THE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The Orchestra was established in 1957 by order of the Ministry of Culture under the name of the State Yaruu Tungalag Orchestra, with Ts Namsraijav, The State Prize winning, People’s Artist of Mongolia, as its first conductor and G. Birvaa the State Prize winning, Merited Worker of Art of Mongolia as assistant conductor. It gave its first public concert on 25 February 1958. Alongside bringing the finest works of Mongolian and world composers to audiences, the Orchestra has recorded incidental music for a wide range of programs held in the archives of Mongolian television and radio, as well as the music for dozens of documentary and feature films produced by the Mongol Kino studio — a body of work that has played an important role in the social and cultural development of the country.

The Symphony Orchestra promotes classical music and works to raise musical knowledge and education among the public. It presents series of lecture-concerts with commentary in the capital and in provincial centers, districts and settlements, addressed to children and young people — the audiences of the future.

Structure and Composition

The conductors of the Symphony Orchestra are D.Nyamdash, Merited Worker of Art of Mongolia, B.Batbaatar, Honored Cultural Worker of Mongolia, and B.Anar, Honored Cultural Worker of Mongolia. With more than 60 highly trained professional musicians playing Western instruments, it is the largest symphony orchestra in the country.

Repertoire

At its first concert, under the direction of Ts.Namsraijav and G.Birvaa, the Orchestra performed works by the composers L.Mördorj, B.Damdinsuren and J. Chuluun together with those of L. Beethoven and G. Bizet, distinguished representatives of world classical music, on the stage of the State Musical Drama Theatre. This concert marked the birth of classical music in Mongolia and the beginning of its development. Since then the Orchestra has continued to enrich its repertoire with solo and symphonic works and vocal compositions by successive generations of composers, Mongolian and international alike: leading representatives of the various periods and movements of world classical music such as W. A. Mozart, J. Haydn, F. Schubert, B. Smetana, F. Liszt, G. Verdi, C. M. Weber, E. Grieg, I. Stravinsky, M. Ravel, C. Debussy, G.Gershwin, A.Dvořák, J.Strauss father and son, R.Wagner, A.Bruckner and R.Strauss, together with S.Gonchigsumlaa, D.Luvsansharav, E.Choidog, Ch.Jamsranjav, Ts.Natsagdorj, N.Jantsannorov, Kh.Bilegjargal, B.Sharav, G. Altankhuyag, Z. Khangal, Ch. Sangidorj, S. Sansargereltekh, Sh.Ölziibayar, B.Munkhbold and B.Byambabayar. The recordings held in the golden fund of radio and television, and all the music for the documentary and feature films of the Mongol Kino studio, form an important part of the Orchestra's repertoire.

Awards

The Orchestra has received many honors, among them the cup of the "Golden Autumn" music festival (2003); the Certificate of Honor of the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (2007); the "Goo Maral" festival award for outstanding artistic work; awards at the "Virtuoso" festival for outstanding musicians; and two awards at the "Silver Tree", Mongolia's annual awards for outstanding artists of the year.

Touring

In 1963 the Symphony Orchestra travelled abroad for the first time, giving concerts in Beijing and Shanghai. The program included works by Mongolian composers and The Butterfly Lovers by He Zhanhao and Chen Gang, performed by the violinist D.Tserendolgor, Honored Artist of Mongolia. The performance was highly praised by musicologists of the host country and by the composer of the work himself, and the recording was placed in the golden fund of Beijing Radio. From that year onward the Orchestra has performed in Novosibirsk, Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude (USSR), in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Japan and the Republic of Korea, and in Beijing, Tianjin and Hohhot (China).

Recordings

The Symphony Orchestra has taken part in and released recordings including "Khaluun Elgen Nutag"(My beloved homeland) by Ts.Namsraijav, People's Artist of Mongolia and State Prize winning; "Beethoven Symphony No. 9"; "Masterpieces of Classical Symphonic Music" by Professor N.Butenbayar, Honored Worker of Arts of Mongolia; the album "The Mongolian Philharmonic"; the collective double album "The Mongolian Philharmonic"; and the documentary film "Radiant Melodies through Sixty Years", as well as albums by composers and performing artists.