A radio orchestra (or broadcast orchestra ) is an orchestra employed by a radio network (and sometimes television networks ) in order to provide programming as well as sometimes perform incidental or theme music for various shows on the network. In the heyday of radio such orchestras were numerous, performing classical, popular, light music and jazz. However, in recent decades, broadcast orchestras have become increasingly rare. Those that still exist perform mainly classical and contemporary orchestral music, though broadcast light music orchestras, jazz orchestras and big bands are still employed by some radio stations in Europe.
19-730: The NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra (German: NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester ) is a German radio orchestra . Affiliated with the Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR; North German Broadcasting), the orchestra is based at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany. Earlier the ensemble was called the NDR Symphony Orchestra ( Sinfonieorchester des Norddeutschen Rundfunks ), and was also known in English as
38-845: A Big Band in Frankfurt and the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Berlin. The British Broadcasting Corporation operates five full-time permanent orchestras, as well as a full-time chamber choir, the BBC Singers and the BBC Big Band . Denmark also maintains orchestra in the form of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra , the Danish Radio Big Band , Chamber Orchestra and Radio Choir. In Norway NRK runs
57-719: A Big Band, Southwest German Broadcasting ( SWR ) with one orchestra (2016 merged) and the SWR Big Band in Stuttgart and Baden-Baden/Freiburg, Bavarian Broadcasting ( BR ) with two orchestras in Munich, Central German Broadcasting ( MDR ) with one orchestra in Leipzig, Saarland Broadcasting ( SR ) with one orchestra (2006 merged) in Saarbrücken/Kaiserslautern, Hessian Broadcasting ( HR ) with one orchestra and
76-1000: A year. In the Netherlands, the Muziekcentrum van de Omroep ( Broadcasting Music Centre ), an umbrella organization of the Netherlands Public Broadcasting associations, supports the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest , the Radio Kamer Filharmonie , the Groot Omroepkoor ( Netherlands Radio Choir ), and the Metropole Orkest , the world's largest professional pop and jazz orchestra. The last surviving broadcast orchestra in North America
95-803: Is a Japanese broadcast orchestra based in Tokyo. The orchestra gives concerts in several venues, including the NHK Hall , Suntory Hall , and the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. The orchestra was founded as the New Symphony Orchestra on October 5, 1926, by Hidemaro Konoye , and was the country's first professional symphony orchestra . Later, it changed its name to the Japan Symphony Orchestra . In 1951, after receiving financial support from NHK ,
114-736: The Late Show with David Letterman whimsically called itself the CBS Orchestra though it was not a classical musical orchestra and did not perform on CBS outside of the Late Show . The last permanent studio orchestra in America was The Tonight Show Band , also known as the NBC Orchestra, a big band led by trumpeter Doc Severinsen . NHK Symphony Orchestra The NHK Symphony Orchestra ( NHK交響楽団 , NHK Kōkyō Gakudan )
133-535: The NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester . In June 2017, the orchestra announced the scheduled conclusion of Hengelbrock's tenure with the ensemble at the close of the 2018–2019 season. Alan Gilbert had served as principal guest conductor of the orchestra from 2004 to 2015. In June 2017, the orchestra announced the appointment of Gilbert as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2019–2020 season, with an initial contract of 5 seasons. He took
152-512: The North German Radio Symphony Orchestra . British occupation authorities founded the orchestra after World War II as part of Radio Hamburg (NWDR), which was the only radio station in what would become West Germany not destroyed during the war. The first musicians came mostly from the ranks of the old Nazi -controlled Großes Rundfunkorchester des Reichssenders Hamburg . Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt , who
171-498: The Norwegian Radio Orchestra (Norwegian, Kringkastingsorkestret, abbreviated as KORK). The orchestra specializes in classical music as well as popular music. This makes it quite unique in that the musicians are trained both classically and rhythmically to a high degree. The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Stavanger Symphony Orchestra also have agreements with NRK too make a number of broadcast recordings
190-689: The USSR State Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra among other names) founded in 1930. Germany has an especially large number of radio orchestras. Eleven radio orchestras perform and produce classical as well as contemporary music and jazz for the North German Broadcasting ( NDR ) with two orchestras in Hamburg and Hanover as well as the NDR Big Band. West German Broadcasting ( WDR ) has two orchestras in Cologne and
209-536: The end of the 2017–2018 season, one season earlier than originally planned. Other principal guest conductors of the orchestra have included Krzysztof Urbanski , who served from 2015 to 2020. In February 2023, the orchestra announced the extension of Gilbert's contract as chief conductor through the summer of 2029. Radio orchestra Famous broadcast orchestras include the NBC Symphony Orchestra (1937–1954) conducted by Arturo Toscanini ,
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#1732786888478228-972: The five orchestras maintained by the BBC , particularly the BBC Symphony Orchestra founded in 1930, the MDR Symphony Orchestra founded in 1923, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra founded in 1949, the Tokyo-based NHK Symphony Orchestra , the Danish National Symphony Orchestra founded in 1925, the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra founded in 1969 and the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio (formerly
247-541: The orchestra for the RCA Victor Red Seal and EMI labels. The orchestra has also recorded for the Deutsche Grammophon and CPO labels. Thomas Hengelbrock became chief conductor of the orchestra with the 2011–2012 season, with an initial contract of three years. In January 2017, the orchestra took up its new residence at the newly opened Elbphilharmonie , and formally changed its name to
266-576: The orchestra took its current name. The most recent conductor with the title of music director of the orchestra was Vladimir Ashkenazy , from 2004 to 2007. Ashkenazy now has the title of conductor laureate. Charles Dutoit , the orchestra's music director from 1998 to 2003, is now its music director emeritus. Wolfgang Sawallisch , honorary conductor from 1967 to 1994, held the title of honorary conductor laureate until his death. The orchestra's current permanent conductors are Yuzo Toyama, since 1979, and Tadaaki Otaka , since 2010. Herbert Blomstedt holds
285-583: The re-opening in Manchester of the Free Trade Hall . In addition to its performances of the core classical and romantic repertoire by composers such as Beethoven and Bruckner , the orchestra also has a focus on contemporary works by Bernd Alois Zimmermann , Wolfgang Rihm and Hans Werner Henze . It rose to particular significance during the chief conductorship of Günter Wand , from 1982 to 1990. Wand conducted several commercial recordings with
304-498: The title of chief conductor-designate in the autumn of 2017. In December 2017, Hengelbrock expressed his displeasure with the timing of the announcement of Gilbert as his designated successor, within the same month as the original announcement of the previously scheduled conclusion of his tenure. Hengelbrock thus announced his intention to stand down as chief conductor of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra at
323-547: The title of honorary conductor, since 1986 and the title of honorary conductor laureate, since 2016. André Previn had the title of honorary guest conductor from 2012 until his death in 2019. In June 2012, the orchestra named Paavo Järvi as its next chief conductor, as of the 2015–2016 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. Järvi's most recent contract extension with the NHK Symphony, announced in November 2019,
342-456: Was living near Hamburg, was given the task of assembling the members, something he accomplished over a period of six months. Schmidt-Isserstedt conducted the orchestra's first concert in November 1945, with Yehudi Menuhin as soloist . Schmidt-Isserstedt served as the first chief conductor of the orchestra, through 1971. The orchestra first visited the UK in 1951, as part of the concerts celebrating
361-828: Was the CBC Radio Orchestra founded in 1938. On March 28, 2008 the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation announced that the orchestra would be dissolved at the end of November. The ensemble has continued independent of network affiliation as the National Broadcast Orchestra based in Vancouver. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in Australia operates six state radio symphony orchestras through its subdivision Symphony Australia . The house band for
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