Danish National Symphonie Orchestra
Founded in 1925 as part of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra is one of Europe’s leading ensembles, performing with world-renowned conductors and soloists. Since 2016, its Chief Conductor has been Fabio Luisi, following the late Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos. Former chief and guest conductors include Herbert Blomstedt (conductor laureate), Thomas Dausgaard, Gerd Albrecht, Leif Segerstam, Dmitri Kitajenko, and Yuri Temirkanov.

The orchestra has collaborated with soloists such as Anne-Sophie Mutter, Leonidas Kavakos, Renée Fleming, Yo-Yo Ma, Leif Ove Andsnes, Lang Lang, Anna Netrebko, Daniel Barenboim, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Yehudi Menuhin, and Itzhak Perlman. It has toured extensively across the USA, South America, Japan, China, and Europe, performing at prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Berliner Philharmonie, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, and Musikverein – always with Danish music on the programme.

The orchestra has a special affinity for Danish music, from classics by Carl Nielsen and Niels W. Gade to works by emerging composers. Each year, over 100,000 music lovers experience the magic of live symphonic music at DR Koncerthuset and on the orchestra’s international tours. Its Thursday Concerts attract half a million Danish listeners on radio and TV, with millions more worldwide tuning in to broadcasts.

Herbert Blomstedt
Born in the United States to Swedish parents and educated in Uppsala, New York, Darmstadt, and Basel, Mr. Blomstedt gave his conducting debut in 1954 with the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and subsequently served as chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic, the Swedish and Danish radio orchestras, and the Staatskapelle Dresden. Later, he became Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony, chief conductor of the NDR Symphony Orchestra, and music director of the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig. His former orchestras in San Francisco, Leipzig, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Dresden, as well as the Bamberg Symphony and the NHK Symphony Orchestra, all honored him with the title of Conductor Laureate. Since 2019, he is an honorary member of the Vienna Philharmonic. Mr. Blomstedt holds several honorary doctorates, is an elected member of the Royal Swedish Music Academy, and was awarded the German Federal Cross of Merit. At the high age of 95, he continues to be at the helm of all leading international orchestras with enormous mental and physical presence, verve, and artistic drive.