The Stavanger Symphony Orchestra (, SSO) is a

symphony orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...

based in

Stavanger Stavanger, officially the Stavanger Municipality, is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Norway. It is the third largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. The SSO principal venue is the Stavanger Concert Hall (Stavanger konserthus), performing in the Fartein Valen concert hall.

History

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 ...

founded the orchestra in 1938 as the ''Stavanger musikerforenings orkester'', for radio broadcasts. The orchestra's first artistic leader was the violinist Gunnar Knudsen, from 1938 to 1945. In 1965, the orchestra's name was changed to the ''Symfoniorkestret i Stavanger'', and again in 1982 to its present name. Past artistic leaders of the orchestra have included

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(2002–2005), and more recently the American conductor Steven Sloane (2007–2013).

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was chief conductor from 2013 to 2019. In addition to its chief conductor, the SSO has appointed conductors with a formal principal responsibility for early music programming, including

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(1990–1997),

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, and since 2006, Fabio Biondi. In June 2019, the SSO announced the appointment of

Andris Poga Andris Poga (born 29 June 1980, in Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total ...

as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2021–2022 season. Tianyi Lu became the SSO's conductor-in-residence for the 2021-2022 season. In June 2023, the SSO announced an extension of Poga's contract as chief conductor through the 2025-2026 season. The SSO has recorded commercially for such labels as BIS, including music of

Harald Sæverud Harald Sigurd Johan Sæverud (17 April 1897 – 27 March 1992) was a Norwegian composer. He is most known for his music to Henrik Ibsen's ''Peer Gynt'', '' Rondo Amoroso'', and the ''Ballad of Revolt'' (). Sæverud wrote nine symphonie ...

, Geirr Tveitt and Fartein Valen.

Artistic leaders and chief conductors

* Gunnar Knudsen (1938–1945) * Karsten Andersen (1945–1963) * Bjørn Woll (1963–1989) * Aleksandr Dmitriev (1990–1998) * Ole Kristian Ruud (1999–2002) *

(2002–2005) * Steven Sloane (2007–2013) *

(2013–2019) *

(2021–present)

Early music programme directors

(1990–1997) *

* Fabio Biondi (2006–2017)

References

External links

Official orchestra site

Store Norske leksikon entry on the orchestra

* ttp://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2009/Apr09/Valen_biscd163242.htm Music Web International review of BIS CD-1632, "Fartein Valen: Orchestral Music, Volume 2", 9 April 2009. {{Authority control Norwegian orchestras Symphony orchestras Musical groups established in 1938 1938 establishments in Norway Musical groups from Stavanger