The Malmö Symphony Orchestra () is a Swedish orchestra, based in

Malmö Malmö is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, sixth-largest city in Nordic countries, the Nordic region. Located on ...

. Since 2015, it has been resident at the

Malmö Live Malmö Live is an event venue in Malmö, Sweden. A city block comprising a concert hall, convention center, hotel, and several residential and office buildings situated just north of the canal, on the Universitetsholmen, University Island. I ...

Concert Hall. The orchestra has a complement of 94 musicians.

History

The orchestra was founded in 1925 with Walther Meyer-Radon as the first chief conductor, from 1925 to 1929. At first, the orchestra performed both symphony concerts and served as the orchestra of the

Malmö Opera and Music Theatre Malmö is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region. Located on the Öresund strait on the southwestern coast of Sweden, it is the largest city in Scania, with a munici ...

. From 1991 onwards, the orchestra has been exclusively devoted to symphony orchestra concerts. Between 1985 and 2015, the orchestra gave its main concert series in the

Malmö Concert Hall The Malmö Concert Hall () was a 1,200-seat concert hall located in Lugnet, a central neighbourhood in Malmö, Sweden. It was the home of the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, before they moved to the newly built Malmö Live in 2015.Malmö Live Malmö Live is an event venue in Malmö, Sweden. A city block comprising a concert hall, convention center, hotel, and several residential and office buildings situated just north of the canal, on the Universitetsholmen, University Island. I ...

. Herbert Blomstedt held the title of ''Huvuddirigent'' (principal conductor) during 1962–1963. Past principal guest conductors have included Brian Priestman (1988–1990),

Gilbert Varga Gilbert Varga (born 1952, London) is a British-Hungarian conductor. He studied violin from the age of four with his father, Tibor Varga, a famous Hungarian violinist and conductor. After an accident brought an abrupt halt to a promising solo ca ...

(1997–2000), and

Mario Venzago Mario Venzago (born 1948) is a Swiss conductor. Biography Venzago began piano studies at age five. He studied at the conservatory and the university in Zurich. He later studied conducting with Hans Swarowsky in Vienna. His other positions h ...

(2000–2003). The orchestra's most recent was

Robert Treviño Robert Treviño (born 1984) is an American conductor. He is principal guest conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI. Biography Treviño, who is Mexican American, grew up in the Fort Worth, Texas region, specifically in North R ...

, from 2019 to 2021. Treviño subsequently held the title of artistic adviser for 2 years. In June 2024, the orchestra announced the appointment of

Martyn Brabbins Martyn Charles Brabbins (born 13 August 1959) is a British conductor. Biography The fourth of five children in his family, he learned to play the euphonium, and then the trombone during his youth at Towcester Studio Brass Band. He later studi ...

as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2025-2026 season, with an initial contract of three seasons. The orchestra has made recordings for such labels as BIS, Daphne, Ondine and Naxos.

Chief conductors

* Walther Meyer-Radon (1925–1929) *

Georg Schnéevoigt Georg Lennart Schnéevoigt (8 November 1872 – 28 November 1947) was a Finnish Conducting, conductor and cellist, born in Vyborg, Grand Duchy of Finland, which is now in Russia, to Ernst Schnéevoigt and Rosa Willandt. Career Schnéevoigt ...

(1930–1947) * Sten-Åke Axelson (1948–1961) * Rolf Agop (1962–1964) * Peter Erős (1966–1968)International Who's Who in Classical Music, 18th Edition. Europa Publications, London (2002) * Elyakum Shapirra (1969–1974) *

Janos Fürst Janos or János may refer to: People * János, male Hungarian given name, a variant of John * James Janos (born 1951), legal birth name of Jesse Ventura Places * Janos Municipality, a municipality of Chihuahua ** Janos, Chihuahua, town in Mexic ...

(1974–1977) *

Stig Westerberg Stig Evald Börje Westerberg (26 November 1918 – 1 July 1999) was a Swedish conductor and pianist, whose career was based mostly in his home country.Karlsson H. "Stig Westerberg". In: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', 2nd editi ...

(1978–1985) *

Vernon Handley Vernon George "Tod" Handley (11 November 1930 – 10 September 2008) was a British conductor (music), conductor, known in particular for his support of British composers. Early life and education He was born of a Welsh father and an Irish mothe ...

(1986–1988) *

James DePreist James Anderson DePreist (November 21, 1936 – February 8, 2013) was an American conductor. DePreist was one of the first African-American conductors on the world stage. He was the director emeritus of conducting and orchestral studies at ...

(1991–1994) *

Paavo Järvi Paavo Järvi (; born 30 December 1962) is an Estonian conductor. He has been chief conductor of Zurich's Tonhalle since 2020. Early life Järvi was born in Tallinn, Estonia (then occupied by the Soviet Union), to Liilia Järvi and the Estoni ...

(1994–1997) *

Christoph König Christoph König (born in Dresden in 1968) is a German conductor. Biography Raised in Dresden, the son of a flautist mother, König became a member of the Dresden Kreuzchor at age 9. From 1988 to 1993, he studied orchestral conducting at the Hoc ...

(2003–2006) *

Vassily Sinaisky Vassily Serafimovich Sinaisky (Russian language, Russian: Васи́лий Серафи́мович Сина́йский, born in Abez camp, Komi Republic, April 20, 1947) is a Russian conductor and pianist. Biography Sinaisky studied conducting ...

(2007–2011) *

Marc Soustrot Marc Soustrot (born 15 April 1949) is a French classical conductor. He was the music director of the Orchestre national des Pays de la Loire from 1976 to 1994, and from 1995 to 2003 GMD of the Beethoven Orchester Bonn which plays in both opera ...

(2011–2019) *

(2019–2021) *

(designate, effective 2025)

Selected recordings

* Franz Schmidt: Symphony No. 1; Vassily Sinaisky, conductor (Naxos, 2009). *

Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (, , 9October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano ...

: Complete piano concertos and works for piano and orchestra; Romain Descharmes, piano; Marc Soustrot, conductor (Naxos, 2017) * Camille Saint-Saëns: Concertos for cello and orchestra Nos. 1 and 2, Gabriel Schwabe, cello;

, conductor (Naxos, 2017) * Camille Saint-Saëns: Complete symphonies; Marc Soustrot, conductor (3 CDs, Naxos, 2020) * Beethoven: Complète Symphonies;

, conductor; Kate Royal, Christine Rice, Tuomas Katajala, Derek Welton (vocal soloists); Malmö Symphony Chorus (5 SACDs, Ondine, 2019)

References

External links

Malmö Symphony Orchestra homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Malmo Symphony Orchestra Musical groups established in 1925 Swedish symphony orchestras Tourist attractions in Malmö Musical groups from Malmö