| Turku Philharmonic Orchestra | |
| Origin: | Turku, Finland |
| Founded: | 1790 |
| Concert Hall: | Turku Concert Hall |
The Turku Philharmonic Orchestra (Finnish: Turun Filharmoninen Orkesteri) is a Finnish orchestra based in Turku, Finland. The oldest orchestra in Finland, the Turku Philharmonic is resident at the Turku Concert Hall, the first purpose-built concert hall in Finland, completed in 1952.
The orchestra was founded in 1790 under the name Turun Soitannollinen Seura (Musical Society of Turku). In 1927, the municipality of Turku took ownership of the ensemble, with Tauno Hannikainen as the orchestra's first chief conductor under municipal management. The orchestra roster currently numbers 74 musicians.
The orchestra's most recent chief conductor was Olli Mustonen, from 2021 to 2023.[1] In January 2024, the orchestra announced the appointment of John Storgårds as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2024-2025 season, with an initial contract through the spring of 2028.[2]
Past resident composers of the orchestra have included Mikko Heiniö. The orchestra's current composer-in-residence is Sebastian Fagerlund, since autumn 2022.
The orchestra released its first commercial recording in 1979. It has since recorded commercially for such labels as Ondine, Finlandia, and Naxos Records. With Segerstam, the orchestra has released a series of albums for Naxos of the music of Jean Sibelius.[3] The orchestra began to release monthly streaming videos of selected concerts in September 2016.