Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, in Slovak Symfonický orchester Slovenského rozhlasu, or SOSR, was the first professional orchestra established in what is now the country of Slovakia. It remains one of the country's most prominent ensembles, and its recordings for Western labels have propelled it to international fame.
The Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra was established in 1929 to serve the needs of the new Slovak Radio network. Its first conductor was Frantisek Dyk. Another key figure during the orchestra's early years was composer Alexander Moyzes, a champion of Slovak music who, at the time, was teaching at the Music and Drama Academy for Slovakia in Bratislava. Moyzes worked to raise the orchestra's musical level, a process that continued after he joined the faculty at the Bratislava Conservatory in 1941 until he was forced to resign during the Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia in 1948. By that time, the orchestra had begun to attract a line of talented conductors, including Ondrej Lenard (1970-1991), Róbert Stankovský (1991-2001), and its present leader, Peter Valentovic. The orchestra has also welcomed internationally prominent guest conductors including, Charles Mackerras, Neeme Järvi, and Kirk Trevor, as well as such soloists as Anna Netrebko and Boris Berezovsky. The Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra has toured abroad, performing at the Musikverein in Vienna as well as venues as far afield as Spain and Japan. Its activities also include recording soundtrack music for Slovak films.
The orchestra has been perhaps most notable for its recordings, which include the world premiere of Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari's I gioielli della Madonna (The Jewels of the Madonna). The SOSR has recorded extensively, and mostly outside of Slovakia, for the Marco Polo and MMC labels, and most of all for Naxos. The group has continued to specialize in Slovak music, and in 2018 they re-released a cycle (originally made for Marco Polo) of Moyzes' 12 symphonies; two volumes in the cycle were released on Naxos in 2019, with Ladislav Slovak conducting.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Michael G. Cunningham: Sonic Flight
Ondrey Lebr, Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra Olomouc, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vit Micka, Kirk Trevor
Classical - Released by Navona on 4 Mar 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Music from 6 Continents (1992 Series)
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Szymon Kawalla
Classical - Released by Vienna Modern Masters on 1 Nov 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Streams in the Desert
Slovak Philharmonic Chorus, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Albany Records on 1 Jan 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 14
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ladislav Slovák and Magdaléna Hajóssyová
Classical - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 13 Jan 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11 "The Year of 1905"
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and Ladislav Slovák
Classical - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 13 Jan 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ravel: Rapsodie Espagnole - Pavane pour une infante défunte - La Valse - Daphnis Et Chloe, Suite No. 2
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Kenneth Jean and Slovak Radio Symphony Chorus
Classical - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 10 Jan 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 6 and 12 "The Year of 1917"
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and Ladislav Slovák
Classical - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 13 Jan 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ravel: Bolero - Daphnis Et Chloe Suite No. 1 - Ma Mere L'Oye
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Kenneth Jean and Slovenský filharmonický zbor
Classical - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 9 Jan 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue - An American in Paris - Piano Concerto
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Richard Hayman and Kathryn Selby
Classical - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 18 Nov 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 2 "October" and 15
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ladislav Slovák and Slovenský filharmonický zbor
Classical - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 12 Jan 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 - The Rock, Op. 7
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and Stephen Gunzenhauser
Classical - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 9 Jan 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 - Fate (Reconstructed by R. R. Shoring)
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and Ondrej Lenárd
Classical - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 16 Jan 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gliere: Symphony No. 3, "Il'Ya Muromets"
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Donald Johanos
Classical - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 2 Apr 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Violin Concerto - Svendsen: Romance - Sinding: Legende - Halvorsen: Norwegian Dances
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Adrian Leaper and Dong-Suk Kang
Classical - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 12 Jan 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 3 "The First of May"
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ladislav Slovák and Slovenský filharmonický zbor
Classical - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 12 Jan 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
English Festival
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and Adrian Leaper
Classical - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 18 Nov 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and Pinchas Steinberg
Classical - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 24 Oct 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Liszt: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 - Totentanz
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Oliver von Dohnányi and Joseph Banowetz
Classical - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 21 Nov 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake, Part I
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and Ondrej Lenárd
Classical - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 16 Jan 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Janacek: Lachian Dances - Taras Bulba - Sinfonietta
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and Ondrej Lenárd
Classical - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 21 Nov 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony - The Voyevode
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and Ondrej Lenárd
Classical - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 14 Jan 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo