Oslo Philharmonic

It’s no hyperbole to state that the Oslo Philharmonic, founded in 1919 and now host to 108 musicians, is among the world’s finest. Shaped by some of the greatest conductors in recent decades – Mariss Jansons, Jukka-pekka Saraste and Vasily Petrenko – it now has the most sought-after twentysomething in his profession, Klaus Mäkelä (above), who, according to one of the players, combines the best attributes of all his predecessors. The Finnish conductor’s Sibelius symphony cycle on Decca has been widely eulogised, not least in BBC Music Magazine. Now the team needs a home base worthy of its brilliance.