The Ålesund Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1945 and in its 80-year career has collaborated with some of the best musical forces in Norway: Edvard Fliflet Bræin, Ernst and Liv Glaser, Arvid Fladmoe, Karsten Andersen, Øivind Bergh, Robert Levin, Bjarte Engeset, Eivind Aadland, Truls Mørk, Eva Knardahl, Kjell Bækkelund, Henning Kraggerud, Håvard Gimse, Eivind Gullberg Jensen and others.

Ålesund Symphony Orchestra wants to be a powerhouse in the cultural life of Northwest Norway and aims to perform a wide range of music at a high artistic level. We have a fresh approach across the repertoire, from baroque to contemporary music, as well as performances of new and unknown works as part of our commitment to communicating our cultural history. We showcase the best talents and nurture future singers, musicians and conductors through our versatile concerts. By actively pursuing our socially relevant task as a communicator of art and cultural history in the region, we will help to promote, update and develop the general interest in music both regionally and nationally. Ålesund Symphony Orchestra has developed a clear and distinctive program profile, especially aimed at cultural preservation and highlighting our national musical and cultural heritage, in addition to striving to be a modern orchestral institution. We produce and present orchestral music in a variety of different constellations within a broad spectrum of artistic expressions.

The Ålesund Symphony Orchestra has approximately 65 musicians and is a so-called semi-professional symphony orchestra, a composition of professional musicians from the Ålesund String Quartet, regional musicians affiliated with several cultural schools and the Møre Musician Scheme, as well as music students and the best amateur musicians in the region.