When was the National Symphony Orchestra formed?
National Symphony Orchestra
The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), founded in 1931, is an American symphony orchestra based in Washington, D.C.. Its principal performing venue is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Music of Minnesota
The Minnesota Orchestra was founded in 1903 as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. Although it was among the first to perform on the radio and to record, it initially was not known as one of the country's great orchestras. In the 1930s, Eugene Ormandy transformed it into an excellent ensemble and expanded its repertory, making it the most-recorded orchestra in the United States, and giving it an international reputation. Other illustrious conductors included Dimitri Mitropoulos and Antal Dorati. Osmo Vänskä, a Finnish conductor, music director since 2003, took the orchestra into its second century. Its live performances and recordings in a program of the complete works of Ludwig van Beethoven have been received with enthusiasm, the group has been called "brilliant", and a critic has stated the musicians are enjoying "their first golden age" since the days of Ormandy and Mitropoulos. Another critic wrote for "The New Yorker" of a concert in 2010 and its "uncanny, wrenching power, the kind you hear once or twice a decade" and thought that that day the Minnesota Orchestra was "the greatest orchestra in the world". The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra is the only full-time professional chamber orchestra in the country, and also tours and records. Professional orchestral ensembles outside the Twin Cities include the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra and the Rochester Symphony Orchestra and Chorale.
Bamberg Symphony
The Bamberg Symphony (German: Bamberger Symphoniker - Bayerische Staatsphilharmonie) is a German orchestra based in Bamberg. The orchestra was formed in 1946 mainly from German musicians expelled from Czechoslovakia under the Beneš decrees, who had previously been members of the German Philharmonic Orchestra of Prague. The orchestra received the title of "Bayerische Staatsphilharmonie" (Bavarian State Philharmonic) in 1993. The orchestra commemorated its 60th anniversary on 16 March 2006.
National Symphony Orchestra
For the first period of its history, the NSO performed in Constitution Hall. During the tenure of the first music director, Hans Kindler, the musicians received a salary of $40.00 per week, for three rehearsals and one concert, for five months of the year. The first female member of the NSO was a harpist, Sylvia Meyer, who joined in 1933.
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symphony Orchestras.
Washington National Opera
The Washington National Opera was established in 1957 as the "Opera Society of Washington" by Day Thorpe, the music critic of the now defunct "Washington Star", but then the most influential Washington newspaper of its day. Paul Callaway, the choirmaster and organist of the Washington National Cathedral, was its first music director. Together, the two set out to seek funding and they found support from Gregory and Peggy Smith who provided $10,000 as seed money for a production of Mozart's "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" which would be performed following the end of their summer season (which Calloway conducted) by the Washington Symphony Orchestra.
Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid
Finally, in 1940, the Spanish National Orchestra was formed, with its seat in Madrid, and drew away further players from the symphony, since it offered them the generous salaries of civil servants. Those who refused to leave did so out of loyalty or because they were "suspects" in the eyes of Franco's regime. The effects of the departure were especially dire for the string section, which could not fill vacancies easily for three reasons: the poor delivery of music education during the Second Spanish Republic; the loss of a large number of string players to the Civil War or exile; and the impossibility of recruiting European professors after the outbreak of World War II. However, in 1940, the appointment of Enrique Jordá provided the orchestra with some musical direction at least until 1945.
Seattle Symphony
In 1947, the Seattle Symphony merged with the Tacoma Philharmonic to form the Pacific Northwest Symphony Orchestra. Performances were held in Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia, with conducting duties split between Carl Bricken and Eugene Linden. This arrangement ceased after one season, when the Seattle Symphony decided to withdraw from it. A feud between the musicians and the board surfaced in 1948, and a majority of the musicians divorced themselves from the board and created a new orchestra called the Seattle Orchestra, a partnership (collective) operated by the musicians themselves, who chose Linden as their conductor.
The Seattle Symphony announced a separate orchestra season with eighteen concerts at the old Meany Hall for the Performing Arts on the University of Washington campus. The symphony was to be directed by Stanley Chapple, and a series of guest conductors: Artur Rodzinski, Jacques Singer, and Erich Leinsdorf. Personnel for the Seattle Symphony were announced in the press on October 24, 1948, and included a few musicians who had chosen not to defect to the Seattle Orchestra and some new faces as well. The Seattle Symphony season was then postponed and eventually cancelled. The Seattle Orchestra, meanwhile, gave its first performance on November 23, 1948. An accommodation was reached between the Seattle Symphony and the Seattle Orchestra, and the two organizations merged, and the name "Seattle Symphony Orchestra" was retained. The partnership system was also retained, and musicians gained access onto the board. The partnership system was eventually dissolved at the request of Milton Katims in 1955. Even so, for most of its 100-year history, and especially today, the ensemble is known by the two-word name "Seattle Symphony".
Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
The NKO was established in 1955, and gave its first concert that year at the Holland Festival. In 1985, the NKO was merged with the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Utrecht Symphony Orchestra to form the "Stichting Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest". The NKO still continues to give concerts under its own name, including a 50th anniversary commemorative concert in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.
Symphony Orchestra of India
The Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI), based at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai, is India’s first and only professional orchestra. It was founded in 2006 by NCPA Chairman Khushroo N. Suntook and internationally renowned violin virtuoso Marat Bisengaliev, who serves as the Orchestra’s Music Director. Zane Dalal was appointed Associate Music Director of the SOI in September 2014, following serving seven years as Resident Conductor. Evgeny Bushkov serves as the Resident Conductor, taking up the role in January 2017.
New York Symphony Orchestra
In 1903, during a reorganization, it was renamed the New York Symphony Orchestra, and its first recordings were made that year as the "Damrosch Orchestra" for Columbia Records (of which only one was commercially issued, the prelude to Georges Bizet's "Carmen"). In 1920 it became the first American orchestra to tour Europe, and radio broadcasts of its concerts began in 1923. In 1928, the orchestra merged with the Philharmonic Society of New York to form the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, later the New York Philharmonic.
Netherlands Symphony Orchestra
In 1983, the Overijssels Philharmonic Orchestra was merged with Opera Forum. The two orchestras were joined together as the Forum Philharmonic operating in two formations: one for accompanying the opera the other for symphonic concerts, and a few times a year both together for large scale productions. In 1994, the orchestra was seriously reduced and formed an independent ensemble under the name Orkest van het Oosten. At the same time, in 1994, the Nationale Reisopera (which in 2014 changed its name to Nederlandse Reisopera) was organised from Opera Forum, without an orchestra. The Orkest van het Oosten was contracted to accompany two Reisopera productions a year.
National Symphony Orchestra
In 1986, the NSO became the artistic affiliate of the Kennedy Center, where it has presented a concert season annually since the Center opened in 1971.
Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra
According to the orchestra's official web site, the orchestra was re-structured based on the former Shanghai Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra (SBSO). SBSO was merged from two orchestras – Shanghai Film Orchestra, which was established in 1954 and Shanghai Broadcasting Orchestra, which was established in 1950. The merge happened in 1996, and the new orchestra was named Shanghai Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra with Yongyan Hu as its first music director. The name of the orchestra was officially changed to the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra in April 2004 with famous conductor Zuohuang Chen as its Music Director, adopting the world’s most prevalent system of music seasons.
Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra
The orchestra was founded in 1962 by the "Yomiuri Shimbun", Nippon Television, and the Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation. Its first principal conductor was the American conductor Willis Page, who served while on leave from the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. Hiroshi Wakasugi became the orchestra's first Japanese principal conductor in 1965. Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, the orchestra's fourth principal conductor from 1980 to 1983, held the title of principal guest conductor with the orchestra from 1983 to 1990, and was named one of the orchestra's honorary conductors in 1990. Other conductors with the title of honorary conductor include Kurt Masur, since 1979, and Gennady Rozhdestvensky, since 1990. Tadaaki Otaka, the orchestra's sixth principal conductor from 1992 to 1998, now has the title of honorary guest conductor.
Columbus Symphony Orchestra
The Columbus Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1951 as the Columbus Little Symphony, following the demise of the city's previous professional symphony, the Columbus Philharmonic Orchestra. The first music director of the orchestra was the flutist and conductor Claude Monteux. In its first year, the Columbus Little Symphony presented a series of 5 concerts with 28 musicians. Its first full season of concerts took place at Central High School (now COSI Columbus) in 1952. In 1955, the Columbus Little Symphony officially became the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. From its founding until 1961, the Symphony was unique in that it was governed exclusively by women, veterans of the Women's Association of the Columbus Philharmonic.
British Symphony Orchestra
The British Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is a British symphony orchestra founded in 1904 and disbanded in 1940. The BSO was reformed in 2016 as a concert symphony orchestra in the United Kingdom. The orchestra works in partnership with the Mozart Symphony Orchestra who are based at Cadogan Hall, London.
Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra
In addition to the Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu, founded in 1847 and devoted to opera and ballet, Barcelona has had several symphonic orchestras since 1888. From 1910 to 1924, a private-based Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona gave its concerts in the Teatre Eldorado, led by Joan Lamote de Grignon. After it, the city's principal orchestra was the Orquestra Pau Casals (1920-1936), conducted by Pablo Casals, and linked to the Associació Obrera de Concerts (Workers' Society for Concerts). After the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), both the orchestra and society were banned and Casals was exiled to France.
Modern Symphony Orchestra
The Modern Symphony Orchestra (sometimes called the "Northern Polytechnic Modern Symphony Orchestra") was a London amateur orchestra that existed from 1931 to 1983.
WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne
The orchestra was founded in 1947 by Allied occupation authorities after World War II, as the orchestra of "Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk" (NWDR; Northwest German Radio), with the name "Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester" (Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra). For the first part of its history, the orchestra did not have a principal conductor, but worked with guest conductors. Christoph von Dohnányi was the first conductor to serve as the orchestra's principal conductor, from 1964 to 1969.
Mongolian Symphony Orchestra
The Mongolian Symphony Orchestra was established in 1957 under the 118th decree by the ministry of culture. Tsegmidiin Namsraijav was the first conductor of the orchestra. On June 15 2012, a Laural Gala Concert was held to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the orchestra and Namsraijav's 85th birthday.
Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra
The orchestra's origins date back to 1959, although it was divided by the Vietnam War. It was reorganized in 1984 by the Ministry of Culture and Information. The orchestra performs 60 concerts per year. In addition to performing in Vietnam, it has performed in China, Laos, Thailand, and Japan. In addition to works from the standard orchestral repertoire, it also performs works by Vietnamese composers.
Budapest Symphony Orchestra
The Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (also known earlier as Budapest Symphony Orchestra) / was founded in 1943 by conductor Ernst von Dohnányi. Originally a salon orchestra was established by the Hungarian Radio In 1936, leading it István Bertha as the conductor, Miklós Fehér, Tibor Ney as the concert master. The future symphony orchestra was founded partially by the members of this orchestra.
British Symphony Orchestra
It's believed the British Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1904 working predominantly at concert halls across London. Few details are known about the formation and how often they appeared in their 36 years of active service. Paper records of early concerts show performances of works by Ludwig van Beethoven and Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The original British Symphony Orchestra recorded popular pieces for the BBC including symphonies and concertos by Mozart (1934, 1936) and Beethoven (1927, 1932, 1938). These recording have been broadcast on the "Third Programme" and in the early days of its successor, BBC Radio 3 according to Discogs. 
The orchestra's is listed as making a handful of cinematic recordings at Pinewoods Studios. These would have been between 1937 and 1939 and would have been in conjunction with the Rank Organisation. During World War II Pinewood was requisitioned and subsequently the Crown Film Unit, No. 5 Army Film and Photographic Unit, Royal Air Force Film Production Unit and Polish Air Force Film Unit were based there. The Crown Film Unit completed many classic wartime documentaries using Military Orchestras to record soundtracks. Rather that being 'disbanded' the BSO appear to vanish. Following the World War II It's known that the Pinewoods Studios Orchestra formed. Film producers wished to exploit the commercial opportunity behind film scores and soundtracks. It's likely that the British Symphony Orchestra was a working 'generic' name used by name different orchestra leaders.
National Symphony Orchestra (Mexico)
Moncayo was succeeded in 1954 by Luis Herrera de la Fuente, who led the orchestra until 1972. During this period the orchestra had very important tours nationwide and worldwide, especially in Europe. In 1973 Chávez returned to conduct the orchestra but resigned in the first month due to internal conflicts with the orchestra members. This resulted in the formation of a new artistic administration by some of the musicians and representatives from the INBA called co-government. Under this arrangement there was no principal conductor; instead, the orchestra had host conductors for its seasons and a Mexican assistant director for off-season affairs.
Chamartín Symphony Orchestra
The Orchestra, named after the Chamartín administrative district of Madrid, was founded as an ensemble of semi-professional players in 1993 and gave its first concert at a local concert hall. Until 2000 the orchestra worked as two separated ensembles, a chamber and a symphony orchestra, becoming a professional orchestra and starting annual seasons of concerts at the National Auditorium of Music. In addition to its concert season in Madrid, the orchestra has toured Europe, performing in Czech Republic, France, Belgium, Austria and Slovakia.
Film Symphony Orchestra
It was founded in June 1943 as in-house orchestra of the Barrandov Studios in Prague and was later socialised by the Czech government until 1989 when government support was canceled and the orchestra shut down due to economic reasons. In 1991 a private company "FISYO s.r.o." was found by one of the orchestra's members in order to continue the ensemble's work. To date the orchestra has recorded music for over 5000 Czech and international movies, in particular German, French, Belgian, Greek, Italian, denish, Norway, Canadian, American and Japanese films. Notable titles include Blue Velvet and The Bourne Identity, which earned the orchestra an Emmy Award. Next to its recording acitivies it still performs live in concert. Concert tours have brought the ensemble for example to the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, where it performed with chanson singer Veronique Sanson. Successful concerts also include tours to England and the USA, where it performed Jan Klusák’s film music from Erotikon, a 1929 film, directed by Czech film director Gustav Machatý. Influential conductors include in particular František Belfín and Štěpán Koníček. The orchestra has been using the name "Czech Symphony Orchestra" for their international concert performances, starting 1991.
China National Symphony Orchestra
The China National Symphony Orchestra (Chinese: 中国国家交响乐团; pinyin: Zhōngguó Guójiā Jiāoxiǎng Yuètuán; abbreviated CNSO) is China's national orchestra.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
In 1890, Charles Norman Fay, a Chicago businessman, invited Theodore Thomas to establish an orchestra in Chicago. Under the name "Chicago Orchestra," the orchestra played its first concert October 16, 1891 at the Auditorium Theater. It is one of the oldest orchestras in the United States, along with the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.
Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra
The Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra or LNSO ("Lietuvos nacionalinis simfoninis orkestras, LNSO") is one of Lithuania's two national orchestras, and was founded in 1940.
Melodiya records with Lithuanian conductors and Lithuanian music released during the Soviet era indicate on label and sleeve the "LTSR Valstybinis filharmonijos simfoninis orkestras" which seems to have been the official name of the orchestra in Soviet times.
Pacific Symphony
The orchestra was founded in 1979 by Keith Clark (a former student and assistant conductor of Roger Wagner at the Los Angeles Master Chorale and principal guest conductor of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra) in his Fullerton, California home's kitchen with a grant of $2,000 and some phone calls to local musicians. The musicians whom Clark called were mainly from Southern California's deep base of professional freelance musicians who performed in the area's movie studios, universities, and other regional performing arts organizations; many of these musicians were former concertmasters, associate concertmasters, and principal players with prominent orchestras including the Cleveland Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, and Los Angeles Philharmonic. Clark became the orchestra's first Music Director and the first orchestra personnel manager was Robert F Peterson known professionally as "Peeps".
Radio orchestra
Famous broadcast orchestras include the NBC Symphony Orchestra (1937–1954) conducted by Arturo Toscanini, the five orchestras maintained by the BBC, particularly the BBC Symphony Orchestra founded in 1930, the MDR Symphony Orchestra founded in 1923, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra founded in 1949, the Tokyo-based NHK Symphony Orchestra, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra founded in 1925, the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra founded in 1969 and the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio (formerly the USSR State Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra among other names) founded in 1930.
Malta Philharmonic Orchestra
The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (Maltese: Orkestra Filarmonika Nazzjonali) is the national symphony orchestra of Malta. It was founded in 1968 and was originally known as the Manoel Theatre Orchestra, where it was in residence for both opera productions and orchestral concerts. In September 1997 the orchestra became an independent body and was officially named as Malta's national orchestra. Its current Music Director is Brian Schembri. 
The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra was founded on April 1, 1968, and was originally known as the Manoel Theatre Orchestra. It was composed of a number of musicians who had previously formed part of a chamber orchestra in the employment of the Commander-in-Chief of the British Navy (Malta), better known as the C-in-C Orchestra that had been disbanded one day earlier. As the orchestra in residence at the Manoel Theatre, it regularly performed operas and symphonic concerts under the direction of its resident conductors Joseph Sammut (1968-1992) and Michael Laus (1992-1997).
Hans Kindler
Kindler made his conducting debut in 1927 with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the following year conducted the world premiere of Stravinsky's ballet "Apollon musagète" in Washington, commissioned by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge. He then devoted himself entirely to conducting, a move which led him to found a brand new orchestra. This occurred in 1931 when he formed the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) in Washington, DC. Despite the Depression, the venture was a great success and resulted in many nationwide tours. Kindler was a champion of modern composers and introduced many new works to his audiences. He also achieved high praise for his moulding of the NSO and it was soon being ranked alongside the orchestras in Boston and Philadelphia.
National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba
The National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba is the main institution dedicated to the performance of Classical music orchestral pieces in Cuba
Heir to the tradition of excellency established by its ancestor, the Havana Philharmonic Orquestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba was founded on October 7, 1959 by the Concert Masters Enrique González Mántici and Manuel Duchesce Cuzán.
Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
The orchestra was founded in 1908, as the first Italian orchestra to devote itself exclusively to symphonic repertoire. Bernardino Molinari was the orchestra's first music director, serving from 1912 to 1944. Subsequent music directors included Franco Ferrara (1944–1945), Fernando Previtali (1953–1973), and Igor Markevitch (1973–1975). The orchestra was noted for its recordings of Italian opera for the Decca label with such conductors as Tullio Serafin. Thomas Schippers had been named the next music director to succeed Markevitch, but Schippers died in December 1977, before he could formally assume the post. The music directorship of the orchestra remained vacant until 1983, with the advent of Giuseppe Sinopoli as music director. Sinopoli assisted in restoring the fortunes of the orchestra, and expanded the orchestra's repertoire to include Mahler and Bruckner. Leonard Bernstein was the honorary president of the orchestra from 1983 until 1990.
National Symphony Orchestra (Mexico)
Another decree on April 25, 1949, changed the name of the ensemble to National Symphony Orchestra (Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional or OSN); first, to emphasize its professional character—it had the best musicians in the country—and to avoid confusing it with a student ensemble, despite Chávez's having from the very beginning considered the orchestra a national symphony, linked in some aspects to the most important music education institution, the National Conservatory; and second, Chávez wanted to highlight that “a National Symphony, by definition, is a State institution,” and the government had recognized the need to support an institution of public interest.
Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra
The Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra is a community orchestra group in the New York City metropolitan area. Founded in 1973, the orchestra consists of a mix of amateur, semi-professional, and professional musicians who play concerts throughout the year at the Brooklyn Museum in Brooklyn, New York. The BSO's Artistic Director is Nicholas Armstrong.
Symphony in C (orchestra)
The Haddonfield Symphony began as an amateur, volunteer ensemble for music lovers in 1952. The orchestra's debut performance was in January 1954 under music director Guido Terranova, and for decades brought classical music to its local communities. During the 1987–1988 season, the orchestra established a Professional Development Internship program and began providing training and performance opportunities to young professional musicians. The shift from an amateur to a semiprofessional ensemble caused controversy about the symphony’s mission and in May 1991, the majority of amateur volunteers refused to put on a scheduled show, quit the Haddonfield Symphony and formed the Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey. Instead of recruiting new volunteers, the orchestra altered its mission and evolved into what it is today - a professional-caliber orchestra accountable for training some of the country's top music directors and musicians. The orchestra is made up of current and graduate students from the most reputable music schools in the country, including Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music and New York City's Juilliard School of Music. Many Symphony in C alumni now perform with the best orchestras in the world.
National Scout and Guide Symphony Orchestra
The National Scout and Guide Symphony Orchestra (NSGSO) was formed in 1976 as a joint orchestra of The Scout Association and the Girl Guides Association in the United Kingdom.
Lebanese National Symphony Orchestra
L’Orchestre symphonique national du Liban or The Lebanese National Symphony Orchestra was founded in late 1999 in Beirut under the guidance of Dr. Walid Gholmieh and the management of "Le Conservatoire libanais national supérieur de musique" or The Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music. In a few years, the Orchestra has proven itself both locally and regionally and gained great success. It gives 25 to 30 concerts per season at the church of the Saint Joseph University in Beirut and in other cities, playing a varied international repertoire by world-renowned classical music composers.
Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
It was founded in 1961 as a community orchestra by a grant from the Gifford Foundation. Its first Music Director was Karl Kritz, assisted by Benson Snyder and Carolyn Hopkins. In its first season it performed four subscription concerts at the Lincoln High School and eight young people's concerts plus one pops concert. By the end of its third season, permanent chamber groups had been formed - a string quartet, a woodwind quintet, a brass quintet and a percussion ensemble.
Leonard Slatkin
Slatkin was the director of the Blossom Festival of the Cleveland Orchestra from 1990 to 1999. Slatkin was music director of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. from 1996 to 2008. Noted for putting the “national” back in National Symphony with programs highlighting twentieth-century American works, Slatkin received both praise for improving the overall quality of the orchestra and criticism for under-rehearsal of the NSO.
Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Richard Strauss, Wilhelm Furtwängler and Arturo Toscanini; of the Philharmonia's younger conductors, the most important to its development was Herbert von Karajan, who though never formally chief conductor was closely associated with the orchestra in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The Philharmonia became widely regarded as the finest of London's five symphony orchestras in its first two decades.
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
The symphonic orchestra was created in 1935 and led by Grzegorz Fitelberg until the outbreak of World War II. In March 1945 Witold Rowicki revived the orchestra in Katowice. In 1947, Grzegorz Fitelberg, upon his return from abroad, took over the post of the artistic director. After his death in 1953, the orchestra was headed in succession by Jan Krenz, Bohdan Wodiczko, Kazimierz Kord, Tadeusz Strugała, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Stanisław Wisłocki, Jacek Kaspszyk, Antoni Wit, Gabriel Chmura and, once again, Jacek Kaspszyk. In September 2000, Joanna Wnuk-Nazarowa was appointed the general and programme director. In September 2018, Ewa Bogusz-Moore took up the post of General and Programme Director of the NOSPR. At the beginning of the season 2012/2013, Alexander Liebreich became the artistic director and chief conductor of the NOSPR.
Walid Gholmieh
Established in 2000, the Lebanese National Symphony Orchestra, under the leadership of Gholmieh, was able to prove itself both locally and regionally. In a period of 25 months, the Orchestra presented more than 60 performances in different cities, including a varied international repertoire by classical music composers. On August 2, 2002, Gholmieh led the Lebanese National Symphony Orchestra at the Baalbeck International Festival.
Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra
The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, which was founded in January 1948, has a longer history than any other Korean orchestra. In February 1948, the orchestra held its opening concert, conducted by Maestro Seong-Tae Kim. In October of the same year, the Seoul Philharmonic Society was formed to provide support for the orchestra. The society published the music monthly "Philharmony" in the following year. After a subscription concert in the Seoul Civic Hall on July 25, 1950, the orchestra had to suspend its activities due to the outbreak of the Korean War, but resumed performance with the name of the Naval Symphony Orchestra, just five months later, to soothe the broken hearts of Koreans during the war.
China National Symphony Orchestra
Li Delun conducted the first concert in Beijing in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart after the founding of CPOC. On October 1, 1959, the concert of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was performed by the orchestra in Beijing, and all the musicians were Chinese. In 1996, the Central Philharmonic was restructured and renamed the CNSO. At that time, the CNSO not only played much western classical music such as Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Wagner, but it also introduced lots of works such as Yellow River Cantata by Chinese composers.
National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra
The National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (NTSO; ), founded in 1945, is the oldest symphony orchestra in Taiwan. It is based in Wufeng, Taichung.
National Arts Centre Orchestra
The NAC Orchestra was founded in 1969 as the resident orchestra of the newly opened National Arts Centre, with Jean-Marie Beaudet as Music Director and Mario Bernardi as founding conductor. Bernardi became Music Director in 1971 and held the post until 1982. Beaudet and Bernardi are the only Canadian conductors to be appointed Music Director of the NACO. Bernardi was named Conductor Laureate in 1997. Subsequent NACO music directors have included Franco Mannino (1982 to 1987), Gabriel Chmura (1987 to 1990), and Trevor Pinnock (1991-1997). From 1999 to 2015, Pinchas Zukerman was the NACO's Music Director. The orchestra expanded to 61 players during Zukerman's tenure. In October 2013, the NACO announced the appointment of Alexander Shelley as its next music director, as of the 2015-2016 season, with an initial contract of 4 years.
State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Russian Federation
The orchestra was founded in 1936 as the USSR State Symphony Orchestra, with Alexander Gauk as its first music director. The orchestra changed its name after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The orchestra's longest serving music director was Evgeny Svetlanov, from 1965 to 2000. Svetlanov's tenure ended with his controversial dismissal by Russia's minister of culture, Mikhail Shvydkoi, who had accused Svetlanov of spending excessive time conducting outside of Russia. In 2005, the orchestra officially acquired the additional name of "Svetlanov Symphony Orchestra". The orchestra now has the formal name, in English of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra "Evgeny Svetlanov".
Wetzler Symphony Orchestra
Wetzler, who studied at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt, settled in New York City for a time, forming the symphony orchestra in 1903. Wetzler invited Richard Strauss to the city to conduct his orchestra in a "Strauss Festival", which would include most of his symphonic works. Strauss and Wetzler conducted this orchestra in this concert series beginning on February 27, 1904 in Carnegie Hall. This series included Strauss conducting the premiere of his "Symphonia Domestica" on March 21. Strauss required 15 rehearsals before he was satisfied with the orchestra's playing. On March 19, the orchestra broke down in the middle of "Don Quixote".
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
Philip James founded the orchestra in 1922. During the 1940s, the orchestra performed at Newark Symphony Hall. In the first half or 1968 then Music Director Kenneth Schermerhorn announced his departure to take up the baton of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Under the leadership or Board President Henry P. Becton a national search was conducted by Jeffrey Platt, Jr. and Robert D'Angelo that lead to the engagement of Henry Lewis (husband of Marilyn Horne) as the first African American Music Director of a major orchestra in the United States.
National Symphony Orchestra (Mexico)
After Gen. Venustiano Carranza, took over the national government's seat back to Mexico City in 1915, the orchestra took the name of National Symphony, and depended from the Bellas Artes bureau, and its director during this period was Jesús Acuña, followed by composer Manuel M. Ponce but he declined and the orchestra suspended the concert seasons. Later, composer Julián Carrillo, who was a very important figure in music history worldwide, was appointed as the Music Conservatory director, and took up the project for an orchestra again, and depended from the Conservatory, but because of lack of financial support from the government, the orchestra again finished its activities in 1924.
Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras
For its first two years, it was called the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Seattle. From 1944 to 1963, it was the Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Pacific Northwest. Vilem Sokol led the orchestra for 28 years (1960-1988), and it was under him that the YSO became the fourth orchestra in the United States to perform Gustav Mahler's Tenth Symphony. After the London Symphony Orchestra gave its premiere, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the San Francisco Symphony had been the only orchestras in the world to have performed the work. Under conductor Sokol, the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra made two recordings of Mahler's Tenth Symphony in its entirety.
Orchestre de l'Opéra national de Paris
The Orchestre de l'Opéra national de Paris is a French Symphonic Orchestra dating from 1672. Since the opening of the Opéra Bastille in 1989, the orchestra has also been called the "Orchestre de l'Opéra Bastille".
National Symphony Orchestra (Mexico)
The National Symphony Orchestra ("Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional", OSN) is the most important classical music and symphonic ensemble in Mexico. With its origins traced back as 1881, it is the second-oldest symphony orchestra in the American continent along with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra does not have a permanent venue but performs regularly in the Grand Hall of the Palace of Fine Arts (Palacio de Bellas Artes) in Mexico City.
National Youth String Orchestra
The National Youth Strings Orchestra (NYSO) was founded by Viviane Ronchetti in 1995 and is a specialist string chamber orchestra based in the United Kingdom. Initially founded as the National ISIS Strings Academy (NISA), in 2005 the orchestra was renamed the National Youth Strings Academy and became a company limited by guarantee Charity no. 1110462. Its name was changed again in 2013 to National Youth String Orchestra to clarify its classification as an orchestra.
Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
The Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra ("ANPO") (Armenian: Հայաստանի ազգային ֆիլհարմոնիկ նվագախումբ) is the national orchestra of Armenia. It was founded in 1925 as a symphony orchestra of the Yerevan State Conservatory. Now it performs in Khachaturian Hall, Yerevan.
Mobile Symphony Orchestra
The roots of the Mobile Symphony Orchestra date back to 1970, with the establishment of Symphony Concerts of Mobile. In 1996, the organization's board began planning the development of a full-time professional orchestra to permanently reside in Mobile. In 1997, the name of the company was changed to "Mobile Symphony, Inc," and in 1998 the orchestra held its first concert season. The Symphony's first and current music director, Scott Speck, was named in 2000. In 2002, under the leadership of mayor Michael Dow, the company acquired a building at 257 Dauphin Street in downtown Mobile, which became the Larkins Music Center. The building includes office space, a large recital hall, practice rooms, meeting facilities, and a landscaped courtyard. The building also has a connection to the historic Mobile Saenger Theater, where the Orchestra performs all concerts.
National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia
The National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia (Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia) was founded in 2003 following the dissolution of the Colombia Symphony Orchestra (Orquesta Sinfónica de Colombia) in December 2002. The Colombia Symphony Orchestra had been in operation since 1952 under the auspices of the government of Colombia and was dissolved as part of an extensive plan of state privatization. The Colombian National Symphony Orchestra is part of the National Association of Symphonic Music (Asociación Nacional de Música Sinfónica), a non-profit organization that receives extensive support from the Colombian government to maintain the orchestra and to provide financial support to the other professional symphony orchestras in the country.
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1879, which was the earliest Chinese symphony. Originally, it was known as the Shanghai Public Band. Then it expanded in 1907 to an orchestra. In 1922, it was renamed as the Shanghai Municipal Council Symphony Orchestra.
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
The MSO's first concert took place on 11 December 1906 under the baton of Alberto Zelman, founder of the MSO, who later became the first Australian conductor to conduct the London and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras. In 1934, the MSO became one of the Australian Broadcasting Commission's radio orchestras. In 1949, the orchestra took on the new name of the Victorian Symphony Orchestra. In 1965, the orchestra's name reverted to the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Sudbury Symphony Orchestra
The orchestra was founded in 1953 as a community orchestra and gave its first public performance on January 13, 1954, conducted by Emil First at the Sudbury High School Auditorium. Eric Woodward, took over as Music Director in 1957, and in 1962 the orchestra was merged into the Sudbury Philharmonic Society, a combined choral and orchestral ensemble. The orchestra and the choir later became separate ensembles again, with the orchestra re-constituted in 1975 under its present name. Under Metro Kozak, the orchestra's Music Director from its incorporation in 1975 until his retirement in 1997, the orchestra grew to over 60 musicians with several instructors from the music programs at Laurentian University and Cambrian College serving as its permanent musicians. Kozak also founded the Sudbury Youth Orchestra to prepare future musicians for the SSO. Victor Sawa, who took over as Music Director in 1997, was also the Music Director of the Regina Symphony Orchestra, Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra and a former Resident Conductor of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. At the end of the Orchestra's 2013.2014 season, it was announced that the following season would be Maestro Sawa's last as Music Director of the Sudbury Symphony. In 2016, Montreal-based conductor Mélanie Léonard, also a former Resident Conductor of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, was appointed to the position as the Sudbury Symphony’s first female music director and principal conductor.Founded in 2001, the Sudbury Symphony increased its operations to include the Sudbury Symphony Conservatory of Music. At its peak, the Sudbury Symphony Conservatory of Music employed five teachers, with students enrolled in lessons for string instruments, as well as a Junior Music Course, a Junior String Orchestra, Cello Ensemble and Student String Quartets.
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
The orchestra was founded in 1920 as the Norfolk Civic Symphony Orchestra, and gave its first concert on 21 April 1921, conducted by Walter Edward Howe, who was the first music director of the orchestra. At the time, the Norfolk Civic Symphony Orchestra was the only American orchestra between Baltimore and Atlanta.
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO), based in London, was formed by Sir Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days the orchestra secured profitable recording contracts and important engagements including the Glyndebourne Festival Opera and the concerts of the Royal Philharmonic Society. After Beecham's death in 1961 the orchestra's fortunes declined steeply; it battled for survival until the mid-1960s, when its future was secured after an Arts Council report recommended that it should receive public subsidy; a further crisis arose in the same era when it seemed that the orchestra's right to call itself "Royal" could be withdrawn.
National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine
It was founded in 1918 as Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra. Nathan Rachlin conducted the orchestra from 1937 until 1962. Subsequent directors include Stephan Turchak, Volodymyr Kozhukhar, Fyodor Glushchenko, Igor Blazhkov, the American conductor Theodore Kuchar is currently the Artistic Director, while the Chief Conductor has been Volodymyr Sirenko since 1999.
RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra
In 1926, a national radio channel began, based in Dublin. It hired staff musicians, who often played together on the radio and in concert as a chamber orchestra. String players from the radio, wind players from the Army School of Music, and other musicians played as the Dublin Philharmonic Society under the direction of Colonel Fritz Brase, Head of the Army School of Music since 1927. The original group was gradually expanded during the 1930s and '40s and by 1946 had reached 40 musicians. Early conductors included Vincent O'Brien and, from 1941, Michael Bowles, guest conductors included Aloys Fleischmann and Frederick May. Often called the 'Station Orchestra', many (albeit not regular) public concerts were given and broadcast live from venues such as the Mansion House, Metropolitan Hall and Capitol Theatre.
New York Philharmonic
The year 1928 marked the New York Philharmonic's last and most important merger: with the New York Symphony Society. The Symphony had been quite innovative in its 50 years prior to the merger. It made its first domestic tour in 1882, introduced educational concerts for young people in 1891, and gave the premieres of works such as Gershwin's Concerto in F and Holst's "Egdon Heath". The merger of these two venerable institutions consolidated extraordinary financial and musical resources. Of the new Philharmonic Symphony Society of New York, Clarence Hungerford Mackay, chairman of the Philharmonic Society, will be chairman. President Harry H. Flagler, of the Symphony Society, will be president of the merger.At the first joint board meeting in 1928, the chairman, Clarence Mackay, expressed the opinion that "with the forces of the two Societies now united... the Philharmonic-Symphony Society could build up the greatest orchestra in this country if not in the world."
National Symphony Orchestra
On September 25, 2008, the orchestra announced the appointment of Christoph Eschenbach as the orchestra's sixth music director, effective with the 2010–2011 season, for an initial contract of four years. In September 2011, the orchestra extended Eschenbach's contract through the 2014–2015 season, and in March 2014, his contract was extended through the 2016–2017 season. In February 2015, the NSO announced the scheduled conclusion of Eschenbach's tenure as NSO music director at the end of the 2016-2017 season, at which time he is scheduled to become the NSO's conductor laureate.
Argentine National Symphony Orchestra
Established as the State Symphony Orchestra, on November 20, 1948, via a bill (Law 35879) signed by President Juan Perón, the orchestra was created that it could ""constitute the pitch of universal resonance that our music needs, while providing the most effective means of popular education in the arts.""
Kaohsiung City Symphony Orchestra
The orchestra was originally founded in 1981 as Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra. In 1991, it was renamed as Kaohsiung City Experimental Symphony Orchestra. In 2000, it was again renamed as Kaohsiung City Symphony Orchestra. In April 2009, the orchestra was merged with Kaohsiung Chinese Orchestra by Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu to become Kaohsiung Philharmonic Culture and Arts Foundation.
Royal Northern Sinfonia
Michael Hall founded the ensemble in 1958 as the first permanent professional resident chamber orchestra in Britain outside London. The ensemble gave its first concert on 24 September 1958 as the 'Sinfonia Orchestra', at the City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, and gave six concerts in its first season, 1958-1959. Hall acted as the organization's single leader, in effect as "general manager, secretary, artistic director, conductor and fund-raiser", though without a formal title. The word 'Northern' was added to the orchestra's name in 1959 to give the name of 'Northern Sinfonia'. The orchestra became an established institution in 1959, with Humphrey Noble chosen as the first chairman of the ensemble's management committee. Hall resigned from the orchestra in 1964 but returned as a guest conductor in subsequent years. After Hall's departure, Rudolf Schwarz and Boris Brott took over musical leadership of the ensemble in parallel, with Schwarz being the first titled artistic director of the ensemble. Keith Statham served as the orchestra's general manager from 1966 to 1974.
National Symphony Orchestra (Dominican Republic)
The National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic (Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional) is the leading classical orchestra of the Dominican Republic; it was founded in 1941.
Washington Chamber Symphony
The Washington Chamber Symphony (WCS) was an American chamber orchestra based in Washington, D.C. which was active during the last quarter of the 20th century. Founded in 1976 by conductor Stephen Simon, the orchestra was originally titled the Handel Festival Orchestra. Initially the orchestra was essentially the resident ensemble for the annual Handel Festival at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. However, as time went on the orchestra began to expand its repertoire beyond Handel into a broad range of works from a variety of musical periods, including contemporary works. When the Kennedy Center's Handel Festival ceased in 1987, the orchestra changed its name to the Washington Chamber Symphony and continued to offer an annual concert series at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. The orchestra disbanded suddenly in July 2002, citing post 9/11 financial difficulties as the reason.
Orchestre National de France
The orchestra was founded as the "Orchestre national" by decree on 18 February 1934, by the French minister of Posts Jean Mistler, as an ensemble of 80 musicians, with Désiré-Emile Inghelbrecht as musical director. The orchestra musicians were under exclusive engagements, prohibiting them to play with other orchestras as the orchestra of the Opera. Their first concert occurred at the Conservatoire de Paris on 13 March 1934. The main conductors in the orchestra's early years were Inghelbrecht, Roger Désormière and Eugène Bigot, as well as Inghelrecht's assistant conductor at the time, Manuel Rosenthal.
National Symphony Orchestra (Dominican Republic)
After the disappearance of the Youth Casino in 1922, the Octet turned into the Concert Society Orchestra with headquarters in the Dominican Athenaeum. At the same time, in 1932, the Santo Domingo Symphony Orchestra was formed, conducted by Maestros Enrique Mejia Arredondo and Julio Alberto Hernández.
Hungarian National Philharmonic
The Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra (; formerly, the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra, ) is one of the most prestigious symphony orchestras in Hungary. Based in the capital city of Budapest, it has stood as one of the pillars of the country's musical life since its founding in 1923 as the Metropolitan Orchestra (). Zsolt Hamar is the current musical director.
National Symphony Orchestra (Dominican Republic)
The first conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra was Enrique Casal Chapí (1941–1945) y Enrique Mejía Arredondo, it first assistant conductor. The following have been Principal conductors: Mexican Abel Eisenberg (1946–1951); Italian Roberto Caggiano (1951–1959); Dominicans Manuel Simó (1959–1980), Jacinto Gimbernard (1980–1984), Carlos Piantini (1984–1994), Rafael Villanueva (1994–1995), Julio De Windt (1995–2000); Alvaro Manzano from Ecuador (2001–2004), who occupied the position under the title of Musical Conductor; Carlos Piantini, Principal Laureate Conductor (2001 al 2006); Alvaro Manzano, Music Director (2007–2009). Presidential Decree 245-09 dated March 20, 2009 designates maestro José Antonio Molina as Principal Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra.
Nashville Symphony
In 1920, prior to the 1946 founding of the Nashville Symphony, a group of amateur and professional musicians established an orchestral ensemble in Nashville, electing "Nashville Banner" music critic and Vanderbilt University professor George Pullen Jackson to serve as their president and manager. Despite steady growth over the next decade, that organization fell victim to The Depression. In 1945, World War II veteran and Nashville native Walter Sharp returned home from the war intent on establishing a new symphony for Middle Tennessee. With the assistance of a small number of fellow music lovers, he convinced community leaders of this need and the Nashville Symphony was founded.
Syrian National Symphony Orchestra
The Syrian National Symphony Orchestra (, ) is the national symphony orchestra of Syria. It was founded by Sulhi al-Wadi, who was also its first conductor, and gave its first public concert in 1993. On 4 September 1998 it gave its first concert in the United States, at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. The orchestra has a permanent home in the Damascus Opera House. The conductor is Missak Baghboudarian.
Nordic Symphony Orchestra
The Nordic Symphony Orchestra (NSO) (previously Estonian - Finnish Symphony Orchestra) is an international symphony orchestra founded by Anu and Kadri Tali in 1997.
Sidney Sax
The National Philharmonic Orchestra, which was later incorporated in 1970, was a freelance orchestra that boasted amongst its players some of the leading musicians from all the London orchestras. It was not unusual to find that Sax had contracted the leaders of most of London's orchestras to populate his first violin section.
National Philharmonic Orchestra
Before settling on this name, the orchestra began operation in 1964 using a variety of names including RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra and the London Promenade (the latter consisting largely of London Philharmonic Orchestra personnel). It was incorporated as the National Philharmonic Orchestra in 1971 by Sidney Sax. Musicians from London’s huge talent pool were contracted by Gerhardt and Sax. By way of example, the violin section would routinely be peppered with leaders / concertmasters of all the major London orchestras, past and present, such as John Ronayne, Bela Dekany, Lionel Bentley, John Ludlow, John Brown, Donald Weekes, Irvine Arditti, Charles Meinardi, Hans Geiger, etc.
The orchestra ceased to record exclusively for RCA Records in 1974. Decca Records began recording the orchestra in March 1974. This was for a Phase 4 Stereo recording of the "Yellow River Piano Concerto" conducted by Elgar Howarth. Columbia Records began using the orchestra in 1975.
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), founded in 1904, is the oldest of London's symphony orchestras. It was set up by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's Hall Orchestra because of a new rule requiring players to give the orchestra their exclusive services. The LSO itself later introduced a similar rule for its members. From the outset the LSO was organised on co-operative lines, with all players sharing the profits at the end of each season. This practice continued for the orchestra's first four decades.
National Symphony Orchestra
Also of note is the National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute. For more than a decade, scholarships provided by the National Trustees of the National Symphony Orchestra have enabled top-level students from across the country and from many nations to come to the nation’s capital for several weeks of study with NSO musicians. These participants, selected from a competitive pool of applicants, come from a variety of backgrounds, some currently enrolled in music conservatories such as Juilliard and others still completing high school.
Another important project is the National Symphony Orchestra American Residencies for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This venture encompasses sharing all elements of classical symphonic music with a specific region of the United States, exploring the diversity of musical influences, and giving the region a musical voice in the nation’s center for the performing arts through exchanges, training programs, and commissions. Established in 1992, the project has taken the NSO to fifteen states.
Nashville Symphony
Sharp retained William Strickland, a young conductor from New York, to serve as its first music director and conductor. The orchestra performed its first concert in the fall of 1946 at War Memorial Auditorium in downtown Nashville. Over the ensuing five seasons, Strickland was responsible for setting the high performance standards that the orchestra and its conductors have maintained to this day. Guy Taylor (1951–1959), Willis Page (1959–1967), Thor Johnson (1967–1975) and Michael Charry (1976–1982) were successive music directors. During Charry's tenure, the symphony moved its subscription series from War Memorial Auditorium to Jackson Hall in the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.
Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra
The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO), founded in 1948, is one of the oldest and most famous orchestras in South Korea. Its first foreign tour came on a 1965 trip to Japan, followed by performances in Southeast Asia in 1977, the United States in 1982, 1986 and 1996, a 1988 tour of Europe before the Seoul Olympics that year, and a 1997 performance in Beijing. The Philharmonic is an incorporated foundation since 2005. After music director Myung-Whun Chung resigned in 2015, the SPO is currently searching for new artistic leadership.
London Symphony Orchestra
In 1964 the LSO undertook its first world tour, taking in Israel, Turkey, Iran, India, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and the United States. The following year István Kertész was appointed principal conductor. Negotiations with the Corporation of the City of London with a view to establishing the LSO as the resident orchestra of the planned Barbican Centre began in the same year. In 1966 Leonard Bernstein conducted the LSO for the first time, in Mahler's "Symphony of a Thousand" at the Royal Albert Hall. This was another coup for Fleischmann, who had to overcome Bernstein's scorn for the inadequate rehearsal facilities endured by London orchestras. Bernstein remained associated with the LSO for the rest of his life, and was its president from 1987 to 1990.
National Symphony Orchestra (Dominican Republic)
Since its beginning in 1904 the Octet turned into an active group, conducted by Maestro José de Jesús Ravelo, which diffused classical music. The support offered to the public was so enthusiastic that before its first year the Octet had been established as a small chamber orchestra (although it always maintained its original name) with a regular program of concerts.
International Symphony Orchestra
The International Symphony Orchestra of Sarnia, Ontario and Port Huron, Michigan began in 1957. The Little Orchestra Society of Sarnia and the Port Huron String Ensemble came together and formed the Orchestra. The Orchestra is a non-profit organization and consists of around fifty-five musicians who are from both sides of the border between the United States and Canada. Many work full-time in the music profession. Other members are engineers, teachers, doctors, nurses, and homemakers, and all are well-trained musicians. From 1997–2011, the Orchestra's music director was acclaimed Canadian conductor Jerome Summers. After an extensive search lasting nearly two years, the Orchestra selected Douglas Bianchi of Wayne State University in 2012 as its new Music Director. The Orchestra performs at various venues and churches in the area throughout each season, including the Imperial Oil Center for the Performing Arts in Sarnia and the McMorran Theater in Port Huron.
In 1984, the Symphony Singers joined forces with the Orchestra, and this auditioned chorus remains with the group today. The Symphony also sponsors a Youth Orchestra. Two auxiliary groups also support the organization: the Symphony Association of the Port Huron Area, and the International Symphony Association. It also receives support from the Port Huron Musicale and various sponsors and supporters, both private and commercial.
Yale Symphony Orchestra
The Yale Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1965 by a small group of Yale students who sensed the need for an ensemble devoted to the performance of orchestral repertoire. It developed from Yale's Calhoun College Chamber Music Orchestra when three of its members sought to expand the orchestra to provide an opportunity for larger-scale orchestral performances.
Argentine National Symphony Orchestra
The symphony was created under the aegis of the Secretariat of Culture, and with 92 musicians. Directed initially by Roberto Kinsky, its first concert took place at the renowned Colón Opera House on November 30, 1949; on that evening's program was Ludwig van Beethoven's "Consecration of the House Overture", Johannes Brahms's Symphony No.2, and Igor Stravinsky's "Scherzo Fantastico". Its repertoire was soon expanded to include works by classical Argentine composers, as well, notably Carlos Guastavino, Carlos López Buchardo and Alberto Williams. Apart from its performances at the Colón Opera House, the symphony would appear often in the Cervantes and Gran Rex theatres, and it increasingly featured 20th-century classical music, notably Ottorino Respighi's "Sinfonia Drammatica" and Sergei Prokofiev's "Alexander Nevsky"; among the well-known guest musicians during the symphony's early years was violinist Henryk Szeryng.
Argentine National Symphony Orchestra
The APO Orchestra was constituted as such in 1922, and prospered with its colloaboration with the local Wagner Association, reaching its zenith under the baton of Swiss conductor Ernest Ansermet. The great depression later limited its activity sharply, and the orchestra was nearly closed in 1935, highlighting the need for state support. Accordingly, the Buenos Aires Symphony (today the Buenos Aires Philharmonic) was founded in 1947, and in 1948, the State Symphony Orchestra.
NBC Symphony Orchestra
After the NBC Symphony Orchestra disbanded, some members went on to play with other orchestras, notably Frank Miller (principal cello) and Leonard Sharrow (principal bassoon) with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. However, many former NBC Symphony members, in an attempt to stay together and preserve the orchestra, regrouped as a new ensemble called the "Symphony of the Air". They made their first recording on September 21, 1954, and gave their first public concert at the United Nations 9th Anniversary Celebration on October 24. On November 14 they appeared on the acclaimed "Omnibus" TV program in which Leonard Bernstein, making his first television appearance, discussed Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, and Bernstein led the Symphony of the Air during its first season. With an Asian tour under the auspices of the State Department and an attendance of 60,000 at concerts in the Catskills that summer, the first season was a huge success.
National Symphony Orchestra (Mexico)
On November 23, 1946, president Miguel Alemán proposed the creation of the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature ("Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura"), known by the acronym INBA, and was formally opened on 1 January 1947, as a branch of the Secretaría de Educación Pública, (SEP) (Secretariat of Public Education). The first head of the INBA was Carlos Chávez, who created a new orchestra for the Conservatory (thus because the conservatory depended on the INBA administration). On January 19, 1949, Chávez resigned his job as conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, to spend more of his time composing and directing the INBA, but the orchestra didn't disappear, because Chávez succeeded in making the government recognize a national ensemble (working on this issue, since he was appointed as head of the INBA), so the actual organization known as National Symphony Orchestra of México was established, and Eduardo Hernández Moncada was designated its first conductor in 1947, José Pablo Moncayo replaced him in 1949.
National Symphony Orchestra (Taiwan)
The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO; ), also known as Taiwan Philharmonic () outside Taiwan, is one of the leading orchestras in Asia. Since 1987, the orchestra has its residence in the National Theater and Concert Hall (Taiwan) in Taipei, Taiwan.
Royston Nash
His career as a conductor began with the Royal Marines from 1957 to 1970. He then joined D'Oyly Carte, becoming Music Director from 1971 to 1979. There, he led the company during its centenary year in 1975 and issued a number of recordings, including the company's only recordings of "Utopia, Limited", "The Grand Duke", and "The Zoo", as well as recordings of some rarely heard Sullivan music. He then moved to the United States, where he became musical director of the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra, the Nashua Symphony Orchestra, and other ensembles, until his retirement in 2007. He also founded and conducted Symphony by the Sea.
Danish National Symphony Orchestra
The roots of the orchestra date back to the singer Emil Holm, who expressed a wish to establish a full-time symphony orchestra in Denmark. In collaboration with fellow musicians Otto Fessel, Rudolf Dietz Mann and Folmer Jensen, the orchestra was founded in 1925, with 11 players in the ensemble and conductor Launy Grøndahl having a leadership role, though without a formal title. The orchestra grew to 30 players within a year. The orchestra performed its first public concert was in 1927, and began to give weekly concerts in 1928. In 1930, Holm recruited Nikolai Malko to a similar key role like Grøndahl as conductor with the orchestra, though again without Malko having a formal title. Early concerts were at the Axelborg building. In 1931, the orchestra began to give concerts at the "Stærekassen" hall of the Royal Danish Theatre. After going into exile from Germany in the 1930s, Fritz Busch worked extensively as a major conductor of the orchestra in parallel with Malko, though again with no formal title. By 1948, the orchestra had attained membership of 92 musicians.
Columbus Philharmonic Orchestra
The Columbus Philharmonic Orchestra was a symphony orchestra of the United States, located in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1941 and disbanded in 1949, the Columbus Philharmonic was the first professional symphony orchestra in Columbus and was a precursor to the present Columbus Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra's music director was the American conductor Izler Solomon.
National Schools Symphony Orchestra
It was founded in 1995 and has several distinguished patrons including Patrick Doyle and Sir John Eliot Gardiner.