Aalborg Symphony Orchestra

Aalborg Symphony Orchestra (Danish: Aalborg Symfoniorkester) is a symphony orchestra in Aalborg, Denmark. The Aalborg Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1943 by the conductor Jens Schrøder (principal conductor until 1979), and today consists of 65 full-time musicians. The orchestra has its home on the waterfront in Aalborg in the award-winning concert hall of Musikkens Hus and is one of the largest and most prominent arts organisations in the region of North Jutland.

The heart of its activity is its regular subscription series of symphonic concerts featuring Danish and international artists. In addition, the orchestra plays a vital role as an opera and ballet orchestra for performances with the Royal Danish Theatre and the Danish National Opera and presents children and family concerts, films in concert, and education projects in schools and venues throughout North Jutland. The orchestra has the status of a regional orchestra of Jutland.

Chief Conductors since Jens Schrøder have been Janos Fürst (1980-1983), Peter Erös (1983-1989), Owain Arwel Hughes (1995-1999), Moshe Atzmon (1999-2002), Matthias Aeschbacher (2005-2011) Rumon Gamba (2011-2015), and since 2023, Joshua Weilerstein. Eminent Danish conductor Michael Schønwandt has had a long association with the orchestra and is currently Conductor Emeritus.

Throughout the years Aalborg Symphony Orchestra has performed with many world-renowned artists such as Jean-Pierre Rampal, Victor Borge, Birgit Nilsson, Yehudi Menuhin, Anne-Sophie Mutter, José Carreras, Kiri Te Kanawa, Jonas Kaufmann, Janine Jansen, Placido Domingo, Anna Netrebko, Sir Bryn Terfel, and Evgeny Kissin. The orchestra has made numerous recordings of mostly Danish music.

Aalborg Symphony Orchestra is the organizer of the world’s biggest Wagner singer competition, The Lauritz Melchior International Singing Competition, and a co-organizer of the Aalborg Opera Festival, an annual cultural event.

Source: Wikipedia