One of the most important Polish symphony orchestras, as well as a versatile cultural institution. The ensemble was formed in 1935 in Warsaw by Grzegorz Fitelberg, who led it until the outbreak of World War II. In 1945 the orchestra was reactivated in Katowice by Witold Rowicki and in 1947 Grzegorz Fitelberg took over the artistic direction again. The ensemble has performed in the most famous concert halls and collaborated with the most prominent artists such as Leonard Bernstein, Martha Argerich, Plácido Domingo or Arthur Rubinstein. Premieres of their works were entrusted to the orchestra by Witold Lutosławski, Wojciech Kilar, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki and Krzysztof Penderecki, and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR) albums were released by renowned labels. Over the years, the orchestra has been led by distinguished conductors: Jan Krenz, Kazimierz Kord, Tadeusz Strugała, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Antoni Wit, Gabriel Chmura, Jacek Kaspszyk and Alexander Liebreich. Currently, the rich musical traditions of the orchestra are cultivated under the artistic direction of Lawrence Foster, and the function of chief executive and programme director is performed by Ewa Bogusz-Moore. The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra is based in a modern building designed by Konior Studio. In 2023 the concert hall – with its distinctive acoustics, overseen by Nagata Acoustics – will be equipped with a pipe organ. The extraordinary possibilities of this venue are widely recognized by the audience, artists and the music community, as evidenced by its admission to the European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO), which brings together the most prestigious concert halls in Europe.
