The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR) acts as an ambassador of Polish culture in the international artistic scene. The Orchestra has collaborated with some of the greatest composers of the second half of the 20th century, including Witold Lutosławski, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki and Krzysztof Penderecki, presenting the first performances of their works.
The NOSPR was founded in 1935 in Warsaw by Grzegorz Fitelberg, who led it until the outbreak of World War II. In 1945, the Orchestra was revived in Katowice by Witold Rowicki. In 1947, the post of Artistic Director was taken up again by Fitelberg. After his death in 1953, the Orchestra was headed in succession by Jan Krenz, Bohdan Wodiczko, Kazimierz Kord, Tadeusz Strugała, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Stanisław Wisłocki, Jacek Kaspszyk, Antoni Wit, Gabriel Chmura, once again by Jacek Kaspszyk, and Alexander Liebreich.
In September 2000, Joanna Wnuk-Nazarowa became General and Programme Director of the NOSPR, and since September 2018 Ewa Bogusz-Moore has served this function. Currently Lawrence Foster is Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the NOSPR.
Apart from recordings for the Polish Radio collection, the Orchestra has released over
200 albums under the most renowned record labels, winning such recognitions and awards as the Diapason d’Or and the Grand Prix du Disque de la Nouvelle Académie du Disque. Many distinguished conductors and soloists have performed with the NOSPR. The Orchestra has toured and appeared at festivals in nearly all the European countries, in the Americas, as well as in Japan, Hong Kong, China, Australia, New Zealand, Korea and in the Persian Gulf states. Its numerous and internationally acclaimed projects include Maraton twórczości Góreckiego [The Górecki Music Marathon], Pociąg do muzyki Kilara [The Train to Kilar’s Music], and Muzyczne podróże morskie [Musical Voyages].
Since 2005, the NOSPR has organised the Festival of World Premieres – Polish Modern Music, whose 7th edition was nominated for the 2017 Polish Music Coryphaeus Award in the category of Event of the Year. In 2015, the Orchestra also took up the organisation of the annual Katowice Kultura Natura Festival.
In 2018, the NOSPR won the ICMA (International Classical Music Awards) Special Achievement Award.
