The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra is the musical heart of the city of Rotterdam. Soon after its foundation in 1918, the ensemble evolved into one of the leading orchestras in the Netherlands.
Between 1930 and 1962, the orchestra came into its first period of bloom under the direction of Eduard Flipse. It was Flipse who laid the foundation for the tradition of precision ensemble playing which later became the orchestra's hallmark. After the appointment in 1973 of the then still very young conductor Edo de Waart, the orchestra gained international acclaim. De Waart conducted the Rotterdam Philharmonic in many outstanding recordings and on several successful international tours. Since 1995 the celebrated Russian conductor Valery Gergiev has been the orchestra's Music Director. He initiated the Gergiev Festival Rotterdam which has grown out to be one of the orchestra's major events.
The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra's repertoire not only covers all periods of music history, but music genres beyond the realm of the traditional as well. By frequently commissioning and performing premieres the orchestra keeps in touch with contemporary music. In addition, the orchestra is actively building on it's already substantial opera tradition. The annual opera productions in cooperation with the Netherlands Opera are received with unanimous praise by audiences and critics alike.
Each year, approximately 110,000 music lovers visit the Rotterdam Philharmonic's concerts in de Doelen, the most important centre of cultural life in Rotterdam.
Gergiev made his Dutch debut on 31 October 1987 . From 1988, he was a regular guest conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, until he was appointed Music Director in 1995. In cooperation with this orchestra he initiated the Rotterdam Philharmonic Gergiev Festival, which had its first edition in 1996.
Valery Gergiev has conducted all the world's major symphony orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he is a permanent guest conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York . Since January 2007, Maestro Gergiev is Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra.
During the Tenth Gergiev Festival (2005) Valery Gergiev was made a knight in the order of the Dutch Lion. One year later he was awarded with the Rotterdam Promotion Prize.
Официальный сайт Роттердамского филармонического оркестра: http://www.rpho.nl/
