The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Finnish: Radion sinfoniaorkesteri, Swedish: Radions Symfoniorkester) is a Finnish orchestra based in Helsinki, and the orchestra of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle). The orchestra primarily gives concerts at the Helsinki Music Centre. Primary funding comes from television licence fees from the Finnish population.
The ensemble was founded in 1927 as the Radio Orchestra with ten musicians, with Erkki Linko as its first conductor. Though never holding the title of chief conductor, Linko remained affiliated with the orchestra until 1952. Toivo Haapanen became the orchestra's first chief conductor in 1929 and held the post until his death in 1950. The orchestra performed mainly studio concerts for the first portion of its history. Until World War II, the orchestra gave only 20 public concerts, with freelance musicians to bolster the ranks.
After World War II, with the new Director General Hella Wuolijoki in place, the orchestra roster expanded to 50 musicians. In September 1947, the orchestra initiated a series of "Tuesday Concerts" at Helsinki Town Hall. The roster grew to 67 musicians by 1953.
The orchestra's second chief conductor, Nils-Eric Fougstedt, served from 1950 until his death in 1961, and expanded the orchestra's repertoire.
The third chief conductor, Paavo Berglund, had been a violinist in the orchestra 10 years prior to his 1961 accession to the chief conductorship. The ensemble had grown to 90 members in the 1970s, into a full symphony orchestra. It is widely recognized that during his chiefconductorship the rise of the quality of the orchestra was significant. First international tours were made during this period e.g. to Leningrad.
Erik Cronvall was a member of the Radio Orchestra from the moment it was founded, as its leader 1927-53 and its conductor 1944-69. He also played first violin in the Sibelius Quartet founded by him and in the Linko-Cronvall-Selin Trio. Having studied the violin at the orchestra school attached to the Philharmonic Society, at the Helsinki Music Institute and in Paris, Berlin and Vienna, he taught the violin and ensemble playing at the Sibelius Academy and conducted a number of amateur orchestras (such as the Helsinki University Symphony Orchestra 1946-66). He made numerous guest appearances in Central Europe and Scandinavia and was awarded the honorary title of Professor in 1968. Erik Cronvall was both in Helsinki in 1904 and died there in 1979.
Simon Parmet (Pergament) was conductor of the Radio Orchestra 1948-1953.
George de Godzinsky was conductor of the orchestra from 1953, when he was appointed Head of Light Music at the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) and conductor of the Entertainment Orchestra of the Finnish Radio (Radion viihdeorkesteri), whose players were members of the Radio Orchestra.
Kari Tikka was associate conductor of the orchestra 1972-1976.
The fourth chief conductor Okko Kamu was conductor of the orchestra from 1970-1971 and chief conductor 1971-1977. He played first violin in the Suhonen-, Finlandia- and other quartets, he has also been both a conducting and playing member of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and the Finnish National Opera Orchestra, where he also was a concertmaster. His sensational victory in the Karajan Competition in 1969 brought him the post of guest conductor of the Royal Opera Stockholm and other prestigious orchestras.
The fifth chief conductor was Leif Segerstam. He has been both chief conductor and principal guest conductor of the orchestra. His ex. wife Hannele Segerstam was one of the concermasters of the orchestra.
Jukka-Pekka Saraste, chief conductor from 1987 to 2001, is now the orchestra's Conductor of Honour.
Since 2003, the orchestra's chief conductor was Sakari Oramo, first a concertmaster of the orchestra. In September 2010, the orchestra announced the conclusion of Oramo's tenure as principal conductor as of May 2012.
In December 2010, the orchestra announced the appointment of Hannu Lintu as its eighth chief conductor, as of the 2013-2014 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. Lintu is to hold the title of principal guest conductor during the 2012-2013 season.
The orchestra's discography includes, besides the music of Jean Sibelius, music by other Finnish composers such as Kaija Saariaho, Sallinen, Bergman, Englund, Meriläinen, Madetoja, Nordgren, Rautavaara, Hakola, Crusell, Aarre Merikanto, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Paavo Heininen, Mielck, Raitio, Joonas Kokkonen, Magnus Lindberg and Aarre Merikanto. They have also recorded music by Ibert, Debussy, Stravinsky, Respighi, Villa-Lobos, Moussorgsky, Weber, Gubaidulina, Prokofiev, Gustav Mahler, Carl Nielsen, Oliver Knussen, Béla Bartók.
The orchestra performed earlier at the Finlandia Hall and the Kulttuuritalo. But after the opening of the Helsinki Music Centre in 2011, this is the main platform of the orchestra.
Read more about Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra: Chief Conductors
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