana (1947). He made his deb ...
becomes principal conductor
*1966 – Tour to the U. S. A. under the name "Norwegian Festival Orchestra." Orchestra celebrates 200th season. Karsten Andersen named Artistic Director.
*1968 –
King Olav V of Norway lays cornerstone of the
Grieg Hall
Grieg Hall ( no, Grieghallen) is a 1,500 seat concert hall located on Edvard Griegs' square in Bergen, Norway.
Grieghallen was named in honor of Bergen-born composer Edvard Grieg, who served as music director of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra ...
.
*1969–70 – Orchestra premieres
Ragnar Søderlind ''Polaris.''
*1970–71 –
Lukas Foss
Lukas Foss (August 15, 1922 – February 1, 2009) was a German-American composer, pianist, and conductor.
Career
Born Lukas Fuchs in Berlin, Germany in 1922, Foss was soon recognized as a child prodigy. He began piano and theory lessons with J ...
conducts ''Rileys in C.'' Orchestra tours England.
*1972–73 – Orchestra tours Germany. Orchestra premieres
Magnar Åm ''Bøn.''
*1974–75 – Orchestra premieres
Allan Pettersson
Gustaf Allan Pettersson (19 September 1911 – 20 June 1980) was a Swedish composer and violist. He is considered one of the 20th century's most important Swedish composers, he was described as one of the last great symphonists, ...
''Symphony No. 11''
*1975–76 –
Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as "the Dean of American Com ...
conducts his own works.
*1976–77 – Orchestra premieres
Ketil Hvoslef
Ketil is a Norwegian masculine given name, and may refer to:
* Ketil Askildt (1900-1978), Norwegian discus thrower
* Ketil Bjørnstad (born 1952), Norwegian pianist
* Ketil Flatnose (9th century), Norwegian hersir
* Ketil Haugsand (21st century) ...
''Cello Concerto.''
*1978 – Orchestra moves to the Grieg Hall.
*1979–80 – Orchestra tours Tallinn, Moscow and Leningrad.
Antal Doráti
Antal Doráti (, , ; 9 April 1906 – 13 November 1988) was a Hungarian-born conductor and composer who became a naturalized American citizen in 1943.
Biography
Antal Doráti was born in Budapest, where his father Alexander Doráti was a vi ...
guest conducts.
*1980–81 –
Witold Lutosławski
Witold Roman Lutosławski (; 25 January 1913 – 7 February 1994) was a Polish composer and conductor. Among the major composers of 20th-century classical music, he is "generally regarded as the most significant Polish composer since Szyman ...
conducts his own works.
Dmitri Kitajenko
Dmitri Georgievich Kitayenko (also spelled Dmitrij Kitajenko) (born 18 August 1940) is a Soviet and Russian conductor. He was bestowed the title People's Artist of the USSR (1984).
He was born in Leningrad, Soviet Union and studied at the Glinka ...
conducts orchestra for first time. Orchestra employs 72 full-time musicians.
*1982–83 –
Krzysztof Penderecki
Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki (; 23 November 1933 – 29 March 2020) was a Polish composer and conductor. His best known works include ''Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima'', Symphony No. 3, his '' St Luke Passion'', ''Polish Requiem'', ''A ...
conducts his own works.
Aldo Ceccato
Aldo Ceccato (born 18 February 1934) is an Italian conductor.
Ceccato was born in Milan. He worked as assistant to Sergiu Celibidache and was music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from 1973 until 1977. Then, from 1976 until 1982, he ...
conducts orchestra for first time.
*1984–85 – Orchestra tours Belgium and France.
*1985 –
Aldo Ceccato
Aldo Ceccato (born 18 February 1934) is an Italian conductor.
Ceccato was born in Milan. He worked as assistant to Sergiu Celibidache and was music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from 1973 until 1977. Then, from 1976 until 1982, he ...
becomes principal conductor
*1986 – Name changed to ''Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester.'' Orchestra employs 83 full-time musicians.
*1989 – Orchestra employs 89 full-time musicians.
*1990 –
Dmitri Kitajenko
Dmitri Georgievich Kitayenko (also spelled Dmitrij Kitajenko) (born 18 August 1940) is a Soviet and Russian conductor. He was bestowed the title People's Artist of the USSR (1984).
He was born in Leningrad, Soviet Union and studied at the Glinka ...
becomes principal conductor
*1997 –
Lorentz Reitan becomes managing director
*1998 –
Simone Young
Simone Margaret Young AM (born 2 March 1961) is an Australian conductor. She is currently chief conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Biography and career
Young was born in Sydney, of Irish ancestry on her father's side and Croatian ...
becomes principal conductor
*2000 –
Krzysztof Penderecki
Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki (; 23 November 1933 – 29 March 2020) was a Polish composer and conductor. His best known works include ''Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima'', Symphony No. 3, his '' St Luke Passion'', ''Polish Requiem'', ''A ...
and
Luciano Berio
Luciano Berio (24 October 1925 – 27 May 2003) was an Italian composer noted for his experimental work (in particular his 1968 composition ''Sinfonia'' and his series of virtuosic solo pieces titled ''Sequenza''), and for his pioneering work ...
each conduct their own works.
*2002 – Orchestra tours Austria (
Bregenz
Bregenz (; gsw, label= Vorarlbergian, Breagaz ) is the capital of Vorarlberg, the westernmost state of Austria. The city lies on the east and southeast shores of Lake Constance, the third-largest freshwater lake in Central Europe, between Switze ...
,
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
,
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
and
Graz
Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...
) and Croatia (
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
) with Spanish conductor
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (born Rafael Frühbeck; 15 September 1933 – 11 June 2014) was a Spanish conductor and composer. Frühbeck was born in Burgos, Spain to a family of German ancestry. He first took up conducting while on military serv ...
*2003 –
Andrew Litton
Andrew Litton (born May 16, 1959, New York City) is an American orchestral conductor. Litton is a graduate of The Fieldston School. He studied piano with Nadia Reisenberg and conducting with Sixten Ehrling at the Juilliard School of Music in New Y ...
becomes principal conductor, takes orchestra on tour to Spain.
*2005 – Andrew Litton named artistic director. Orchestra celebrates its 240th season. Litton leads European tour with concerts in
Udine
Udine ( , ; fur, Udin; la, Utinum) is a city and ''comune'' in north-eastern Italy, in the middle of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic Sea and the Alps (''Alpi Carniche''). Its population was 100,514 in 2012, 176,000 with t ...
,
Ljubljana
Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center.
During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
,
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
, Rome,
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
and
Innsbruck
Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol (state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the ...
.
*2006 – Orchestra roster increased to 98 musicians. Orchestra goes on
strike
Strike may refer to:
People
* Strike (surname)
Physical confrontation or removal
*Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm
*Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...
during Bergen International Festival.
Sten Cranner
The STEN (or Sten gun) is a family of British submachine guns chambered in 9×19mm which were used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and the Korean War. They had a simple design and very low production cos ...
becomes managing director.
*2007 – Touring to the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Birmingham Symphony Hall and Royal Albert Hall, PROMS (London), with Boris Berezovsky as piano-soloist. 12-concert tour of the US including Carnegie Hall, New York. Soloist: André Watts, piano.
*2008 – Concert at Musikverein, Vienna. Soloist Johannes Moser, cello. Three-concert tour of Poland, Estonia and Sweden with soloist Nikolaj Znaider, violin.
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra partial discography
BIS records:
* Peter Tchaikovsky and Alexander Glazunov: Violin Concertos.
Vadim Gluzman
Vadim Gluzman (Вадим Михайлович Глузман, born 1973) is a Ukrainian-born Israeli classical violinist.
Born in the former Soviet Union, Vadim Gluzman spent most of his childhood in Riga, Latvia. His father is a conductor and cl ...
, violin. Andrew Litton, conductor
* Peter Tchaikovsky:
Swan Lake
''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...
,
The Sleeping Beauty,
The Nutcracker
''The Nutcracker'' ( rus, Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik, links=no ) is an 1892 two-act ballet (""; russian: балет-феерия, link=no, ), originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaiko ...
.
Neeme Järvi
Neeme Järvi (; born 7 June 1937) is an Estonian American conductor.
Early life
Järvi was born in Tallinn. He initially studied music there, and later in Leningrad at the Leningrad Conservatory under Yevgeny Mravinsky, and Nikolai Rabinovich, ...
, conductor
* Edvard Grieg: The Complete Orchestral Music. BIS-CD-1740/42 (8cds). Ole Kristian Ruud, conductor
* Kalevi Aho – Concerto for Contrabassoon and Orchestra. Lewis Lipnick, contrabassoon. Andrew Litton, conductor. BIS-CD-1574. 2007
*
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''., group=n (27 April .S. 15 April1891 – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, p ...
– ''Romeo and Juliet'', Andrew Litton, conductor. BIS-SACD-
* Edvard Grieg – Olav Trygvason, Orchestral Songs. Ole Kristian Ruud, conductor, Solveig Kringelborn, soprano, Ingebjørg Kosmo, mezzo-soprano,
Trond Halstein Moe
Trond Halstein Moe (born December 20, 1954, Trondheim, Norway) is a Norwegian operatic baritone.
He trained at University of Trondheim and the Norwegian Academy of Music, and in 1987 won First Prize in the International Hans Gabor ''Belvedere'' ...
baritone, Marita Solberg, soprano, Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Kor Vest, Voci Nobili. 2006. BIS-SACD-1531
* Edvard Grieg – Peer Gynt Suites. Ole Kristian Ruud, conductor. 2006. BIS-SACD-1591
* Edvard Grieg – Holberg Suite, Music for Strings. Ole Kristian Ruud, conductor. 2005. BIS-SACD-1491
*
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the foremost Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of ...
– Peer Gynt (The Complete Incidental Music) (May 2005) SACD-1441/42
*
Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt (; born 11 September 1935) is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs tintinnabuli, a compositional technique he invented. Pärt's music is in pa ...
– Spiegel im Spiegel (April 2005) CD-1434
*Edvard Grieg – Sigurd Jorsalfar (March 2004 SACD-1391
*Edvard Grieg – Orchestral Dances (May 2003) SACD-1291
*Edvard Grieg – Piano Concerto (February 2003) SACD-1191
*
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...
– The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (January 1989) CD-420
*
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...
– Symphonies No.3 & No.4, re-orchestrated by Gustav Mahler (January 1988) CD-394
*Robert Schumann – Symphonies No.1 & No.2, re-orchestrated by Gustav Mahler (January 1987) CD-361
*
Eduard Tubin
Eduard Tubin ( – 17 November 1982) was an Estonian composer, conductor, and choreographer.
Life
Tubin was born in Torila, Tartu County, Governorate of Livonia, then part of the Russian Empire. Both his parents were music lovers, and his fat ...
– Symphony No.4 (January 1986) CD-227, also available in a compilation of the Tubin symphonies, CD-1402/04
Hyperion:
* Eyvind Alnæs and Christian Sinding: Piano Concertos. Piers Lane, piano. Andrew Litton, conductor. 2007. Hyperion CDA67555
Chandos:
*
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov . At the time, his name was spelled Николай Андреевичъ Римскій-Корсаковъ. la, Nicolaus Andreae filius Rimskij-Korsakov. The composer romanized his name as ''Nicolas Rimsk ...
– Symphony No. 1; Symphony No. 2 "Antar"; Symphony No. 3; Capriccio espagnol; Russian Easter Overture; Piano Concerto; Sadko. Geoffrey Tozer (piano), Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Chandos 6613 CD
Nkf:
*Bull: Herdgirl's Sunday, Bergen Symphony Orchestra with Arve Tellefsen. Conducted by Karsten Andersen (1995) ASIN: B0000044TC
Simax:
*
Ludvig Irgens-Jensen Paul Ludvig Irgens-Jensen (13 April 1894 – 11 April 1969) was a Norwegian twentieth-century composer.
Irgens-Jensen studied piano with Nils Larsen while a philology student at the University of Oslo. He began composing in 1920, and the radical n ...
– Japanischer Frühling; Passacaglia; Pastorale religioso; Canto d'omaggio, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Ragnhild Heiland Sorensen (soprano),
Eivind Aadland
Eivind Aadland (born 19 September 1956) is a Norwegian conductor and violinist. He has been concert master of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.
Aadland was Chief Conductor and Artistic Leader of the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra between 2004– ...
(conductor) Simax 1164 CD
Virgin Classics:
*Bolero: French & Russian Orchestral Favorites, Dmitri Kitajenko (conductor) ASIN: B000059LOF
*Classical Dreams: Music to Inspire; Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Bournemouth Sinfonietta, et al. ASIN: B00005Q467
*Grieg: Piano Concerto – Sonata Op. 7, Lyric Pieces Opp. 43, 54 & 65, Leif Ove Andsnes (piano) #61745 (2000) ASIN: B00004LCAV
*Grieg: Symphonic Dances Op64; Funeral March in Memory of Richard Nordraak, Dmitri Kitajenko (conductor) (2000) ASIN: B000026CIK
Decca:
*Grieg: Symphony in c minor, Karsten Andersen (conductor) (the orquesta appears on the record as Bergen Symphonic Orchestra) Decca SXDL 7537
Other:
References
External links
Official Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra websiteIMG Artists: Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
BIS Records: Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra* ''Spill orkester, spill!'' Edited by Lorentz Reitan and Reidar Storaas; A.s. John Grieg 1990; Bergen, Norway.
*
Bergens Tidende
''Bergens Tidende'' is Norway's fifth-largest newspaper, and the country's largest newspaper outside Oslo.
''Bergens Tidende'' is owned by the public company Schibsted ASA. Norwegian owners held a mere 42% of the shares in Schibsted at the end ...
article
''Lorentz takker av''Music Information Centre Norway: Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
{{Authority control
Norwegian orchestras
Symphony orchestras
Tourist attractions in Bergen
Organizations established in 1765
Musical groups established in the 1760s
1765 establishments in Norway
Music in Bergen
Erato Records artists