Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra

The Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra was established in 1929 as the first professional musical ensemble serving the needs of radio broadcasting. From the beginning of its existence the orchestra in its programming strongly championed the cause of original Slovak composition and thus the first phase of its development was associated with the growth of Slovak musical modernism, as represented by the works of Alexander Moyzesa, Eugene Suchon, John Cikkera and others.

At first a small orchestra, the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra expanded in subsequent years and in 1942 began to offer regular public concerts, transmitted live on the radio. From 1943 to 1946 its Principal Conductor was Kresimir Baranovic, under whose influence the orchestra grew significantly. His successors were Ludovít Rajter, Ladislav Slovak, Vaclav Jirácek, Otakar Trhlík, Bystrík Režucha, Andrew Lenárd, Robert Stankovský, Charles Olivieri-Munroe and most recently Mario Kosik and Oliver Dohnányi.