The Norwegian Radio Orchestra, known in Norwegian as Kringkastingsorkestret, is a Norwegian radio orchestra founded in 1946 in Oslo as part of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. The orchestra began with 24 musicians under its first principal conductor, Øivind Bergh, who led the ensemble until 1976. Sverre Bruland succeeded Bergh, serving from 1976 to 1988 and emphasizing contemporary Norwegian music. The orchestra performs annually at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert, provided backing for the Eurovision Song Contest when hosted in Norway in 1986 and 1996, and has recorded for labels such as Pro Musica, Bridge Records, and Finlandia. The ensemble was awarded the Telenor Culture Prize in 2011. Subsequent principal conductors included Miguel Harth-Bedoya from 2013 to 2020 and Petr Popelka from 2020 to 2023. In 2026 Holly Hyun Choe became the orchestra's principal conductor, making her the first woman to hold the position.
