The Stavanger Symphony Orchestra (Norwegian: Stavanger Symfoniorkester, SSO) is a symphony orchestra from Stavanger, Norway. The SSO gives concerts primarily in the Stavanger Konserthus. The SSO is scheduled to take up residence in the new Nytt konserthus i Stavanger IKS in September 2012.
The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation founded the orchestra in 1938 as the Stavanger musikerforenings orkester, for radio broadcasts. The orchestra's first artistic leader was the violinist Gunnar Knudsen, from 1938 to 1945. In 1965, the orchestra's name was changed to the Symfoniorkestret i Stavanger, and again in 1982 to its present name.
The American conductor Steven Sloane became the SSO's chief conductor in 2007, having been named to the post in May 2006, with an initial contract of 4 years.[1] Sloane is scheduled to conclude his Stavanger tenure in 2013. In September 2011, the SSO announced the appointment of Christian Vásquez as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2013-2014 season, with an initial contract of 4 years.[2] In addition to its chief conductor, the SSO has appointed conductors with a formal principal responsibility for early music programming, including Frans Brüggen (1990-1997), Philippe Herreweghe, and since 2006, Fabio Biondi.
The SSO has recorded commercially for such labels as BIS, including music of Harald Sæverud, Geirr Tveitt[3] and Fartein Valen.
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