New Artistic Director for Bodø Sinfonietta

It has been a big week for NOSO. On Monday the news was announced that Henning Kraggerud is taking over as Artistic Director of the Tromsø Chamber Orchestra. 
Today, the news was announced that Peter Szilvay will become the Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of Bodø Sinfonietta from the 2012 autumn season.

Peter Szilvay studied viola and conducting at the Norwegian Academy of Music and had his conducting examination with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra in 1996. His interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.5 created great enthusiasm and led to a position as conductor in residence with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra.

In 1999, he won the title of “Conductor of the Year”. Szilvay later studied with Mariss Jansons and worked as his assistant for several years.

Peter Szilvay is the Artistic Director of the Armed Forces’ Band West in Bergen. He has transformed the band’s profile into being a prominent contemporary ensemble. The ensemble has recorded several CDs, which have gained rave reviews, and Szilvay has commissioned more than 15 Norwegian and overseas works on its behalf.

Peter Szilvay has fought for Norwegian composers, which has among other things resulted in the Armed Forces’ Band West’s complete recording of Edvard Fliflet Bræin’s symphonies and the Oslo Philharmonic’s recording of Jon Øivind Ness’ “Low Jive”, for which he received the prestigious Spellemannspris. He has had the premiere performance of more than 100 Norwegian and overseas works, but also works with the traditional orchestra repertoire in Norwegian and overseas orchestras and ensembles.

Szilvay is also a respected opera conductor and has had several successful productions for the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet.

In the 2008 and 2009 seasons, he was the Norwegian Radio Orchestra’s conductor profile. Through his work with contemporary music, he has been a regular guest at the Bodø Sinfonietta, Oslo Sinfonietta, Trondheim Sinfonietta and BIT20.

In 2010, together with Knut Vaage, he won the audience award for the best production at the opera competition in Szeged, Hungary, for the opera Veslefrikk. Also in 2010, he was awarded the title of “Performer of the Year” by the Norwegian Society of Composers.

“We are extremely proud to be able to present Peter as the Bodø Sinfonietta’s Principal Conductor and Artistic Director,” says NOSO Chief Executive Rolf-Cato Raade. “Szilvay is recognised as a very capable conductor, and he has an enormous network of contacts both nationally and internationally. He also has a completely unique way of communicating with audiences, which gives excellent concert experiences.”

“For me it is great to be able to work regularly with an ensemble of a high artistic level, in a city where culture, through the building of the new Cultural Precinct, is showing a willingness to invest in culture and the arts,” says Peter Szilvay. “I envisage that one of the main tasks will be to continue the work to build public relations and play good music from a big repertoire, in addition to the purely artistic and technical development of the actual ensemble.”

“I have had the pleasure of working with the Bodø Sinfonietta several times previously and it is always inspiring for me to meet musicians with such integrity and willingness to create,” concludes Szilvay.