Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra

Since 1935 the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra has been an international ambassador for Polish culture.
Founded in Warsaw by Grzegorz Fitelberg who led it until the outbreak of World War II, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra was revived in in the city of Katowice by Witold Rowicki and has performed in nearly all the European countries, in the Americas, as well as in Japan, Hong Kong, China, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Taiwan and in the Persian Gulf countries.

The Orchestra has collaborated with some of the greatest composers of the second half of the 20th century, has made recordings for Polish Radio and recorded more than 200 albums for many renowned record companies (including Decca, EMI, Philips, Naxos and Chandos).

In the recent years, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra has implemented some spectacular projects which have been very well received by audiences and reviewers alike. Since 2005, the Orchestra has organised a biennial event called The Festival of World Premieres of Polish Modern Music. The Orchestra celebrated its 80th anniversary in the 2015/2016 season.

Since 2014, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice has been operating in a new building, designed by Polish architect Tomasz Konior and among the largest and most modern music venues in the world. It contains a main concert hall with a seating capacity of 1,800 and a smaller hall for 300 concertgoers.

In the recent years, the NOSPR has implemented some spectacular projects which have been very well received by audiences and reviewers alike (The Marathon of Górecki’s Works, two editions of Musical Sea Voyage,The Górecki•Penderecki Festival – in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the artist’s birth). Since 2005, the NOSPR has been the organiser of the biennial event called The Festival of World Premieres Polish Modern Music. The Orchestra celebrated its 80th anniversary in the 2015/2016 season.

The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice has been operating in a new building located at Wojciech Kilar Square since 1 October 2014. Polish architect Tomasz Konior and his team designed the building, among the largest and most modern music venues in the world. The acoustics were designed by world-renowned Japanese acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota who works for Nagata Acoustics Company. It contains a main concert hall with a seating capacity of 1800 and a smaller one for 300 concertgoers.