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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.

"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.

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 choir was founded in 1917 by cousins Elsa and Wilhelm Stenhammar. Elsa Stenhammar was one of the driving forces in turn-of-the-century choir life in Gothenburg and became the choir's first rehearser. On December 8, 1917, the choir debuted in Beethoven's Choir Fantasy with Wilhelm Stenhammar as soloist at the grand piano. As the country's oldest symphonic choir, they were able to celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2017 with a big celebratory concert where Mozart and Brahms as well as Stenhammar, Elfrida Andrée and Björn & Benny were on the program. The Gothenburg Symphony Choir is a non-profit association that is linked to the Gothenburg Symphony. The choir participates in concerts and performances under both the orchestra's and its own auspices. The music is mixed and the repertoire extensive. The Gothenburg Symphony Choir has participated in concerts in, among other places, the Royal Albert Hall and Canterbury Cathedral in England, as well as participated with the Gothenburg Symphony in the annual music festival in the Canary Islands and on a tour to China.

"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.

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 choir was founded in 1917 by cousins Elsa and Wilhelm Stenhammar. Elsa Stenhammar was one of the driving forces in turn-of-the-century choir life in Gothenburg and became the choir's first rehearser. On December 8, 1917, the choir debuted in Beethoven's Choir Fantasy with Wilhelm Stenhammar as soloist at the grand piano. As the country's oldest symphonic choir, they were able to celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2017 with a big celebratory concert where Mozart and Brahms as well as Stenhammar, Elfrida Andrée and Björn & Benny were on the program. The Gothenburg Symphony Choir is a non-profit association that is linked to the Gothenburg Symphony. The choir participates in concerts and performances under both the orchestra's and its own auspices. The music is mixed and the repertoire extensive. The Gothenburg Symphony Choir has participated in concerts in, among other places, the Royal Albert Hall and Canterbury Cathedral in England, as well as participated with the Gothenburg Symphony in the annual music festival in the Canary Islands and on a tour to China.

"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.

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.

Highlighting the home region was an expression of Finnish patriotism and the fight for freedom, which was highly relevant in Sibelius' time. One of the more effective artistic expressions of that time was the equivalent of today's art installation: the so-called tableau. Imagine a stage with natural environments, backdrops, props and decorations (scenography, that is) and place real and living people in this room, standing motionless in predetermined poses with convincing expressions. The Vyborg student department at the University of Helsinki had decided to depict important events in the history of Karelia, and Sibelius was asked to write music for these tableaus. The Karelian city of Vyborg was founded by Swedes at the end of the 13th century and was Finland's second largest city until World War II. A contemporary description of the three tableaux reads: Intermezzo: "To the sounds of fanfares and festive processional music, the people of Karelia carry out their tribute to a Lithuanian prince." Ballad: "Karl Knutsson, overthrown from his throne, listens to a monotonous stylized Finnish song and then dreams himself back to the moods of bygone years, colored by a Scandinavian ballad: the girl in the 'rose haven'." Alla marcia: "Pontus de la Gardie and his troops march towards Kexholm Castle on the vast Lake Ladoga." Sibelius originally composed an overture and music for eight tableaux. The overture was published as an independent work, and parts of tableaux nos. 3, 4 and 5 as this Karelia Suite.

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 Estonian-born conductor Neeme Järvi is the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra's Principal Conductor Emeritus. He conducts many of the world's most prominent orchestras and works with soloists of the highest class. During his long career, he has made over 450 disc recordings. Under Neeme Järvi's direction from 1982-2004, the Gothenburg Symphony made a series of international tours and made around a hundred disc recordings and established itself among Europe's leading orchestras. Neeme Järvi became chief conductor of the Residentie Orkest in 2005, artistic director of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra in 2009 and music director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra in 2005. He has also been artistic director of the Orchester de la Suisse Romande. He holds the titles of Music Director Emeritus of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Conductor Laureate of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Throughout his career, Neeme Järvi has been honored with international honors and awards. In Estonia, these include an honorary doctorate at the Estonian Academy of Music in Tallinn, and the Order of the National Coat of Arms from the President of the Republic of Estonia. He has also received the Commander of the Order of the North Star from King Karl XVI Gustaf. He most recently guested with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in 2024 at the Hasselblad Concert, which was also recorded for GSOplay and Swedish Radio.