Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Soon after it was founded by Eugen Jochum in 1949, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
developed into an internationally renowned orchestra. Its fame continues to expand through
intensive touring activities, including visits to almost every country in Europe, Asia, and
South America, as well as the US.
The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra numbers among the top 10 orchestras of the world,
according to rankings by several international music magazines. For many years, it was the
only German orchestra with which Leonard Bernstein regularly collaborated.
The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra has an extraordinarily wide ranging repertoire and
sound spectrum. This is not only attributed to the great flexibility of the musicians, but
also to the orchestra's previous chief conductors-Eugen Jochum, Rafael Kubelík, Sir Colin
Davis, and Lorin Maazel-and many renowned guest conductors, from Carlos Kleiber, Sir Georg
Solti, and Carlo Maria Giulini in the past, to Riccardo Muti, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Andris
Nelsons, and Sir Simon Rattle today.
Promoting contemporary music has been a long tradition of the orchestra through its
appearances in conjunction with the Musica Viva series founded in 1945. These legendary
performances have often been conducted by the composers themselves, including Igor
Stravinsky, Paul Hindemith, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Peter Eötvös. Early music concerts
include collaborations with experts in historical performance practice, including Nikolaus
Harnoncourt and Ton Koopman.
In October 2003, Mariss Jansons became chief conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony
Orchestra. He continues to expand the orchestra's discography, including the recording of
Shostakovich's 13th Symphony, which won the Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance in
2006. Since 2009, the orchestra has been releasing CDs and DVDs on Bavarian Broadcasting's
own label, BR-Klassik, earning many important national and international prizes.
Mariss Jansons
Mariss Jansons ranks among the most outstanding conductors of our time, regularly
performing with the world's major orchestras at venues and festivals such as Salzburg,
Lucerne, BBC Proms, and Edinburgh. He is not only recognized worldwide for his concerts,
touring activities, and television and radio broadcasts, but also for his numerous
recordings, many of which have received prestigious international prizes, including a
Grammy Award in 2006.
Following an early association with the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Mr. Jansons was
chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra (1979-2000) and music director of the
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (1997-2004). He currently holds the prestigious position of
chief conductor at both the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir and the Royal
Concertgebouw Orchestra. With both orchestras, he has appeared at all the world's most
important musical centers. His touring engagements have taken him to Japan, China,
Australia, South America, and the US.
Mr. Jansons regularly conducts some of the greatest orchestras in the world, including the
Berliner Philharmoniker, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, The
Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Boston and Chicago symphony orchestras.
For his outstanding achievements and profound contribution to cultural life, Mariss
Jansons was honored with the Ernst von Siemens Musikpreis in January 2013, the Medal of
Merit of St. Petersburg in March 2013, the German Federal Cross of Merit with Star in
October 2013, and the Knight of the Lion of the Netherlands in November 2013.