About
Royal Swedish Orchestra. One of the oldest orchestras in the world — it's only 500 years old!
Kungliga Hovkapellet is one of the oldest active orchestras, first recorded in 1526 and mentioned by Gustav Vasa. For centuries, it was based in Stockholm, featuring both vocal and instrumental parts. The orchestra's heyday occurred in the 17th century under the Duben family, including Anders Duben, and in the 1730s under conductors like Johan Helmik Ruman, who initiated public concerts in Stockholm's Noble Assembly.
The chapel's vocal component ceased in 1763, becoming part of the Royal Opera, and women joined the orchestra in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1773, under King Gustav III, the orchestra moved to the Royal Opera, with notable conductors including Joseph Martin Kraus, Georg Josef Vogler, and Leo Blech.
Today, the orchestra employs over a hundred musicians. In 2011, King Carl XVI Gustaf established the Medal of Merit for the Royal Court Orchestra.