Complete Symphonies
The Artists
About Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Formed in 1891, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) is one of Europe’s leading symphony orchestras. Many renowned conductors have contributed to its success, including Sir John Barbirolli, Sir Alexander Gibson and Neeme Järvi. Thomas Søndergård has been the orchestra’s music director since 2018. The RSNO performs across Scotland and appears regularly at the Edinburgh International Festival and the BBC Proms in addition to international tours.
About National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland
The National Symphony Orchestra (of Ireland), until recently the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, has been at the centre of Ireland’s cultural life since 1948. The orchestra plays a central role in classical music in Ireland through year-long programmes of live performances, schools and educational projects, broadcasts, recordings and new commissions. World-class conductors associated with the orchestra’s early days were Jean Martinon, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, Edmond Appia, Milan Horvat, Sir John Barbirolli and Tibor Paul.
About Iceland Symphony Orchestra
The Iceland Symphony Orchestra is the national orchestra of Iceland and one of the leading institutions in the country’s cultural scene. The orchestra offers a variety of programmes, spanning everything from well-known classics to world premiere performances of new works by Icelandic and international composers. A commitment to performing new Icelandic music has been widely praised and received accolades such as MIDEM awards and GRAMMY Award nominations for Best Orchestral Performance.
About Norrköping Symphony Orchestra
The Norrköping Symphony Orchestra (SON) has the reputation of being one of the most exciting orchestras in Scandinavia. Through foreign tours and extensive recordings, SON has developed a large following and a well deserved respect on the international stage. The orchestra’s main repertoire consists of the great Romantic era composers from Beethoven to Mahler, but places equal importance on performing 20th-century music and Swedish/Nordic music.
About Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra
The Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra (HSO) of Sweden is one of the oldest ensembles in the country, founded in 1912. Renowned for its distinctively clear, fluid, and expressive sound, the 60-piece orchestra is internationally sought after for concert tours and recording projects. The HSO has received recognition throughout the world for its critically acclaimed recordings and commissioned works. The HSO has also garnered attention for its involvement in societal issues and also in topical debates on climate issues, programming and concert forms.
Conductor
About Niklas Willén, Conductor
Niklas Willén has held positions as chief conductor of the WDR Rundfunkorchester Köln, Sønderjyllands Symfoniorkester, Sundsvall Chamber Orchestra and Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock, general music director of the Volkstheater Rostock, principal guest conductor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and artistic director of the Göteborg Wind Orchestra. Willén has also been active in opera, conducting productions of Fidelio, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Der fliegende Holländer, Madama Butterfly, Turandot, Manon Lescaut, La traviata, Rigoletto, and premieres of several new works.
Conductor
About Okko Kamu, Conductor
Okko Kamu enjoys a reputation for spontaneity tempered by sensitivity and disciplined feeling. He ended an incredibly successful period as chief conductor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra in his native Finland in June 2016 with a new complete cycle of Sibelius’ symphonies. Kamu has made guest appearances with numerous prestigious orchestras worldwide, and has appeared at opera houses including New York’s Metropolitan, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Bolshoi. His discography comprises over 100 albums for labels including Naxos.
