National Symphony Orchestra (Ireland) facts for kids

The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is Ireland's biggest professional orchestra. It used to be called the Radio Éireann Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ Symphony Orchestra, and RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra. Since January 2022, the NSO has been based at the National Concert Hall in Dublin. Before that, it was the main orchestra for RTÉ, Ireland's public radio and TV station. The NSO is very important to Irish culture and sometimes travels around Ireland to perform.

The Orchestra's Journey: A Brief History

Early Days of Radio Music (1926-1940s)

In 1926, a national radio station started broadcasting from Dublin. To play music for listeners, the station hired musicians. These musicians often performed together on the radio and in concerts. They were like a small orchestra. Many musicians came from the Army School of Music. By 1946, this group, known as the Radio Éireann Orchestra, had grown to 40 musicians.

Growing into a Symphony Orchestra (1948)

In 1948, the radio station, now called Radio Éireann, made the orchestra much bigger. They invited musicians from all over Europe to join. Ireland had been a neutral country during World War II, so it was not damaged like other European countries. This made it easy to attract talented musicians from places that were still recovering. The new, larger group was named the Radio Éireann Symphony Orchestra (RESO).

New Name and New Home (1961-1989)

In 1961, Ireland also started a television service. The broadcasting company became known as Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). The orchestra's name changed to the RTÉ Symphony Orchestra (RTÉSO). It was now seen as Ireland's main national orchestra.

In 1981, the RTÉSO found a new home when the National Concert Hall opened in Dublin. Around this time, RTÉ also started more radio stations. This meant the orchestra's music could reach even more people.

Becoming the National Symphony Orchestra (1989)

In 1989, the orchestra grew again and was renamed the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. Over the years, many talented conductors have led the orchestra. These include George Hurst, Kasper de Roo [de; nl], Alexander Anisimov, Gerhard Markson, Alan Buribayev, and Nathalie Stutzmann.

In 2018, Jaime Martín became the orchestra's chief conductor. He started his role in the 2019–2020 season and will finish in 2024.

A New Chapter: Moving to the National Concert Hall

In 2018, RTÉ looked at how its orchestras were doing financially. A report suggested that the National Symphony Orchestra might move to the National Concert Hall.

In the Budget 2020, it was announced that the NSO would indeed move. The government provided €8 million to help with this change. The move officially happened on January 24, 2022. Now, the NSO is fully based at the National Concert Hall, continuing its important role in Irish music.

Principal Conductors of the Orchestra