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 The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (), commonly known by its initialism NRK, is a Norwegian state-run, government-influenced radio and television public broadcasting company. The NRK broadcasts three national TV channels and thirteen nat ...

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

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) 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 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

. 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 Øivind Bergh (3 December 190925 January 1987) was a Norwegian violinist and orchestral leader. Biography Øivind Ingvard Bergh was born in Hamar, Norway. His parents were Even Johannesen Bergh (1873–1958) and Karen Hanssen (1881–1940). He ...

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 (emotion), interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but it is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have deve ...

music and light

classics Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...

Sverre Bruland Sverre Tonning Olsen Bruland (2 February 1923, Stavanger – 24 September 2013) was a Norwegian trumpet player and conductor. He was born in Stavanger. He studied with Per Steenberg, Karl Andersen, Odd Grüner-Hegge, Igor Markevitch, Paul van ...

, 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 ...

Miguel Harth-Bedoya Miguel Alberto Harth-Bedoya Gonzalez (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. Starting the Fa ...

served as principal conductor from 2013 to 2020. In the autumn of 2019,

Petr Popelka Petr Popelka (born 1986) is a Czech conductor and composer. Biography Popelka was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia. he studied music and played the double bass at the Prague Conservatory. He continued his studies at the Hochschule für Musik Freibu ...

first guest-conducted KORK. In November 2019, KORK announced the appointment of Popelka as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2020–2021 season. Popelka concluded his KORK tenure at the close of the 2022-2023 season. In November 2024, Holly Hyun Choe first guest-conducted the orchestra. In March 2025, KORK announced the appointment of Choe as its next principal conductor, effective January 2026. Choe is the first female conductor to be named principal conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. 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 firs ...

, and

Finlandia ''Finlandia'', Op. 26, is a tone poem by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. It was written in 1899 and revised in 1900. The piece was composed for the Press Celebrations of 1899, a covert protest against increasing censorship from the R ...

. 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 been ...

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

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...

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 Activit ...

(1989–1992) * (1994–2002) *

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

(2003–2006) *

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

(2009–2012) *

(2013–2020) *

(2020–2023) * Holly Hyun Choe (designate, effective January 2026)

References

External links

Official Norwegian KORK homepage

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