Ole Kristian Ruud
After many years performing as a musician, and subsequent conducting studies at the Norwegian Academy of Music and the Sibelius Academy, Ole Kristian Ruud made his conducting debut with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra in 1985. He quickly established himself as a guest conductor with all the Norwegian symphony orchestras.

Ole Kristian Ruud was Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of Trondheim Symphony Orchestra from 1987-1995. He was Chief Conductor of Norrköping Symphony Orchestra from 1996-1999, and Artistic Director of Norwegian repertoire for Stavanger Symphony Orchestra from 2000-2003. In 2006-2012 he was in the post of Artistic Director of the the Staff Band of the Norwegian Armed Forces.

In Scandinavia Ole Kristian Ruud regularly conducts the Oslo- and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestras, Trondheim- and Stavanger Symphony Orchestras, the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Swedish Radio, Norrköping Symphony, Lahti Symphony and Stockholm Chamber Orchestras. He has also guested orchestras in France, Spain, England, USA and Japan.

Ruud has regularly guested the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra since his debut in Tokyo in 1990. He has also on numerous occasions toured with orchestras in Japan and Europe. With Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Stockholm Chamber Orchestra and Jeunnes Musicales World Youth Orchestra, he has guested such cities as Vienna, Berlin, Praha, Budapest, Madrid, Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

Ole Kristian Ruud has made several CD-recordings with Oslo- and Bergen-Philharmonic, Trondheim-, Stavanger- and Norrköping-Symphony Orchestras. He has made a series of recordings of Norwegian composers for BIS recording company, which have received fantastic reviews in the international music press. These include recordings of Geirr Tveitt and Harald Saeverud with Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, and Edvard Grieg with Bergen Philharmonic.

Since 1999 has Ruud has been Professor of Conducting at the Norwegian Academy of Music. Many of his students have started a professional conducting career, and are doing important work in the Scandinavian music scene. Since 2003 Mr. Ruud has been Artistic Director of the Norwegian National Youth Orchestra (Ungdomssymfonikerne).

Ruud has won a variety of music awards. He received the Edvard Grieg Prize in 1992 and 2007, the Norwegian Critic Prize in 1993, the Lindeman Prize in 1994, the Johan Halvorsen Prize in 1996 and the Stiklestad Prize in 2004. In 2004, 2005 and 2007 he received the Record of the Year award from the Grieg Society in London along with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.

Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
One of the world’s oldest orchestras, Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester dates back to 1765 and is celebrating its 250th anniversary in 2015. Edvard Grieg had a close relationship with the orchestra, and served as its artistic director during the years 1880-1882.

Andrew Litton has led the orchestra since 2003, attracting international attention to the ensemble not only through acclaimed tours to Concertgebouw, London Proms, Carnegie Hall, Berliner Philharmonie and Vienna’s Musikverein, but also through award-winning recordings on the BIS and Hyperion labels.

Edward Gardner, the acclaimed outgoing Music Director of the English National Opera, has been appointed Chief Conductor for a three-year tenure starting in October 2015.

The orchestra has an active recording schedule, and recent recording projects include Messiaen’s TurangalîlaSymphony under the direction of Juanjo Mena, Stravinsky and Prokofiev cycles with Andrew Litton, as well as Tchaikovsky, Halvorsen and Svendsen series with Neeme Järvi.

The orchestra’s recording of the complete orchestral music of Edvard Grieg conducted by Ole Kristian Ruud remains the reference point in a competitive field. The first collaboration on disc between Edward Gardner and the orchestra was a recording of orchestral realisations by Luciano Berio, and together they have just completed a 3-volume series of Janacek recordings. A string of new and exciting recording projects will follow.

Digital Concert Hall is a new, free streaming service from Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. We are the only symphonic orchestra in Norway which streams concerts regularly.