ISO
The Iceland Symphony Orchestra
The Iceland Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1950. It is among the youngest national symphony orchestras in Europe, and its high level of artistry is a remarkable feat by a nation of just 360.000 inhabitants.
The Orchestra is widely considered to be one of the leading Nordic orchestras. It gives approximately 60 concerts each season and is made up of 92 musicians from Iceland and abroad. Through its high performance standards and innovative programming, it continues to attract and fascinate audiences and is considered one of Iceland´s leading arts institutions.
The ISO´s season includes subscription concerts in Reykjavík, various educational programs and tours both in Iceland and abroad.
The ISO has made recordings for the Naxos, Chandos, and BIS labels of varied repertoire including Sibelius, Skalkottas, and Jón Leifs. In particular, the ISO´s ongoing series of the complete orchestral works of Jón Leifs have received great critical acclaim.
The British conductor Rumon Gamba was appointed Principal Conductor and Music Director of the ISO in 2002. Rumon Gamba has worked extensively with all the BBC orchestras, as well as most other leading UK Orchestras. Recent debuts have included the Munich Philharmonic, the Barcelona Symphony and the Toronto Symphony.
In 2002, Vladimir Ashkenazy became the first conductor to hold the post of Conductor Laureate of the ISO.
