Icelandic Symphony Orchestra
Encyclopedia
Sinfóníuhljómsveit Íslands (Iceland Symphony Orchestra) (ISO) is an orchestra based in Reykjavík
, Iceland
. The ISO is an autonomous public institution under the auspices of the Icelandic Ministry of Education. The Iceland Symphony Orchestra made its home in Háskólabíó (University Cinema) from 1961–2011, but moved into the new 1800-seat Harpa (concert hall)
(Reykjavík Concert and Conference Center) in spring 2011. The orchestra gives approximately sixty concerts each season. Per a 1982 law, the ISO's primary financial sources are the Icelandic treasury (56%), RÚV
(Icelandic National Broadcasting Service) (25%), and the City of Reykjavik (18%), with the remaining 1% coming from the township of Seltjarnarnes
.
Around 1925, a small orchestra of about 15 players, the Hljómsveit Reykjavíkur (Reykjavík City Orchestra), began to give concerts. Further institutional roots of the orchestra came with the foundation in 1930 of the RÚV and of the Reykjavík College of Music
. The RÚV had a radio orchestra for several years. The ISO was formally founded in 1950, giving its first concert on 9 March 1950, with an ensemble of 39 players.
Olav Kielland
was the ISO's first chief conductor, from 1952 to 1955. The orchestra then had a long period without a single chief conductor, during which time the ISO collaborated with such conductors as Bohdan Wodiczko
and Vladimir Ashkenazy
. Its second chief conductor was Karsten Andersen
, from 1973 to 1980. The most recent chief conductor was Rumon Gamba
, who held the post from 2002 to 2010. Ashkenazy accepted the post of conductor laureate with the ISO in 2002. Gennady Rozhdestvensky
is scheduled to become the ISO's principal guest conductor in 2011. In January 2011, the ISO named Ilan Volkov
as its 9th chief conductor and music director, effective with the 2011-2012 season. His initial contract is for 3 years, with 6 weeks of scheduled appearances in his first season and 9 weeks of concerts in subsequent seasons.
In addition to its subscription concerts in Reykjavík
, the ISO gives concerts elsewhere in Iceland and has toured abroad, including visits to the Faroes
, Greenland
, Germany
, Austria
, France
, Finland
, Sweden
, Denmark
and North America
, including its first tour to the United States in 1996. The orchestra has recorded commercially for such labels as BIS Records
, Chandos Records
and Naxos Records
. The ISO has also collaborated with the pop/rock Todmobile
in a 2003 live concert in the Laugardalshöll
in Reykjavík
, released as the live CD "Sinfónía
".
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. The ISO is an autonomous public institution under the auspices of the Icelandic Ministry of Education. The Iceland Symphony Orchestra made its home in Háskólabíó (University Cinema) from 1961–2011, but moved into the new 1800-seat Harpa (concert hall)
Harpa (concert hall)
Harpa is a concert hall and conference centre in Reykjavík, Iceland. The building is in the final stages of construction. The opening concert was held on May 4, 2011. Harpa was designed by the Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects in co-operation with Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson...
(Reykjavík Concert and Conference Center) in spring 2011. The orchestra gives approximately sixty concerts each season. Per a 1982 law, the ISO's primary financial sources are the Icelandic treasury (56%), RÚV
RÚV
Ríkisútvarpið is Iceland's national public-service broadcasting organization.Operating from studios in the country's capital, Reykjavík, as well as regional centres around the country, the service broadcasts a variety of general programming to a wide audience across the whole country via radio...
(Icelandic National Broadcasting Service) (25%), and the City of Reykjavik (18%), with the remaining 1% coming from the township of Seltjarnarnes
Seltjarnarnes
Seltjarnarnes is an Icelandic township located within the Greater Reykjavík area.It took on its current political form shortly after the Second World War and was formally created as a township in 1947. It is the smallest Icelandic township by land ....
.
Around 1925, a small orchestra of about 15 players, the Hljómsveit Reykjavíkur (Reykjavík City Orchestra), began to give concerts. Further institutional roots of the orchestra came with the foundation in 1930 of the RÚV and of the Reykjavík College of Music
Reykjavík College of Music
The Reykjavík College of Music is an Icelandic conservatory of music that was founded in 1930 and is the oldest surviving college of music in the country. It offers music education at intermediate, continuing, and university levels. Students graduate with a degree equivalent to a B.A. in...
. The RÚV had a radio orchestra for several years. The ISO was formally founded in 1950, giving its first concert on 9 March 1950, with an ensemble of 39 players.
Olav Kielland
Olav Kielland
Olav Løchen Kielland was a Norwegian composer and conductor.-Background:Olav Løchen Kielland was born the son of Gabriel Kielland and Margit Løchen . He took his final exams at the Trondheim Cathedral School in 1919...
was the ISO's first chief conductor, from 1952 to 1955. The orchestra then had a long period without a single chief conductor, during which time the ISO collaborated with such conductors as Bohdan Wodiczko
Bohdan Wodiczko
Bohdan Wodiczko was a Polish conductor and music teacher.He was the father of the Polish-American artist Krzysztof Wodiczko.-Footnotes:# - References :*...
and Vladimir Ashkenazy
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy is a Russian-Icelandic conductor and pianist. Since 1972 he has been a citizen of Iceland, his wife Þórunn's country of birth. Since 1978, because of his many obligations in Europe, he and his family have resided in Meggen, near Lucerne in Switzerland...
. Its second chief conductor was Karsten Andersen
Karsten Andersen
Karsten Anker Andersen was a Norwegian conductor.-Life:Karsten Andersen was born in Fredrikstad. He graduated from the Oslo Music Conservatory and Accademia Musicale Chigiana . He made his debut as a violinist in 1939...
, from 1973 to 1980. The most recent chief conductor was Rumon Gamba
Rumon Gamba
Rumon Gamba , is an English conductor. He studied music at Durham University, and then went to the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he studied conducting with Colin Metters, George Hurst and Sir Colin Davis. He became the first conducting student to obtain the DipRAM...
, who held the post from 2002 to 2010. Ashkenazy accepted the post of conductor laureate with the ISO in 2002. Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Gennady Nikolayevich Rozhdestvensky is a Russian conductor.-Biography:Rozhdestvensky was born in Moscow. His parents were the noted conductor and pedagogue Nikolai Anosov and soprano Natalya Rozhdestvenskaya...
is scheduled to become the ISO's principal guest conductor in 2011. In January 2011, the ISO named Ilan Volkov
Ilan Volkov
Ilan Volkov is an orchestral conductor. His father, Alexander Volkov, was a concert pianist of Ukrainian ancestry. His mother, Professor Shulamit Volkov of The School of Historical Studies in Tel Aviv University, is of German ancestry...
as its 9th chief conductor and music director, effective with the 2011-2012 season. His initial contract is for 3 years, with 6 weeks of scheduled appearances in his first season and 9 weeks of concerts in subsequent seasons.
In addition to its subscription concerts in Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, the ISO gives concerts elsewhere in Iceland and has toured abroad, including visits to the Faroes
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
, Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, including its first tour to the United States in 1996. The orchestra has recorded commercially for such labels as BIS Records
BIS Records
BIS Records is a record label founded in 1973 by Robert von Bahr. It is located in Åkersberga, Sweden.BIS focuses on classical music, both contemporary and early, especially works that are not already well represented by existing recordings....
, Chandos Records
Chandos Records
Chandos Records is an independent classical music recording company based in Colchester, Essex, in the United Kingdom, founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.- Background :...
and Naxos Records
Naxos Records
Naxos Records is a record label specializing in classical music. Through a number of imprints, Naxos also releases genres including Chinese music, jazz, world music, and early rock & roll. The company was founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a German-born resident of Hong Kong.Naxos is the largest...
. The ISO has also collaborated with the pop/rock Todmobile
Todmobile
Todmobile is an Icelandic pop/rock band which was very popular in Iceland in the 1990s. The band was created in the summer of 1988 around Þorvaldur Bjarni Þorvaldsson, a renowned vocalist, guitarist, and record producer in Iceland....
in a 2003 live concert in the Laugardalshöll
Laugardalshöll
Laugardalshöll is an indoor sporting arena located in Reykjavík, Iceland. The capacity of the arena is 5,500 people.It hosts various sporting events, such as team handball....
in Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, released as the live CD "Sinfónía
Sinfónía
Sinfónía is the live album of 11 hits performed by one of the most recognised Icelandic pop/rock bands - Todmobile & orchestral works of the 72-piece Icelandic Symphony Orchestra at the Laugardalshöll in Reykjavík on November 14, 2003. The album/concert also featured the return of the original...
".
Chief conductors
- Olav KiellandOlav KiellandOlav Løchen Kielland was a Norwegian composer and conductor.-Background:Olav Løchen Kielland was born the son of Gabriel Kielland and Margit Løchen . He took his final exams at the Trondheim Cathedral School in 1919...
(1952–1955) - Karsten AndersenKarsten AndersenKarsten Anker Andersen was a Norwegian conductor.-Life:Karsten Andersen was born in Fredrikstad. He graduated from the Oslo Music Conservatory and Accademia Musicale Chigiana . He made his debut as a violinist in 1939...
(1973–1980) - Jean-Pierre JacquillatJean-Pierre JacquillatJean-Pierre Jacquillat was a French conductor.Jacquillat was born in Versailles in 1935. He was named assistant to Charles Munch at the Orchestre de Paris in 1967. He was chief conductor of the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra. He made a number of recordings, with that orchestra, the Orchestre de...
(1980–1986) - Petri Sakari (1988–1993)
- Osmo VänskäOsmo VänskäOsmo Antero Vänskä is a Finnish conductor, clarinetist and composer.He started his musical career as an orchestral clarinetist with the Turku Philharmonic . He then became the principal clarinet of the Helsinki Philharmonic from 1977 to 1982...
(1993–1996) - Petri Sakari (1996–1998)
- Rico SaccaniRico SaccaniRico Saccani is an Italian conductor who served as Music Director/Artistic Adviser of the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra between 1996 and 2005 and was principal guest conductor of the Hungarian State Opera from 1985 to 2005.-Biography:...
(1998–2002) - Rumon GambaRumon GambaRumon Gamba , is an English conductor. He studied music at Durham University, and then went to the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he studied conducting with Colin Metters, George Hurst and Sir Colin Davis. He became the first conducting student to obtain the DipRAM...
(2002–2010) - Ilan VolkovIlan VolkovIlan Volkov is an orchestral conductor. His father, Alexander Volkov, was a concert pianist of Ukrainian ancestry. His mother, Professor Shulamit Volkov of The School of Historical Studies in Tel Aviv University, is of German ancestry...
(2011-