Here you can find almost anything about all the concerts Gothenburg Symphony has played over the years, both in the Concert Hall and on tour.
Search for conductors, soloists and other artists that has played together with us. Or search for composers and music that we have played. And filter on specific seasons. Guesting orchestras and ensembles are also included in the archive.
The result is presented by season.
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Anna-Maria Helsing was appointed Chief Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra in 2023, where she had previously been Principal Guest Conductor. Since January 2025, she has also been Chief Conductor of the Vaasa City Orchestra. From 2010 to 2013, Anna-Maria Helsing was Chief Conductor of the Oulu Symphony Orchestra. She is currently Artistic Director of the Rusk Chamber Music Festival in Jakobstad.
In the 2025-2026 season, Helsing returns to the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm to conduct Britta Byström's newly written Sami opera Jordens hjärta (Heart of the Earth). She will also make a return visit to Brno, Czech Republic with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Moravian Autumn Festival. She will make her debut with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in Canada, with the Philharmonic of Southern Denmark and with the Wiesbaden State Orchestra in Germany. She returns to the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the City Orchestras of Kuopio and Joensuu.
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Anna-Maria Helsing was appointed Chief Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra in 2023, where she had previously been Principal Guest Conductor. Since January 2025, she has also been Chief Conductor of the Vaasa City Orchestra. From 2010 to 2013, Anna-Maria Helsing was Chief Conductor of the Oulu Symphony Orchestra. She is currently Artistic Director of the Rusk Chamber Music Festival in Jakobstad.
In the 2025-2026 season, Helsing returns to the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm to conduct Britta Byström's newly written Sami opera Jordens hjärta (Heart of the Earth). She will also make a return visit to Brno, Czech Republic with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Moravian Autumn Festival. She will make her debut with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in Canada, with the Philharmonic of Southern Denmark and with the Wiesbaden State Orchestra in Germany. She returns to the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the City Orchestras of Kuopio and Joensuu.
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Anna-Maria Helsing was appointed Chief Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra in 2023, where she had previously been Principal Guest Conductor. Since January 2025, she has also been Chief Conductor of the Vaasa City Orchestra. From 2010 to 2013, Anna-Maria Helsing was Chief Conductor of the Oulu Symphony Orchestra. She is currently Artistic Director of the Rusk Chamber Music Festival in Jakobstad.
In the 2025-2026 season, Helsing returns to the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm to conduct Britta Byström's newly written Sami opera Jordens hjärta (Heart of the Earth). She will also make a return visit to Brno, Czech Republic with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Moravian Autumn Festival. She will make her debut with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in Canada, with the Philharmonic of Southern Denmark and with the Wiesbaden State Orchestra in Germany. She returns to the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the City Orchestras of Kuopio and Joensuu.
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Anna-Maria Helsing was appointed Chief Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra in 2023, where she had previously been Principal Guest Conductor. Since January 2025, she has also been Chief Conductor of the Vaasa City Orchestra. From 2010 to 2013, Anna-Maria Helsing was Chief Conductor of the Oulu Symphony Orchestra. She is currently Artistic Director of the Rusk Chamber Music Festival in Jakobstad.
In the 2025-2026 season, Helsing returns to the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm to conduct Britta Byström's newly written Sami opera Jordens hjärta (Heart of the Earth). She will also make a return visit to Brno, Czech Republic with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Moravian Autumn Festival. She will make her debut with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in Canada, with the Philharmonic of Southern Denmark and with the Wiesbaden State Orchestra in Germany. She returns to the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the City Orchestras of Kuopio and Joensuu.
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Anna-Maria Helsing was appointed Chief Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra in 2023, where she had previously been Principal Guest Conductor. Since January 2025, she has also been Chief Conductor of the Vaasa City Orchestra. From 2010 to 2013, Anna-Maria Helsing was Chief Conductor of the Oulu Symphony Orchestra. She is currently Artistic Director of the Rusk Chamber Music Festival in Jakobstad.
In the 2025-2026 season, Helsing returns to the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm to conduct Britta Byström's newly written Sami opera Jordens hjärta (Heart of the Earth). She will also make a return visit to Brno, Czech Republic with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Moravian Autumn Festival. She will make her debut with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in Canada, with the Philharmonic of Southern Denmark and with the Wiesbaden State Orchestra in Germany. She returns to the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the City Orchestras of Kuopio and Joensuu.
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Anna-Maria Helsing was appointed Chief Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra in 2023, where she had previously been Principal Guest Conductor. Since January 2025, she has also been Chief Conductor of the Vaasa City Orchestra. From 2010 to 2013, Anna-Maria Helsing was Chief Conductor of the Oulu Symphony Orchestra. She is currently Artistic Director of the Rusk Chamber Music Festival in Jakobstad.
In the 2025-2026 season, Helsing returns to the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm to conduct Britta Byström's newly written Sami opera Jordens hjärta (Heart of the Earth). She will also make a return visit to Brno, Czech Republic with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Moravian Autumn Festival. She will make her debut with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in Canada, with the Philharmonic of Southern Denmark and with the Wiesbaden State Orchestra in Germany. She returns to the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the City Orchestras of Kuopio and Joensuu.
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Anna-Maria Helsing was appointed Chief Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra in 2023, where she had previously been Principal Guest Conductor. Since January 2025, she has also been Chief Conductor of the Vaasa City Orchestra. From 2010 to 2013, Anna-Maria Helsing was Chief Conductor of the Oulu Symphony Orchestra. She is currently Artistic Director of the Rusk Chamber Music Festival in Jakobstad.
In the 2025-2026 season, Helsing returns to the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm to conduct Britta Byström's newly written Sami opera Jordens hjärta (Heart of the Earth). She will also make a return visit to Brno, Czech Republic with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Moravian Autumn Festival. She will make her debut with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in Canada, with the Philharmonic of Southern Denmark and with the Wiesbaden State Orchestra in Germany. She returns to the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the City Orchestras of Kuopio and Joensuu.
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Anna-Maria Helsing was appointed Chief Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra in 2023, where she had previously been Principal Guest Conductor. Since January 2025, she has also been Chief Conductor of the Vaasa City Orchestra. From 2010 to 2013, Anna-Maria Helsing was Chief Conductor of the Oulu Symphony Orchestra. She is currently Artistic Director of the Rusk Chamber Music Festival in Jakobstad.
In the 2025-2026 season, Helsing returns to the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm to conduct Britta Byström's newly written Sami opera Jordens hjärta (Heart of the Earth). She will also make a return visit to Brno, Czech Republic with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Moravian Autumn Festival. She will make her debut with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in Canada, with the Philharmonic of Southern Denmark and with the Wiesbaden State Orchestra in Germany. She returns to the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the City Orchestras of Kuopio and Joensuu.
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Anna-Maria Helsing was appointed Chief Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra in 2023, where she had previously been Principal Guest Conductor. Since January 2025, she has also been Chief Conductor of the Vaasa City Orchestra. From 2010 to 2013, Anna-Maria Helsing was Chief Conductor of the Oulu Symphony Orchestra. She is currently Artistic Director of the Rusk Chamber Music Festival in Jakobstad.
In the 2025-2026 season, Helsing returns to the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm to conduct Britta Byström's newly written Sami opera Jordens hjärta (Heart of the Earth). She will also make a return visit to Brno, Czech Republic with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Moravian Autumn Festival. She will make her debut with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in Canada, with the Philharmonic of Southern Denmark and with the Wiesbaden State Orchestra in Germany. She returns to the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the City Orchestras of Kuopio and Joensuu.
The famous intermezzo comes from the mini-opera Cavalleria rusticana (previously called “På Sicilien” in Swedish). It is a jealousy drama that takes place in a small Sicilian village on Easter Sunday.
Pietro Mascagni won an opera competition with Cavalleria rusticana and it became his biggest hit. The rumor must have spread quickly, because the Swedish premiere was held at the Stockholm Opera the same year as the first performance, in December 1890.
Simon Kim Phipps founded the Västra Götaland Youth Orchestra in 2000 and was their leader up till 2025. He is artistic director of Läcköoperan since 2003 and conductor of the award-winning Swedish Chamber Orchestra, which he also founded.
Simon Kim Phipps was born in London and received his early musical training as a chorister at New College, Oxford. He took his B.A. as a Choral Scholar at King's College, Cambridge and went on to study singing at the Guildhall School in London. Conducting studies in Munich and Manchester followed and he made his professional debut at the Gothenburg Opera in 1985. The next ten years were largely devoted to opera with engagements at Sadlers Wells and English National Opera in London, Krefeld in Germany, and Malmö in Sweden. In 1994 Phipps moved to Sweden and has since then lived in Gothenburg. Simon Kim Phipps has conducted most of the professional orchestras in Sweden including the Gothenburg Symphony.
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967)
Galántai táncok
Ancient Hungarian peasant music, still unchanged in the villages, began to be recorded by Zoltán Kodály and Bartók around 1905. Both composers were captivated by the unique Romani verbunkos music. In the small Slovak town of Galánta, fifty kilometers from Bratislava, next to the train line between Vienna and Budapest, there was a famous Romani music chapel that gave Kodály his earliest taste for orchestral sound.
Dances from Galánta were written in 1933 for the 80th anniversary of the Budapest Philharmonic. The instrumentation for double flutes (plus piccolo), oboes, A-clarinets, bassoons, plus four horns, timpani, snare drum, glockenspiel, triangle and strings imitated such a verbunkos band with a solo clarinet in the lead role as the Romani tárogáto. The story goes that the Galánta pieces were originally composed during Hungary's struggle for independence under Turkish occupation. Verbunkos music began to be published in sheet music in the late 18th century, not least in Vienna, where both Mozart and Schubert were strongly influenced by it. Kodály uses the slow verbunkos introduction as a rondo theme in the following four dances as well as in the great final coda. It alone takes up more than half the length of the piece.
As a respected professor at the Budapest Academy of Music and president of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and later an honorary doctor in Oxford and Berlin, Kodály would promote the importance of spontaneous folk music. This liberal orientation also permeated key earlier works such as the Háry János Suite of 1927 and the Dances from Marosszék of 1933, both of which, along with the Galánta Dances, were his most frequently performed works.
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Comedian and presenter Anna Mannheimer has appeared in TV and radio shows such as Let’s Go, Detta Har Hänt and Mannheimer och Tengby . She was also a member of the Rally comedy show on Sveriges Radio P3. With Mia Skäringer she has had one of Sweden’s largest podcasts. Together with her husband Peter Apelgren she has written and performed in stage plays such as Gift, Kids and Döden – Andra sidan e ni klara?.
Allegro ma non troppo - Andante molto mosso - Allegro - Allegro - Allegretto
Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F major is one of his most naturalistic and lyrical works. It was written in parallel with the dramatic Fifth Symphony, and they were premiered at the same time on December 8, 1808 in Vienna. Beethoven himself named the Pastoral Symphony, which reveals a new side of him - the thoughtful, naturalistic and soulful. Together with the Fifth Symphony, it marks a new, more narrative and emotional stage in his work.
With its five movements and descriptive titles such as “Awakening of Joyful Feelings on Arrival in the Countryside” and “Scene by the Stream”, it differs in character from his other symphonies.
Beethoven emphasized in a famous quote that the work should not be seen as an exact nature painting, but as an expression of the feelings that nature arouses. The thunderstorm of the fourth movement with swirling strings, drums and winds is particularly famous, and illustrates the dramatic forces of nature. The last movement is the shepherd's song with happy and grateful feelings.
The symphony reflects Beethoven's strong love for country life and every summer he escaped the noise of the city to seek peace in the countryside. He found inspiration for the work in the village of Nussdorf just north of Vienna, and to this day you can walk along the path that bears his name – Beethovengang.
Andreas Konvicka
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Allegro ma non troppo - Andante molto mosso - Allegro - Allegro - Allegretto
Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F major is one of his most naturalistic and lyrical works. It was written in parallel with the dramatic Fifth Symphony, and they were premiered at the same time on December 8, 1808 in Vienna. Beethoven himself named the Pastoral Symphony, which reveals a new side of him - the thoughtful, naturalistic and soulful. Together with the Fifth Symphony, it marks a new, more narrative and emotional stage in his work.
With its five movements and descriptive titles such as “Awakening of Joyful Feelings on Arrival in the Countryside” and “Scene by the Stream”, it differs in character from his other symphonies.
Beethoven emphasized in a famous quote that the work should not be seen as an exact nature painting, but as an expression of the feelings that nature arouses. The thunderstorm of the fourth movement with swirling strings, drums and winds is particularly famous, and illustrates the dramatic forces of nature. The last movement is the shepherd's song with happy and grateful feelings.
The symphony reflects Beethoven's strong love for country life and every summer he escaped the noise of the city to seek peace in the countryside. He found inspiration for the work in the village of Nussdorf just north of Vienna, and to this day you can walk along the path that bears his name – Beethovengang.
Andreas Konvicka
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Allegro ma non troppo - Andante molto mosso - Allegro - Allegro - Allegretto
Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F major is one of his most naturalistic and lyrical works. It was written in parallel with the dramatic Fifth Symphony, and they were premiered at the same time on December 8, 1808 in Vienna. Beethoven himself named the Pastoral Symphony, which reveals a new side of him - the thoughtful, naturalistic and soulful. Together with the Fifth Symphony, it marks a new, more narrative and emotional stage in his work.
With its five movements and descriptive titles such as “Awakening of Joyful Feelings on Arrival in the Countryside” and “Scene by the Stream”, it differs in character from his other symphonies.
Beethoven emphasized in a famous quote that the work should not be seen as an exact nature painting, but as an expression of the feelings that nature arouses. The thunderstorm of the fourth movement with swirling strings, drums and winds is particularly famous, and illustrates the dramatic forces of nature. The last movement is the shepherd's song with happy and grateful feelings.
The symphony reflects Beethoven's strong love for country life and every summer he escaped the noise of the city to seek peace in the countryside. He found inspiration for the work in the village of Nussdorf just north of Vienna, and to this day you can walk along the path that bears his name – Beethovengang.
Andreas Konvicka
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Allegro ma non troppo - Andante molto mosso - Allegro - Allegro - Allegretto
Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F major is one of his most naturalistic and lyrical works. It was written in parallel with the dramatic Fifth Symphony, and they were premiered at the same time on December 8, 1808 in Vienna. Beethoven himself named the Pastoral Symphony, which reveals a new side of him - the thoughtful, naturalistic and soulful. Together with the Fifth Symphony, it marks a new, more narrative and emotional stage in his work.
With its five movements and descriptive titles such as “Awakening of Joyful Feelings on Arrival in the Countryside” and “Scene by the Stream”, it differs in character from his other symphonies.
Beethoven emphasized in a famous quote that the work should not be seen as an exact nature painting, but as an expression of the feelings that nature arouses. The thunderstorm of the fourth movement with swirling strings, drums and winds is particularly famous, and illustrates the dramatic forces of nature. The last movement is the shepherd's song with happy and grateful feelings.
The symphony reflects Beethoven's strong love for country life and every summer he escaped the noise of the city to seek peace in the countryside. He found inspiration for the work in the village of Nussdorf just north of Vienna, and to this day you can walk along the path that bears his name – Beethovengang.
Andreas Konvicka
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Allegro ma non troppo - Andante molto mosso - Allegro - Allegro - Allegretto
Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F major is one of his most naturalistic and lyrical works. It was written in parallel with the dramatic Fifth Symphony, and they were premiered at the same time on December 8, 1808 in Vienna. Beethoven himself named the Pastoral Symphony, which reveals a new side of him - the thoughtful, naturalistic and soulful. Together with the Fifth Symphony, it marks a new, more narrative and emotional stage in his work.
With its five movements and descriptive titles such as “Awakening of Joyful Feelings on Arrival in the Countryside” and “Scene by the Stream”, it differs in character from his other symphonies.
Beethoven emphasized in a famous quote that the work should not be seen as an exact nature painting, but as an expression of the feelings that nature arouses. The thunderstorm of the fourth movement with swirling strings, drums and winds is particularly famous, and illustrates the dramatic forces of nature. The last movement is the shepherd's song with happy and grateful feelings.
The symphony reflects Beethoven's strong love for country life and every summer he escaped the noise of the city to seek peace in the countryside. He found inspiration for the work in the village of Nussdorf just north of Vienna, and to this day you can walk along the path that bears his name – Beethovengang.
Andreas Konvicka
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Allegro ma non troppo - Andante molto mosso - Allegro - Allegro - Allegretto
Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F major is one of his most naturalistic and lyrical works. It was written in parallel with the dramatic Fifth Symphony, and they were premiered at the same time on December 8, 1808 in Vienna. Beethoven himself named the Pastoral Symphony, which reveals a new side of him - the thoughtful, naturalistic and soulful. Together with the Fifth Symphony, it marks a new, more narrative and emotional stage in his work.
With its five movements and descriptive titles such as “Awakening of Joyful Feelings on Arrival in the Countryside” and “Scene by the Stream”, it differs in character from his other symphonies.
Beethoven emphasized in a famous quote that the work should not be seen as an exact nature painting, but as an expression of the feelings that nature arouses. The thunderstorm of the fourth movement with swirling strings, drums and winds is particularly famous, and illustrates the dramatic forces of nature. The last movement is the shepherd's song with happy and grateful feelings.
The symphony reflects Beethoven's strong love for country life and every summer he escaped the noise of the city to seek peace in the countryside. He found inspiration for the work in the village of Nussdorf just north of Vienna, and to this day you can walk along the path that bears his name – Beethovengang.
Andreas Konvicka
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Allegro ma non troppo - Andante molto mosso - Allegro - Allegro - Allegretto
Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F major is one of his most naturalistic and lyrical works. It was written in parallel with the dramatic Fifth Symphony, and they were premiered at the same time on December 8, 1808 in Vienna. Beethoven himself named the Pastoral Symphony, which reveals a new side of him - the thoughtful, naturalistic and soulful. Together with the Fifth Symphony, it marks a new, more narrative and emotional stage in his work.
With its five movements and descriptive titles such as “Awakening of Joyful Feelings on Arrival in the Countryside” and “Scene by the Stream”, it differs in character from his other symphonies.
Beethoven emphasized in a famous quote that the work should not be seen as an exact nature painting, but as an expression of the feelings that nature arouses. The thunderstorm of the fourth movement with swirling strings, drums and winds is particularly famous, and illustrates the dramatic forces of nature. The last movement is the shepherd's song with happy and grateful feelings.
The symphony reflects Beethoven's strong love for country life and every summer he escaped the noise of the city to seek peace in the countryside. He found inspiration for the work in the village of Nussdorf just north of Vienna, and to this day you can walk along the path that bears his name – Beethovengang.
Andreas Konvicka
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Allegro ma non troppo - Andante molto mosso - Allegro - Allegro - Allegretto
Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F major is one of his most naturalistic and lyrical works. It was written in parallel with the dramatic Fifth Symphony, and they were premiered at the same time on December 8, 1808 in Vienna. Beethoven himself named the Pastoral Symphony, which reveals a new side of him - the thoughtful, naturalistic and soulful. Together with the Fifth Symphony, it marks a new, more narrative and emotional stage in his work.
With its five movements and descriptive titles such as “Awakening of Joyful Feelings on Arrival in the Countryside” and “Scene by the Stream”, it differs in character from his other symphonies.
Beethoven emphasized in a famous quote that the work should not be seen as an exact nature painting, but as an expression of the feelings that nature arouses. The thunderstorm of the fourth movement with swirling strings, drums and winds is particularly famous, and illustrates the dramatic forces of nature. The last movement is the shepherd's song with happy and grateful feelings.
The symphony reflects Beethoven's strong love for country life and every summer he escaped the noise of the city to seek peace in the countryside. He found inspiration for the work in the village of Nussdorf just north of Vienna, and to this day you can walk along the path that bears his name – Beethovengang.
Andreas Konvicka
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Allegro ma non troppo - Andante molto mosso - Allegro - Allegro - Allegretto
Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F major is one of his most naturalistic and lyrical works. It was written in parallel with the dramatic Fifth Symphony, and they were premiered at the same time on December 8, 1808 in Vienna. Beethoven himself named the Pastoral Symphony, which reveals a new side of him - the thoughtful, naturalistic and soulful. Together with the Fifth Symphony, it marks a new, more narrative and emotional stage in his work.
With its five movements and descriptive titles such as “Awakening of Joyful Feelings on Arrival in the Countryside” and “Scene by the Stream”, it differs in character from his other symphonies.
Beethoven emphasized in a famous quote that the work should not be seen as an exact nature painting, but as an expression of the feelings that nature arouses. The thunderstorm of the fourth movement with swirling strings, drums and winds is particularly famous, and illustrates the dramatic forces of nature. The last movement is the shepherd's song with happy and grateful feelings.
The symphony reflects Beethoven's strong love for country life and every summer he escaped the noise of the city to seek peace in the countryside. He found inspiration for the work in the village of Nussdorf just north of Vienna, and to this day you can walk along the path that bears his name – Beethovengang.
Andreas Konvicka
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Allegro ma non troppo - Andante molto mosso - Allegro - Allegro - Allegretto
Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F major is one of his most naturalistic and lyrical works. It was written in parallel with the dramatic Fifth Symphony, and they were premiered at the same time on December 8, 1808 in Vienna. Beethoven himself named the Pastoral Symphony, which reveals a new side of him - the thoughtful, naturalistic and soulful. Together with the Fifth Symphony, it marks a new, more narrative and emotional stage in his work.
With its five movements and descriptive titles such as “Awakening of Joyful Feelings on Arrival in the Countryside” and “Scene by the Stream”, it differs in character from his other symphonies.
Beethoven emphasized in a famous quote that the work should not be seen as an exact nature painting, but as an expression of the feelings that nature arouses. The thunderstorm of the fourth movement with swirling strings, drums and winds is particularly famous, and illustrates the dramatic forces of nature. The last movement is the shepherd's song with happy and grateful feelings.
The symphony reflects Beethoven's strong love for country life and every summer he escaped the noise of the city to seek peace in the countryside. He found inspiration for the work in the village of Nussdorf just north of Vienna, and to this day you can walk along the path that bears his name – Beethovengang.
Andreas Konvicka
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Since his debut with the Royal Swedish Philharmonic in 1981, pianist Roland Pöntinen has appeared with major orchestras all over the world, including the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and at the BBC Proms. His repertoire ranges from Bach to Ligeti, with an emphasis on the “golden era” of piano literature with composers such as Debussy, Busoni, Szymanowski and Rachmaninov. He has performed the complete cycles of Beethoven’s sonatas and Liszt’s Années de Pèlerinage. Composers such as Sven-Erik Bäck, Veli-Matti Puumala, Anders Eliasson and Anders Hillborg have dedicated works to him, and in 2007 he premiered Shchedrin’s Romantic Duets with the composer at the Verbier Festival.
As a chamber musician, Roland Pöntinen has worked with prominent artists such as Barbara Hendricks, Janine Jansen, Nobuko Imai, Peter Mattei, Martin Fröst, Christian Lindberg and Nicolai Gedda. He has played Rachmaninoff's Paganini Rhapsodies with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Shostakovich's First Piano Concerto with the Orchestre de La Suisse Romande, the Schumann Concerto with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and Messiaen's Turangalîla Symphony in 2017 with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra under Sakari Oramo. Roland Pöntinen is also active as a composer.
"Only once have I succeeded in fully realizing my intentions, in Boléro."
Maurice Ravel composed Boléro (1928) as a bold experiment in rhythm, timbre, and endurance. Originally written as ballet music for the Russian ballerina Ida Rubinstein, the work is based on an almost ascetic musical material - an unchanging rhythm of the snare drum together with two simple melodies repeated without thematic development. What changes instead is the color, density, and dynamics of the orchestra. Over a sustained ostinatory rhythm, the melody wanders through the orchestra's instruments, one by one, in a slow and relentless rise toward a monumental climax.
Ravel himself emphasized the monotonous and almost mechanical character of the work, describing it as a pure study in orchestration rather than an expression of drama or narrative. It is precisely this consistent limitation that gives the music its hypnotic, almost trance-like effect. Boléro immediately attracted great attention upon its premiere in Paris, and achieved worldwide success within months. It became Ravel's most famous work, remains one of the most frequently performed classical pieces in the world, and is considered one of the most iconic and powerful orchestral experiences of the 20th century.
Participants
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.
Hugo Alfvén (1872-1960)
Suite from The Prodigal Son
With a music that can be said to be characterized by the musical aftermath of Romanticism, the composer and conductor Hugo Alfvén left his mark on Swedish musical life during the first half of the 20th century.
The ballet The Prodigal Son, or more precisely: the orchestral suite from it, would become Alfvén's last major composition. The ballet depicts the biblical story of the son who leaves his father, squanders his inheritance, but who then returns in repentance and through reconciliation is given a picture of what is genuinely human.
The music can be said to reflect this inner journey – we travel from the lyrical to the dramatic. From the youthful to the thoughtful of age. In between we hear evidence of Alfvén's soft spot for folk melody and the rhythmic danceable. Several of the melodies are also found in the many songs that Alfvén had arranged and composed for choir Orphei Drängar, which he over many years turned into the notorious male choir it still is today.
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Suite No 2 from Daphnis et Chloé
It is difficult to capture this orchestral suite in a few words, which after more than 100 years strikes an audience with enormous richness of color and virtuosity. A music that is only remarkable at the time of its creation. 1913 is the year that Stravinsky's Rite of Spring is played for the first time, and Anton Webern's 6 orchestral works are performed in Vienna. Two concerts whose musical revolution was for a long time overshadowed by the scuffles that arose during the concerts.
Ravel's suite was already embraced during the composer's lifetime, but its musical revolution in harmony and orchestration is no lesser. This suite, which is part of a ballet set to the Greek tale of Daphnis and Chloé, to which Diaghilev's famous dance company danced, bears all the characteristics that made Ravel's music immortal.
The examples are countless, but the level of subtle genius is present already in the opening of the work, when the sun rises in the impressionistic orchestral scree. Not least listen to how this is embodied in the string section. The timbre, which is like a fund for the moving wind motifs, is in fact the sunrise's most sonorous transformation; how the strings in a slow procession during the opening bars raise the chords, from desk to desk, from section to section, and in that way - sifted through the sound of the strings - sweetly let the overtones from the strings go from the dark to the clear.
Esaias Järnegard
Allegro ma non troppo - Andante molto mosso - Allegro - Allegro - Allegretto
Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F major is one of his most naturalistic and lyrical works. It was written in parallel with the dramatic Fifth Symphony, and they were premiered at the same time on December 8, 1808 in Vienna. Beethoven himself named the Pastoral Symphony, which reveals a new side of him - the thoughtful, naturalistic and soulful. Together with the Fifth Symphony, it marks a new, more narrative and emotional stage in his work.
With its five movements and descriptive titles such as “Awakening of Joyful Feelings on Arrival in the Countryside” and “Scene by the Stream”, it differs in character from his other symphonies.
Beethoven emphasized in a famous quote that the work should not be seen as an exact nature painting, but as an expression of the feelings that nature arouses. The thunderstorm of the fourth movement with swirling strings, drums and winds is particularly famous, and illustrates the dramatic forces of nature. The last movement is the shepherd's song with happy and grateful feelings.
The symphony reflects Beethoven's strong love for country life and every summer he escaped the noise of the city to seek peace in the countryside. He found inspiration for the work in the village of Nussdorf just north of Vienna, and to this day you can walk along the path that bears his name – Beethovengang.
Andreas Konvicka
The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025.
Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra.
In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region.
The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.