Bfo Gardner A 2851 1400Px

Orchestra

The Bergen Philharmonic, a Norwegian national orchestra, is one of the oldest in the world, dating back to 1765. Edvard Grieg served as its artistic director from 1880 to 1882. Edward Gardner is Chief Conductor. Sir Mark Elder is the orchestra’s Principal Guest Conductor from September 2022.

The Orchestra enjoys a high international standing through its recordings, streaming service, touring and international commissions, and was nominated Orchestra of the Year 2020 by Gramophone, and won two Gramophone Classical Music Awards in 2021: Recording of the Year and Opera Award Winner for Britten’s Peter Grimes.

In recent years, the orchestra has played in the Concertgebouw, at the BBC Proms, Wiener Musikverein and Konzerthaus, Carnegie Hall, New York, Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and the Philharmonie, Berlin. The orchestra and Edward Gardner appeared at the Edinburgh International Festival (2017) and Royal Festival Hall (2019) with their critically acclaimed production of Peter Grimes.

The orchestra runs a free streaming service, Bergenphilive.no, which offers a fine selection of works performed by the orchestra. A youth ensemble - Bergen Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, was established in 2015.

The Orchestra has an active recording schedule. Projects include a series of orchestral works by Janáček, Messiaen’s Turangalîla, ballets by Stravinsky, and the complete symphonies, ballet suites, concertos by Prokofiev, Bruckner symphonies and the complete orchestral music of Edvard Grieg.

Edward Gardner and the Orchestra have released a series of recordings: orchestral works by Janáček, including a Grammy-nominated recording of his Glagolitic Mass, Schönberg’s Gurre-Lieder, songs by Sibelius, Grieg’s Piano Concerto and Incidental music to Peer Gynt, featuring Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Ann-Helen Moen and Lise Davidsen, Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra and Rhapsodies with James Ehnes, Bartoks Bluebeard’s Castle with John Relyea and Michelle DeYoung, Brahms symphonies Nos. 1 and 3, Schoenberg’s Erwartung and Pelleas und Melisande, Britten’s Peter Grimes with Stuart Skelton and Erin Wall, songs by Britten and Canteloube with soprano Mari Eriksmoen and a cd with saxophonist Marius Neset