Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra

The orchestra has achieved a distinguished international standing through its recordings, global tours, and commissions. Notably, it was nominated for the Orchestra of the Year in 2020 by Gramophone and clinched two Gramophone Classical Music Awards in 2021, winning Recording of the Year and Opera Award for the outstanding recording of Britten’s Peter Grimes.

In recent seasons, the Bergen Philharmonic has graced prestigious venues such as the Concertgebouw, BBC Proms, Wiener Musikverein, Konzerthaus, Carnegie Hall, Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, and Philharmonie in Berlin. The orchestra, along with Edward Gardner, earned critical acclaim for their production of Peter Grimes at the Edinburgh International Festival (2017) and Royal Festival Hall (2019). In 2022, the orchestra's presentation of Richard Strauss’ Salome at the Edinburgh International Festival was hailed as an artistic highlight.

Dedicated to outreach, the orchestra offers a free streaming service, Bergenphilive.no, featuring a diverse selection of works performed by the orchestra alongside various conductors and soloists.

The Bergen Philharmonic maintains an active recording schedule, covering a broad spectrum of projects, including Messiaen’s Turangalîla, Stravinsky's ballets, complete symphonies and concertos by Prokofiev, Bruckner symphonies, Mendelssohn symphonies, and the entire orchestral repertoire of Edvard Grieg.

Under the guidance of Edward Gardner, the orchestra has released an impressive series of recordings, encompassing works by Janáček, Schönberg’s Gurre-Lieder, Sibelius' songs, Grieg’s Piano Concerto and Incidental music to Peer Gynt, Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra and Rhapsodies with James Ehnes, Bartóks Bluebeard’s Castle, Brahms symphonies Nos 1 and 3, Schoenberg’s Erwartung and Pelleas und Melisande, Britten’s Peter Grimes with Stuart Skelton and Erin Wall, songs by Britten and Canteloube with soprano Mari Eriksmoen, a CD with saxophonist Marius Neset, The Tempest by Arne Nordheim, and a CD featuring Carl Nielsen’s Violin Concerto (James Ehnes) and Symphony No. 4.

Chief Conductor Edward Gardner, concluding his tenure with the Bergen Philharmonic at the end of the 2023/24 season, simultaneously serves as Principal Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Beginning August 2024, Gardner will assume the Music Directorship of the Norwegian Opera and Ballet (DNO&B), having commenced his role as Artistic Advisor in February 2022.

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