NARODOWA ORKIESTRA SYMFONICZNA POLSKIEGO RADIA W KATOWICACH / POLISH NATIONAL RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA IN KATOWICE

NOSPR is an ambassador of Polish culture on the international artistic scene. The Orchestra has collaborated with some of the greatest composers of the second half of the twentieth century, such as Witold Lutosławski, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki and Krzysztof Penderecki, presenting first performances of their works.

NOSPR was created in 1935 in Warsaw by Grzegorz Fitelberg, who led it until the outbreak of World War II. In 1945, the orchestra was revived in Katowice by Witold Rowicki. In 1947, the post of the artistic director was again taken by Fitelberg. After his death in 1953, the orchestra was headed successively by Jan Krenz, Bohdan Wodiczko, Kazimierz Kord, Tadeusz Strugała, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Stanisław Wisłocki, Jacek Kaspszyk, Antoni Wit, Gabriel Chmura, and again Jacek Kaspszyk. In September 2000, Joanna Wnuk-Nazarowa was appointed General and Programme Director. Stanisław Skrowaczewski holds the title of Principal Guest Conductor of the NOSPR and Jan Krenz is Honorary Director. Alexander Liebreich has held the posts of Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the NOSPR since 31 August 2012.

Apart from recording music for the Polish Radio, the Orchestra has also recorded more than 200 albums for leading labels, garnering awards such as the Diapason d’Or and Grand Prix du Disque de la Nouvelle Académie du Disque, Cannes Classical Award, and MIDEM Classical Award.

The NOSPR has performed with renowned conductors and soloists such as Martha Argerich, Leonard Bernstein, Rudolf Buchbinder, James Conlon, Plácido Domingo, Pierre Fournier, Nicolai Gedda, Barbara Hendricks, Julius Katchen, Leonidas Kavakos, Wilhelm Kempff, Kevin Kenner, Paul Kletzki, Kirill Kondrashin, Marguerite Long, Witold Lutosławski, Charles Mackerras, Misha Maisky, Neville Marriner, Kurt Masur, Shlomo Mintz, Ivan Monighetti, Garrick Ohlsson, Kun Woo Paik, Krzysztof Penderecki, Maurizio Pollini, Hermann Prey, Ruggiero Ricci, Mstislav Rostropovich, Artur Rubinstein, Jerzy Semkow, En Shao, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, Isaac Stern, Henryk Szeryng, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Pieter Wispelwey, Krystian Zimerman, and Nicolai Znaider.

The Orchestra has performed in nearly all European countries, the Americas, as well as in Japan, Hong Kong, China, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Taiwan and the Persian Gulf countries. In recent years, the NOSPR has presented some spectacular projects that have met with an excellent audience and critical reception (Marathon of Górecki’s Works, Train to Kilar’s Music, two editions of Musical Voyage, Górecki•Penderecki Festival – in celebration of the composers’ 75th anniversary). Since 2005, the NOSPR has organised a biennial event called Festival of World Premieres – Polish Modern Music. Since 2015 the Orchestra has organised another festival titled Culture Nature.

In October 2014 NOSPR inaugurated its new seat, a building designed by Konior Studio of Katowice with an acoustic system by Nagata Acoustics.