– A tremendous honor for KSO!

Alongside none other than the BBC Philharmonic, the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra (KSO) is the only visiting symphony orchestra on a star-studded program at the Herbstgold Festival in Austria in the fall of 2025.

“This is a tremendous honor for us, and a rare opportunity for us to showcase our work alongside the best,” says Pål Svendsberget, director of KSO.

Alongside several world-renowned artists, the KSO headlines the program for the Herbstgold 2025 Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria. The BBC Philharmonic, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the gold-record-winning Janoska Ensemble, soloist Janine Jansen, conductor Sir András Schiff, and actor John Malkovich—who recently visitedperforming arts centre Kilden performing arts centre—are among the other names on an impressive roster of artists. Artistic director of the entire event is none other than KSO’s chief conductor, Julian Rachlin.

Quality makes the difference

“I am incredibly proud to be able to invite the KSO to this festival, which means so much to me. The fact that I have this opportunity says a lot about the orchestra’s fantastic progress. After all, I could never have invited them if their artistic standards weren’t up to par. That would have been detrimental to the festival,” says Julian Rachlin.

– A lot to strive for

Pål Svendsberget has been the director of KSO since 2022. Under his leadership, KSO has seen significant growth in audience numbers and recognition, both nationally and internationally. Svendsberget believes that participating in the Herbstgold Festival will be a great source of motivation for the orchestra during this exciting period.

“We have a lot to strive for every week and at every single concert, but this will likely serve as a bit of an extra motivation for both the individual musicians and the orchestra as a whole,” he says.

Photo by Svendsberget and Rachlin: Lars Gunnar Liestøl
Photo of konsertsalen Esterhazy Palace: Tommi Schmid