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64-450: Eva Ollikainen has been chief conductor and artistic director of the orchestra since September 2020. Osmo Vänskä is the orchestra's honorary conductor and Vladimir Ashkenazy holds the post of Conductor Laureate. Daníel Bjarnason is the orchestra's artist-in-association. Anna Thorvaldsdottir became the orchestra's composer-in-residence in 2018. Víkingur Heiðar Ólafsson joined the roster in 2021 as artist in residence and Bertrand de Billy

128-537: A Master of Music degree in piano. She studied conducting with Jorma Panula and Leif Segerstam . Ollikainen has been a member of the Finnish contemporary ensemble Uusinta , and has premiered several works by Finnish composers. In 2003, Ollikainen won the second Jorma Panula Conductors' Competition. She first guest-conducted the Iceland Symphony Orchestra in 2005. In the summer of 2006, she

192-457: A February and March 1996 US tour. Vänskä was criticized by several Icelandic composers for not giving priority to Icelandic compositions on ISO's concerts. His reply to these criticisms was summarized in a 1996 interview: "Icelandic music should not be on the ISO’s repertoire unless it is truly deserving. It is the music’s quality, not origin, which is most important." In 2014, Vänskä signed a contract as

256-510: A concert of the ISO on 22 February 1960 when Chopin's 150th anniversary was celebrated. The collaboration was fruitful and Wodiczko conducted ten more concerts during the following season. In 1965 he signed a three-year contract as principal conductor. Wodiczko had a reputation as a recluse who confined his social life in Iceland to the company of orchestra members. During his stay in Iceland, Wodiczko

320-613: A concert of the ISO on 9 June 1972 as part of the Reykjavik Arts Festival when held for the second time. His conservative taste in music resulted in a highly conventional repertoire and little risk-taking. Andersen held office as principal conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra while working with the ISO and traveled frequently between Norway and Iceland, spending on average one week every month in Iceland. Andersen's time in office marks

384-610: A concert. At the 2021 Icelandic Music Awards that month, the ISO won Best Group Performer in the Classical and Contemporary Music category. In October 2021, Víkingur Ólafsson was appointed artist-in-residence for the Iceland Symphony Orchestra's next season, with his residency beginning November 18, 2021. Daníel Bjarnason , as an ISO artist-in-collaboration, was named as director of one of the concerts, among others. When Ólafsson had toured in late 2019 after he

448-499: A considerable extent. In 2007, Barbara the clown (played by Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir) performed as concert announcer for the first time and in 2008, the ISO introduced Maximús Músíkús, a mouse mascot aimed at young children. In family concerts, Barbara and Maximús became regular guests. In 2012, the ISO held its first annual Tectonics Festival at the Harpa Concert Hall, as created by Ilan Volkov , chief conductor. In 2013,

512-481: A contract was made between the two institutions, loosening the ISO's players from their former duties as unpaid participants in the theatre's performances. In 1961, the ISO was transferred to its new residence in Háskólabíó, Reykjavík's largest movie theatre. This was the first time that the ISO was able to practice on a permanent basis on the same location as its concerts were held. However, dissatisfaction grew since

576-524: A lease on Keflavík Airport near Reykjavík, which was of major strategic importance during the Cold War . Bjarni was caricatured by the Nobel prize winning writer Halldór Laxness in his 1948 play Atómstöðin ( The Atom Station ). In 1956, when the left-wing parties formed a coalition government, Bjarni, out of office, became editor of Morgunblaðið , a leading conservative newspaper. In 1959, when

640-438: A lot of French music to Icelandic listeners. There are several French composers I would have liked to play here, like Boulez and Messiaen, but the orchestra is simply too small." Newspaper articles and memoirs of ISO's members describe Jacquillat as an extrovert and embracing personality. Jacquillat died in a car accident merely three months after completing his contract with the ISO. Petri Sakari (1987–1993, 1996–1998) Sakari,

704-663: A number of them could be found on the ISO's YouTube channel. The group again hosted Tectonics Reykjavik in 2014, had recently worked with the metal band Skálmöld , and made its first appearance at The Proms in London, England . In 2015, Tectonics was again held in Harpa, as was the ISO-associated Dark Music Days. In May 2016, the ISO performed two shows with Emilíana Torrini in an unplugged show at Harpa Concert Hall, conducted by Hugh Brunt . In October 2016,

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768-683: A professor at the University of Iceland at age 24. He was elected to the city council in Reykjavík in 1934 as a member of the Independence Party and from 1940 to 1947 was mayor of the city. In 1947 he became Foreign Minister and served in various posts in cabinets until 1956. Bjarni was mainly responsible for Iceland joining NATO in 1949, against significant opposition, and for giving the United States Air Force

832-416: A violinist, was markedly ambitious about training the orchestra's string players. He conducted the ISO for the first time in 1986 and described his relationship with the orchestra as "love at first sight". During his time as principal conductor, the ISO signed a contract of recording ten albums with Chandos Records . Sakari conducted the orchestra on most of them. Sakari also conducted the ISO in recordings of

896-491: Is a Finnish conductor. In 2019, Ollikainen was appointed chief conductor and artistic director of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra , in a four-year contract to commence with the 2021 season. Ollikainen began piano studies at the age of 3, and also learned the violin and French horn . She started conducting studies at the age of 12. She attended the Sibelius Academy from 1994 to 2002 and graduated in 2002 with

960-412: The 1960s and 1970s, the ISO gradually grew and developed. No formal regulations existed on the orchestra's management and its relationship with sponsors was more or less random. In 1976, Vilhjálmur Hjálmarsson , minister of culture, appointed a committee to write a parliamentary bill for the ISO. The committee wrote a draft which was rearranged by a new committee, appointed in 1978. The proposals underlined

1024-423: The 2018–2019 season, with an initial contract of three seasons. This appointment marked Ollikainen's first chief conductorship, and she is the first female conductor to be named to this post. In June 2019, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of Ollikainen as its next chief conductor and artistic advisor, effective for the 2020–2021 season, with an initial contract through 2024. According to

1088-513: The 2020–2021 season. Bjarni Benediktsson (born 1908) Bjarni Benediktsson (30 April 1908 – 10 July 1970) was an Icelandic politician of the Independence Party who served as prime minister of Iceland from 1963 to 1970. His father, Benedikt Sveinsson  [ is ] (1877–1954), was a leader in the independence movement in Iceland and a member of the Althingi from 1908 to 1931. Bjarni studied constitutional law and became

1152-562: The 2021 season. In February 2020, the ISO played Usher Hall in Edinburgh with Yan Pascal Tortelier conducting. That month, the orchestra was nominated for five Icelandic Music Awards . In June 2020, it was announced Björk would perform with sections of the orchestra that August at Harpa. On August 29, 2020, after a 20-day delay, Björk postponed the live-streamed series to 2021. In January and February 2021, Björk also planned to play at Harpa. The plans were scrapped due to COVID-19. After

1216-449: The ISO are said to have received a particularly harsh treatment from Kielland. Nevertheless, Kielland's arrival was generally acclaimed in the papers and seen as clear step forward for the young orchestra. Kielland's three-year contract expired in 1955 and was not renewed. After his departure from the ISO, no principal conductor was employed on a permanent basis until 1965. Bohdan Wodiczko (1965–1968, 1970–1971) Wodiczko first conducted

1280-481: The ISO had miscarried up to a point: Yan Pascal Tortelier (2016–2018) In October 2015, the ISO announced the appointment of Yan Pascal Tortelier as principal conductor, as of the 2016–2017 season. He had first guest-conducted the ISO at the Reykjavik Arts Festival in 1998. Tortelier concluded his ISO tenure in 2019. Eva Ollikainen (2020–present) Eva Ollikainen first guest-conducted

1344-456: The ISO in 2005. She returned as guest conductor with the ISO on three occasions between 2007 and 2010, and once again in February 2019. In June 2019, the ISO announced the appointment of Ollikainen as its next chief conductor and artistic advisor, effective with the 2020–2021 season, with an initial contract through 2024. Ollikainen is the first female conductor to be named chief conductor of

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1408-439: The ISO in interviews, declaring that the orchestra had made great improvements during the last years. Since 2001, Ashkenazy has conducted the ISO annually. In April 2002, he was appointed conductor laureate of the ISO and has held the position since. On 4 My 2011, he conducted the orchestra for the first time at the inaugural concert of Harpa Concert Hall. Eva Ollikainen Eva Ollikainen (born 12 February 1982, Espoo )

1472-408: The ISO offered season tickets and subscription packages for the first time. The subscription system was based on four types or "series": Yellow series (large orchestral works, local soloists), Red series (solo concertos, foreign soloists), Green series (accessible music, e.g. Viennese waltzes and operettas) and Blue series (contemporary music and Icelandic works). The system underwent some changes during

1536-515: The ISO performed certain parts of the score for the 1940 Fantasia , in an event organized with the Reykjavik International Film Festival . Composer Anna Thorvaldsdóttir took up a residency with the ISO in early 2019. Later that year, she performed at ISO's hosted Dark Music Days event. Also that year, Eva Ollikainen was appointed chief conductor and artistic director in a four-year contract to commence with

1600-428: The ISO some years ago, I’m sure most of the orchestra’s players agree that he is nowhere near being a first-class conductor." Ashkenazy moved to Switzerland in 1978, around the same time as his disagreement with the ISO became public. He did not collaborate with the ISO for over twenty years, but on 18 January 2001, he conducted the orchestra for the first time after the long break. During the same time, Ashkenazy praised

1664-656: The ISO was again nominated for a Grammy in 2021: for Best Orchestral Performance for Concurrence at the 2021 Grammy Awards , losing to the Los Angeles Philharmonic . In 2021, the ISO performed the score for the film Katla . The ISO performed for some 5,000 people receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in Reykjavik's mass vaccination center in April 2021, after contacting vaccination official and asking to play

1728-451: The ISO's company union, expressed her disappointment in an interview with Morgunblaðið where a strong sense of dissension can be noted: "If Vladimir Ashkenazy wants to compare the ISO with the world’s first-rate orchestras, we must be allowed to reply in the same spirit and compare his talents as conductor with some of the excellent conductors who have worked with us during the last few years. Even if he has improved since his first attempts with

1792-472: The ISO's management, Saccani proposed increased sponsorship as a solution to prevent financial difficulties. Saccani renewed his contract in 2000 and was supposed to serve as conductor until 2002, but in March 2001, he abruptly abandoned the position, left the country and was unreachable for weeks. Several rumors surrounded Saccani's retirement: An opinion poll is said to have been held among the ISO's players where

1856-507: The ISO's principal guest conductor. His contract was renewed in 2016 and Vänskä held the post until 2020. In 2017, the ISO named Vänskä its honorary conductor. Rico Saccani (1998–2001) Saccani conducted the ISO regularly as a guest conductor from 1987 before becoming principal conductor in 1998. When asked about his aims for the ISO, Saccani declared that he wanted to focus on more southern and operatic styles of music and highlight compositions by Italian, Spanish and French composers. As for

1920-441: The ISO's transfer to Harpa Concert Hall and he was frequently asked to comment on the building's qualities in the media. Shortly after he started working in Iceland, Volkov stated in an interview that he had accepted the position because he was interested in finding a venue where he could develop his ideas more freely. Two and a half years later, shortly before the end of his term in position, Volkov confessed that his initial aims for

1984-441: The ISO's unbroken period of principal conductors. Jean-Pierre Jacquillat (1978–1986) Jacquillat introduced French impressionistic compositions in the ISO's repertoire in a greater degree than any of his predecessors. When asked in a 1986 interview whether he considered himself to have acquired anything positive as principal conductor, Jacquillat replied: "It is up to others to judge. In any case, I can boast of having introduced

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2048-433: The ISO?" Gamba conducted the ISO in several recordings for Chandos Records and greatly emphasized the value of recordings to make the orchestra visible on the international scene. Gamba's repertoire was diversified, and among ISO's projects during his period was playing all of Shostakovich's symphonies over a five-year period. Ilan Volkov (2011–2014) Ilan Volkov's inauguration as principal conductor nearly coincided with

2112-562: The Iceland Symphony Orchestra. In April 2024, the orchestra announced that Ollikainen is to conclude her tenure as its chief conductor at the close of the 2025-2026 season. Barbara Hannigan (designate, effective 2026) In 2022, Barbara Hannigan first-guest conducted the ISO. In May 2024, the ISO named her its next chief conductor and artistic director, effective in 2026, with an initial contract of three years. Vladimir Ashkenazy became an Icelandic citizen in 1972, eleven years after marrying Icelandic piano player Þórunn Jóhannsdóttir. He

2176-781: The Independence Party formed a coalition government with the Social Democrats, Bjarni became Minister of Justice . He served as speaker of the Althing in 1959. Two years later he was elected chairman of the Independence Party and in 1963 he took over from Ólafur Thors as Prime Minister. When Bjarni became prime minister, he received a congratulatory letter from the president of the United States , John F. Kennedy , only six days before his assassination . Bjarni served in this position until his death, which

2240-421: The acoustics of Háskólabíó were considered unsatisfactory for orchestra concerts. Bohdan Wodiczko, principal conductor, expressed his dislike of Háskólabíó early on and for the next decades, similar views are frequent in interviews with conductors, players and other people connected with the ISO. Háskólabíó remained the orchestra's main venue for fifty years until the opening of Harpa Concert Hall in 2011. During

2304-482: The board decided to seek renewed ties with RÚV and reshape the ISO as a de facto department of the radio. The board was divided on the issue and chairman Jónsson was opposed to the shift. The final result, however, was a rearrangement of the orchestra as a subdivision of RÚV. The arrangement was intended as a temporary solution but remained unchanged until 1982 when Alþingi passed a law on the ISO. Collaboration with Þjóðleikhúsið remained virtually unchanged until 1971 when

2368-428: The complete symphonies by Jean Sibelius , made for Naxos Records in 1998–2000. Sakari often described his views on how the ISO's board might improve the orchestra's conditions, e.g. by hiring more players, financing more trips abroad and creating the position of assistant conductor. Osmo Vänskä (1993–1996) Vänskä's period as conductor was marked by considerable activity on the international music scene, including

2432-540: The contract, she was involved in at least four weeks during the season at the Harpa Concert Hall , and involved with international tours. Ollikainen was the first female conductor to be named ISO chief conductor. In November 2019, Orchestra della Toscana in Florence also announced the appointment of Ollikainen as its next principal conductor, the first female conductor to be named to the post, effective for

2496-612: The end of the season. Duration of tours was typically between one and two weeks. The orchestra's first trip abroad was to the Faroe Islands in 1977. The upsurge that started in 1956 was not to be long-lasting. In 1960, the orchestra's board found itself relapsing into financial difficulties, partly due to a high inflation which annually reduced the Icelandic króna's purchasing power by around 10%. Attendance to concerts remained moderate and earnings were negligible. In February 1961,

2560-466: The first half of the century. Among the most influential were Franz Mixa (1902–1994), Victor Urbancic (1903–1958) and Wilhelm Lanzky-Otto (1909–1991). During the late-forties, the dream of a professional orchestra loomed ever larger in public discussion in Iceland. A group of musicians, led by composers Páll Ísólfsson (1893-1974) and Jón Þórarinsson (1917-2012), wrote a formal proposal to the government where suggestions of administration and ownership of

2624-496: The first twelve months of the collaboration with RÚV, the orchestra was run at a great loss. Bjarni Benediktsson, minister of culture, appointed a committee for heightened efficiency of the management. Debates in Parliament followed and since increased subscription fees for RÚV seemed the most logical conclusion, no agreement was reached on the matter. Consequently, the activity of ISO came to a halt and no concerts were held during

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2688-542: The importance of the ISO's independence towards RÚV and Þjóðleikhúsið – the orchestra should be able to stand on its own and not only serve as a satellite of the other two institutions. The parliamentary bill was approved in Alþingi on 26 April 1982. After the passing of the ISO law in 1982, the orchestra received provisions on the national budget. The number of players in the ISO subsequently grew, with 40 salaried players in 1950, 65 in 1986, 72 in 2000 and 95 in 2016. In 1986,

2752-440: The next years and in 2016, it was arranged as follows: Red series (with a primary focus on large orchestral works), Yellow series (mostly Classical and early Romantic works), Green series (popular favourites) and Blue series (family concerts). Collaborating with Icelandic schools and holding school concerts where students of various ages are invited in groups, during the 2000s, ISO expanded its child targeted marketing and promotion to

2816-472: The orchestra provided music for theatrical performances. Of the forty founding members, fourteen came from out of Iceland. This made the ISO an unconventional organization in Iceland since the country's level of immigration had always been extremely low. In 1954, the running of the ISO was incorporated into RÚV. This meant that the orchestra's members had more job security and more wage stability than before. However, attendance to concerts remained low and after

2880-437: The planned orchestra were put forward. Eysteinn Jónsson (1906-1993), minister of culture, introduced a bill in Parliament during the winter of 1947-1948 where a special fund for the management of an orchestra was planned. Jónsson's bill assumed that financial support should come from The National Radio ( Ríkisútvarpið ; RÚV), The Reykjavík Music Society (Tónlistarfélag Reykjavíkur) and The National Theatre ( Þjóðleikhúsið ), which

2944-451: The players of the ISO as "semi-professionals". In the interview, Ashkenazy even made the following expression when speaking about the players of the ISO: "Sometimes they produce interesting musical performances but technically they are not very good. You have to treat them as children." The comment was harshly received by members, organizers and spokesmen of the ISO. Helga Hauksdóttir, chairman of

3008-452: The principal guest at the festival was composer Christian Wolff . In July 2014, the ISO had 92 members, of whom around 80% were natives to Iceland. The ISO around 2015 held around 60 concerts annually. Concerts were broadcast live on RÚV's Rás 1 (national radio station). In March 2015, the ISO began collaborating with Icelandic telephone company Síminn , broadcasting videos of chosen concerts. Video recordings were accessible to subscribers, but

3072-513: The public response was marked by lack of interest. Wage disputes were frequent and members of the orchestra, most of whom worked part-time, regularly consulted their unions. In early 1953, members of the orchestra went on strike on account of overdue wage payments. Only a few weeks after the ISO's inauguration, Þjóðleikhúsið opened for the first time, and the two institutions maintained a close alliance for several years. The ISO had no venue of its own so concerts were normally held in Þjóðleikhúsið, and

3136-459: The results were confidential and clearly expressing a negative view towards the conductor. On May 18, Saccani published an announcement where he stated that he left because of illness. Rumon Gamba (2002–2010) Gamba was 29 years old when engaged at the ISO, thereby becoming the youngest principal conductor in the orchestra's history. He often underlined the ISO's key role in promoting Icelandic music: "Which orchestra should take care of it if not

3200-496: The same year as principal guest conductor. Kornilios Michailidis was appointed as conductor-in-residence 2021. The first known instance of an orchestra concert in Iceland was on May 22, 1921, when a group of 20 jobbing musicians played for King Christian X of Denmark who was on official visit in the country. The same basic group and its conductor, composer Þórarinn Guðmundsson, became the founding members of an official orchestra, The Reykjavík Orchestra (Hljómsveit Reykjavíkur; RO), in

3264-413: The same year. The RO remained virtually the only functional orchestra in Iceland until the founding of the ISO in 1950. Among the highpoints of The RO's operating time was a celebration in Þingvellir on the occasion of the 1000-year-anniversary of the Icelandic national Parliament in 1930, which saw the premiere of several compositions by Icelandic composers. Among other steps toward the foundation of ISO

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3328-519: The shows were rescheduled due to COVID-19 regulations, new dates were announced in September, and starting October 11, 2021, Björk performed four shows at Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall, collaborating with the ISI on a dozen songs from her various albums. The shows were live-streamed. By January 2021, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra released the recording Occurrence on the record label Sono Luminus . It

3392-533: The winter 1955–1956. In March 1956, advances were made towards restoring the ISO as a private institution and reinstating routine performances. A new board was appointed, headed by Ragnar Jónsson, book publisher and art patron. Operating summaries and work schedules gradually became better organized. The orchestra's title had previously been Sinfóníuhljómsveitin ("The Symphony Orchestra") but was now formally changed to Sinfóníuhljómsveit Íslands (The Icelandic Symphony Orchestra). Bjarni Benediktsson , minister of culture,

3456-425: Was a Tanglewood Music Center conducting fellow, the only fellow that year who already had agency representation. She returned as guest conductor with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra on three occasions between 2007 and 2010, and once again in February 2019. In June 2017, Sweden's Nordic Chamber Orchestra ( Nordiska Kammarorkestern ) announced the appointment of Ollikainen as its next chief conductor, effective for

3520-647: Was awarded the Brightest Hope prize at the Icelandic Music Awards , after being nominated in 2011. Olav Kielland (1952–1955) Kielland introduced a degree of discipline and professionalism unmatched in earlier stages of the Icelandic music world. He wrote a code of conduct that was supposed to apply during the orchestra's practice sessions. Kielland was considered a temperamental and colorful character and several anecdotes survive from members who served under his command. The German players of

3584-509: Was greatly motivated by his ambition to enhance the local cultural scene; in a 1961 interview he stated that his monthly salary with the ISO roughly equalled the amount they would receive for a single concert in Europe. The ISO's repertoire underwent considerable changes during Wodiczko's time in office, moving enhancingly towards modern music instead of classical and romantic compositions. Karsten Andersen (1973–1978) Andersen first conducted

3648-433: Was held so the orchestra's foundation date is considered March 9, 1950 when its first concert took place. At the outset, the ISO was efficient in concerting and gave fifteen public performances during its first year of existence. However, the beginning was unpromising from a financial perspective: Operating costs were higher than applied to any other musical institution of the country, no budget estimates had yet been made and

3712-577: Was named Gramophone Artist of 2019, Daníel Bjarnason conducted his performance with the ISO. In 2009, the ISO's Youth orchestra was established. Each year around 100 music school students form the Iceland Symphony Youth Orchestra. The Orchestra has performed Symphony no. 5 and Symphony no. 10 by Dimitri Shostakovich , The Planets by Gustav Holst , Symphony no. 5 by Gustav Mahler , and The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky . In 2016, The ISO's Youth Orchestra

3776-421: Was not yet in operation. The rest of the funding was supposed to come from a tax imposed on movie tickets. However, there was no agreement on the bill in Parliament as MPs representing constituencies outside Reykjavík expressed great antagonism to the idea. In 1950, the steering committee of RÚV agreed to experimentally finance the activity of an orchestra of 40 members for a few months. No formal inaugural meeting

3840-462: Was one of the main instigators of Reykjavik Arts Festival which was held for the first time in 1970. Ashkenazy collaborated with the ISO for the first time as soloist on 19 December 1971 and for the first time as conductor on 12 October 1972. He conducted the orchestra fourteen times during the next six years, but in September 1978, an interview was published in Gramophone where Ashkenazy described

3904-405: Was performed by the ISO and featured Pekka Kuusisto "leading the violin concerto that Daniel Bjarnason wrote for him," with Bjarnason conducting. The album contains compositions by Anna Þorvaldsdóttir , Haukur Tómasson , María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir and Páll Ragnar Pálsson , and features the soloists Sæunn Þorsteinsdóttir and Víkingur Heiðar Ólafsson . After being last nominated in 2009,

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3968-475: Was reprimanded, most notably Jón Leifs (1899-1968), composer and conductor, who had studied at the Leipzig Conservatory during World War I. Leifs emphasized the inevitable need of a decent symphony orchestra lest Iceland should lag behind other civilized countries. Furthermore, the growing music industry was stimulated by a handful of European musicians who came to live and work in Iceland during

4032-588: Was the foundation of the Reykjavík Music School (Tónlistarskóli Reykjavíkur) in 1930 and the foundation of The Icelandic Federation of Musicians (Félag íslenskra hljóðfæraleikara, later renamed Félag íslenskra hljómlistarmanna; FÍH) in 1939, which became the most influential trade union of musicians in Iceland during the 20th century. Several reputable Icelandic musicians, composers and music enthusiasts wrote articles in local newspapers during this period where Iceland's primitive state of musical culture

4096-468: Was the main advocate of the new title and showed great interest in defining the orchestra as a national treasure. One factor of this approach was the idea of habitually touring the orchestra around the whole country instead of limiting concerts to Reykjavík alone. The ISO's first performance outside Reykjavík was in Akureyri on 21 May 1956. The following years, annual concert tours took place, normally at

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