Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks

The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (German: Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks) is a German radio orchestra. Based in Munich, Germany, the orchestra is one of two full-size symphony orchestras operated under the auspices of Bayerischer Rundfunk, or Bavarian Broadcasting (BR). Its primary concert venues are the Philharmonie am Gasteig and the Herkulessaal in the Residenz. The orchestra was founded in 1949, with members of an earlier radio orchestra in Munich as the core personnel. Eugen Jochum was the orchestra's first chief conductor, from 1949 until 1960. Subsequent chief conductors have included Rafael Kubelík, Sir Colin Davis and Lorin Maazel. The orchestra's most recent chief conductor was Mariss Jansons, from 2003 until his death on 30 November 2019. His most recent contract extraction had been through 2024. Jansons regularly campaigned for a new concert hall during his tenure.The orchestra participates in the "Musica Viva" concerts, founded by the composer Karl Amadeus Hartmann, to this day.The orchestra has recorded for a number of commercial labels, including Deutsche Grammophon, RCA, and EMI. The orchestra received the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance for its recording of Shostakovich's 13th Symphony. The orchestra has recently begun to produce recordings under its own BR-Klassik label.