Norway’s northernmost reaches have had a cultural boost with the establishment of the newly formed Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra (NAPO). Based in the cities of Bodø and Tromsø, there are high hopes for this latest cultural project with its newly appointed principal conductor Christian Lindberg.

“This collaboration opens up completely new opportunities internationally for the new orchestra. The ambition is by 2014 to be an orchestra of the highest calibre, which is an important resource in the region, and which is also established internationally through tours and recordings,”says Director Rolf-Cato Raade.

The orchestra gave its first concert in Bodø in August 2009 and has already completed a successful tour of Northern Norway.