In September 1919, Orchestra of the Philharmonic Company – later to be known as Oslo Philharmonic − took to the stage for its first public concert in the Norwegian capital. The launch of an independent symphony orchestra was a major event attended by the Royal Family and its fame soon started attracting international stars such as Jean Sibelius and Arthur Nikisch, who both conducted the orchestra in 1921. In the century to follow, Oslo Philharmonic successfully established itself as one of the major international orchestras, through tours and recordings under the leadership of eminent Chief Conductors, including Herbert Blomstedt, Mariss Jansons, Jukka-Pekka Saraste and Vasily Petrenko.
The orchestra began its 101st season in August 2020 with new chief conductor Klaus Mäkelä, whose close relationship with the musicians had been immediately apparent on his debut with the orchestra two years earlier. Mäkelä’s first major project with the orchestra was a recording of the complete symphonies of Sibelius, which was released on Decca in Spring 2022 and awarded both the Choc Classica Recording of the Year (France) and an Edison Award (Netherlands). The recording was followed by critically acclaimed Sibelius residencies at the Wiener Konzerthaus and Hamburg Elbphilharmonie and appearances at the Paris Philharmonie and BBC Proms, which received five-star reviews from both The London Times and Guardian.
