The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra ( sv, Sveriges Radios Symfoniorkester) is a Swedish

radio orchestra A radio orchestra (or broadcast orchestra) is an orchestra employed by a radio network (and sometimes television networks) in order to provide programming as well as sometimes perform incidental or theme music for various shows on the network. In ...

based in

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

, affiliated with

Sveriges Radio Sveriges Radio AB (, "Sweden's Radio") is Sweden's national publicly funded radio broadcaster. Sveriges Radio is a public limited company, owned by an independent foundation, previously funded through a licensing fee, the level of which is d ...

(Sweden's Radio). Its principal performing venue is the

Berwaldhallen The Berwald Hall ( sv, Berwaldhallen) is a concert hall situated in a park landscape at Dag Hammarskjölds väg 3 in the Östermalm district of Stockholm, Sweden. Construction on the building began in 1976 based on a design by architects Erik Ahn ...

(Berwald Hall). The orchestra broadcasts concerts on the Swedish Radio-P2 network.

History

Dan Hadani collection (990044496500205171)

One of the precursor ensembles to the current orchestra was the ''Radioorkestern'' (Radio Orchestra), whose chief conductors included

Nils Grevillius Nils Grevillius (7 March 1893, Stockholm15 August 1970, Mariefred, Sweden) was a Swedish conductor and violinist. Grevillius studied at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm. He served as leader of the Royal Swedish Opera orchestra from 1911 ...

(1927–1939) and

Tor Mann Tor Mann (25 February 1894 – 29 March 1974) was a Sweden, Swedish conducting, conductor. Mann was music director, principal conductor of the Göteborgs Symfoniker from 1925 to 1939, and the Sveriges Radios Symfoniorkester from 1939 to 195 ...

(1939–1959). In 1965, the ''Radioorkestern'' was merged with another orchestra from Swedish Radio, the ''Underhållningsorkestern'' (Entertainment Orchestra), under the new name of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Sergiu Celibidache Sergiu Celibidache (; 14 August 1996) was a Romanian conductor, composer, musical theorist, and teacher. Educated in his native Romania, and later in Paris and Berlin, Celibidache's career in music spanned over five decades, including tenures ...

was the newly formed orchestra's first principal conductor, from 1965 to 1971. In 1979, the orchestra took up residence at the

. Since 2007, the orchestra's principal conductor is

Daniel Harding Daniel John Harding (born 31 August 1975) is a British conductor. Biography Harding was born in Oxford. He studied trumpet at Chetham's School of Music and was a member of the National Youth Orchestra at age 13. At age 17, Harding assembled ...

. In September 2009, the orchestra announced the first extension of Harding's contract as principal conductor, through 2012. In April 2013, the orchestra announced a second extension of Harding's contract through 2015. In October 2018, the orchestra announced the extension of Harding's contract as principal conductor through 2023, along with granting him the new title of ''konstnärlig ledare'' (artistic leader). In November 2021, the orchestra announced an additional extension of Harding's contract through 2025. Herbert Blomstedt, principal conductor of the orchestra from 1977 to 1982, now has the title of ''förste hedersdirigent'' (first honorary conductor) with the orchestra. Valery Gergiev and

Esa-Pekka Salonen Esa-Pekka Salonen (; born 30 June 1958) is a Finnish orchestral conductor and composer. He is principal conductor and artistic advisor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, conductor laureate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and music di ...

also hold the title of ''hedersdirigent'' (honorary conductor) with the orchestra. In December 2017, the orchestra announced the appointment of Klaus Mäkelä as its next principal guest conductor, effective with the 2018–2019 season. Mäkelä is the youngest-ever appointment to a titled post with the orchestra.

Principal conductors

(1965–1971) *

Herbert Blomstedt Herbert Thorson Blomstedt (; born 11 July 1927) is a Swedish conductor. Herbert Blomstedt was born in Massachusetts. Two years after his birth, his Swedish parents moved the family back to their country of origin. He studied at the Stockholm Roy ...

(1977–1982) *

(1984–1995) *

Yevgeny Svetlanov Yevgeny Fyodorovich Svetlanov (russian: Евгéний Фёдорович Светлáнов; 6 September 1928 – 3 May 2002) was a Russian conductor, composer and a pianist. Life and work Svetlanov was born in Moscow and studied conducting ...

(1997–1999) *

Manfred Honeck Manfred Honeck (born 17 September 1958, in Nenzing) is an Austrian conductor. He is currently the music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Early life Honeck was born in Nenzing, Austria, near the border with Switzerland and Liechten ...

(2000–2006) *

(2007–present)

References

External links

Official Swedish-language website of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Music in Stockholm Musical groups established in 1965 Radio and television orchestras Swedish symphony orchestras {{Sweden-band-stub