The Norwegian Radio Orchestra (Norwegian, ''Kringkastingsorkestret'', abbreviated as KORK) is a

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 ...

affiliated with the

Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation NRK, an abbreviation of the Norwegian ''Norsk Rikskringkasting AS'', generally expressed in English as the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, is the Norwegian government-owned radio and television public broadcasting company, and the larges ...

(''Norsk rikskringkasting AS'', or NRK). Its principal base is the ''Store Studio'' at the NRK's headquarters in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

. The orchestra's current chief administrator is Rolf Lennart Stensø. As of 2018, KORK consists of fifty-nine musicians.

History

KORK was founded in 1946 with twenty-four musicians in the orchestra, from ensembles previously led by Øivind Bergh and Gunnar Knudsen. Øivind Bergh served as its first principal conductor from 1946 to 1976. The orchestra initially secured its reputation in performances of

entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousa ...

music and light

classics Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

. Sverre Bruland, KORK's second principal conductor from 1976 to 1988, established the orchestra's commitment to presenting contemporary

Norwegian music Much has been learned about early music in Norway from physical artifacts found during archaeological digs. These include instruments such as the lur. Viking and medieval sagas also describe musical activity, as do the accounts of priests and pil ...

. Since the 2013–2014 season, the orchestra's current principal conductor is

Miguel Harth-Bedoya Miguel Alberto Harth-Bedoya (born 1968) is a Peruvian conductor. He was formerly music director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra from 2000 to 2020 and chief conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra from 2013 to 2020. He is currently Direct ...

. Harth-Bedoya is scheduled to stand down as principal conductor at the close of the 2019–2020 season. In the autumn of 2019,

Petr Popelka Petr is a Czech given name for males and a Czech surname. Petr is the Czech form of ''Peter''. For information on Petr as a first name, see Peter (given name). Given name * Petr Aven (born 1955), Russian billionaire banker, economist and politic ...

first guest-conducted KORK. In November 2019, KORK announced the appointment of Popelka as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2020–2021 season. KORK has recorded commercially for labels including Pro Musica,

Bridge Records Bridge Records is an independent record label that specializes in classical music located in New Rochelle, New York. History A classical guitarist, David Starobin recorded the Boccherini Guitar Quintet in E minor in the 1970s. This was his first ...

, and Finlandia. In addition to concerts and commercial recordings, the orchestra performs every year at the

Nobel Peace Prize Concert The Nobel Peace Prize Concert ( Norwegian and Swedish: '')'' has been held annually since 1994 on 11 December, to honour the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The award ceremony on 10 December takes place in Oslo City Hall, while the concert has bee ...

. KORK has also worked in areas of popular music, such as providing backing to the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...

in Norway in 1986 and 1996, as well as various activities in rock and jazz. In 2011 KORK was awarded the Telenor Culture Prize Boundless Communication.

Principal conductors

* Øivind Bergh (1946–1976) * Sverre Bruland (1976–1988) *

Avi Ostrowsky Avi Ostrowsky is an Israeli musician and conductor. 270px, Avi Ostrowsky Biography Avi Ostrowsky was born in 1939 in Israel. Studied in the Rubin Music Academy in Tel Aviv and Academy for Music and performing arts in Vienna. Main Activities ...

(1989–1992) *

Ari Rasilainen Ari may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ari (name), a name in various languages, including a list of people and fictional characters * Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534–1572), Jewish rabbinical scholar and mystic known also as Ari * Ari (foo ...

(1994–2002) *

Rolf Gupta Rolf Arvind Gupta (born 14 January 1967 in Uppsala) is a Norwegian contemporary composer and conductor. Career Gupta has studied with Jorma Panula at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki as well as with Ilya Musin and Herbert Blomstedt. Gupta also stud ...

(2003–2006) *

Thomas Søndergård Thomas Søndergård (born 4 October 1969 in Holstebro, Denmark) is a Danish conductor and percussionist. Biography EUYO Søndergård studied percussion at the Royal Danish Academy of Music from 1989 to 1992, where his teachers included Gert Mort ...

(2009–2012) *

(2013–2020) *

(2020–present)

References

External links

Official Norwegian KORK homepage

Classics Today review of Johann Svendsen symphonies (Warner Apex - 0927 40621 2)
{{Authority control Norwegian orchestras Radio and television orchestras Symphony orchestras NRK Musical groups established in 1946 1946 establishments in Norway Musical groups from Oslo Household Records artists