Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Symphony orchestra based in Gothenburg, Sweden

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Orchestra
Native name| Göteborgs Symfoniker
Short name| GSO
Founded| 1905
Concert hall| Gothenburg Concert Hall, Götaplatsen
Principal conductor| (post vacant)
Website| www.gso.se

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (GSO; Swedish: Göteborgs Symfoniker) is a Swedish symphony orchestra based in Gothenburg. The GSO is resident at the Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen. The orchestra received the title of the National Orchestra of Sweden (Swedish: Sveriges nationalorkester) in 1997.

## Background and history

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The GSO was founded in 1905, with Heinrich Hammer as its first principal conductor. The composer Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's second principal conductor, from 1907 to 1922. In addition to Stenhammar conducting his own works, Jean Sibelius and Carl Nielsen made regular guest-conducting appearances with the GSO. The orchestra's fortunes waxed and waned in subsequent years, until the advent of Neeme Järvi as principal conductor, from 1982 to 2004.[1] Although the GSO has a broad repertoire, it has a special affinity for the works of the Nordic Late Romantic composers, such as Jean Sibelius and Edvard Grieg. During Järvi's tenure as principal conductor, the longest tenure of any principal conductor in the GSO's history, its reputation on the world stage was greatly increased, including sponsorships from Volvo and a recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon.[2] Järvi currently holds the title of Principal Conductor Emeritus (Chefdirigent Emeritus) with the GSO.

Gustavo Dudamel was principal conductor of the GSO from 2007 to 2012,[3][4] and now has the title of hedersdirigent (honorary conductor) of the GSO. Past principal guest conductors of the GSO have included Norman del Mar, who was Permanent Guest Conductor from 1968 to 1973,[5] and Christian Zacharias. Kent Nagano became principal guest conductor and artistic advisor of the GSO as of the 2013–2014 season, with an initial contract of three years.[6]

In August 2014, Santtu-Matias Rouvali first guest-conducted the GSO. In May 2016, the GSO announced the appointment of Rouvali as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2017–2018 season, with an initial contract of four years.[7][8] In May 2019, the GSO announced the extension of Rouvali's contract through 2025.[9] In December 2023, the GSO announced that Rouvali is to stand down as its chief conductor at the close of the 2024-2025 season.[10]

In 2019, Barbara Hannigan became principal guest conductor of the GSO, the first female conductor to be named to the post. Her current GSO contract in this post is through 2028.[10] In October 2024, the GSO announced the appointment of Pekka Kuusisto as its additional principal guest conductor, effective with the 2025-2026 season, to serve alongside Hannigan in the post.[11]

In addition to Deutsche Grammophon, the orchestra has recorded commercially for such labels as BIS.[12][13]

## Discography

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### Studio albums

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Year  | Album details

|

1995  | Swedish Bassoon Concertos

* Release date: January 24, 1995
* Label: Intim Musik

1999  | Grieg: Piano Concerto; Peer Gynt Suites 1 & 2

* Release date: January 8, 1999
* Label: Deutsche Grammophon

2002  | Miaskovsky: Symphony No. 6

* Release date: November 12, 2002
* Label: Deutsche Grammophon

2012  | Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7; Karelia Suite

* Release date: April 23, 2012
* Label: Decca Records, Deutsche Grammophon

## Principal Conductors

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* Heinrich Hammer (1905–1907)
* Wilhelm Stenhammar (1907–1922)
* Ture Rangström (1922–1925)
* Tor Mann (1925–1939)
* Issay Dobrowen (1941–1953)
* Dean Dixon (1953–1960)
* Sten Frykberg (1960–1967)
* Sergiu Comissiona (1967–1973)
* Sixten Ehrling (1974–1976)
* Charles Dutoit (1976–1979)
* Neeme Järvi (1982–2004)
* Mario Venzago (2004–2007)
* Gustavo Dudamel (2007–2012)
* Santtu-Matias Rouvali (2017–2025)

## Selected Premieres

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* Hilding Hallnäs: Symphonies Nos. 1 (1945), 2 (1948), 3 (1948), 4 (1952), and 5 (1963)
* Gösta Nystroem: Symphonies Nos. 1 (1932), 2 (1937), and 4 (1952)
* Wilhelm Peterson-Berger: Symphony No. 2 (1911)
* Allan Pettersson: Symphonies Nos. 3 (1956), 9 (1971)
* Hilding Rosenberg: Tre Fantasistycken (1919), Symphony No. 1 (1921), Piano Concerto (1951)
* Eduard Tubin: Symphony No. 11 (1989)
* Benjamin Staern: Jubilate (2009)[5]

## See also

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* Music of Sweden
* Gothenburg Opera

## References

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1. ^ Tim Ashley (27 July 2001). "North stars". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
2. ^ Andrew Clements (9 September 2005). "Sibelius: The Symphonies, Gothenburg SO/ Jarvi (Deutsche Grammophon, four SACDs)". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
3. ^ Reed Johnson (23 November 2008). "Conductor Gustavo Dudamel is riding a wave of Dudamania". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
4. ^ "Dudamel förnyar kontrakt med Göteborgs Symfoniker till 2012" (Press release). Göteborgs Symfoniker. 30 September 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
5. ^ a b Alain Pâris. Dictionnaire des interprètes et de l'interpretation musicale au XX siècle. Éditions Robert Laffont, Paris, 1995 (p1089).
6. ^ Malin Clausson (30 August 2012). "Nagano tar över efter Dudamel". Göteborgs-Posten. Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
7. ^ "Gothenburg Symphony appoints Santtu-Matias Rouvali as Chief Conductor" (Press release). Harrison Parrott. 25 May 2016. Archived from the original on 7 October 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
8. ^ "31-årig dirigent ska leda symfonikerna i Goteborg". Sverige-Radio. 25 May 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
9. ^ "Rouvali förlänger sitt kontrakt" (Press release). Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. 21 May 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
10. ^ a b "Barbara Hannigan förlänger samarbetet med Göteborgs Symfoniker till 2028" (Press release). Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
11. ^ "Pekka Kuusisto announced as Principal Guest Conductor of Gothenburg Symphony" (Press release). HarrisonParrott. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
12. ^ Andrew Clements (6 August 2004). "Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 6; Francesca da Rimini: Gothenburg Symphony/ Järvi (BIS)". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
13. ^ Tim Ashley (4 May 2006). "Gubaidulina: The Deceitful Face of Hope and of Despair; Sieben Worte, Bezaly/ Miki/ Thedeen/ Gothenburg Symphony/ Vanzago (BIS)". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 July 2012.

## Sources

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* Pâris, Alain, ed. (1995). Dictionnaire des interprètes et de l'interprétation musicale au XXe siècle. Paris: R. Laffont. ISBN 2-221-08064-5.

## External links

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* Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra official website

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Gothenburg Symphony Principal Conductors

* Heinrich Hammer (1905)
* Wilhelm Stenhammar (1907)
* Ture Rangström (1922)
* Tor Mann (1925)
* Issay Dobrowen (1941)
* Dean Dixon (1953)
* Sten Frykberg (1960)
* Sergiu Comissiona (1967)
* Sixten Ehrling (1974)
* Charles Dutoit (1976)
* Neeme Järvi (1982)
* Mario Venzago (2004)
* Gustavo Dudamel (2007)
* Santtu-Matias Rouvali (2017)

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