national polish radio symphony orchestra in Katowice was founded in 1935 in Warsaw on the initiative of Grzegorz Fitelberg, who led the ensemble until the outbreak of World War Two. After the war, the orchestra was given a new lease of life in Katowice by Witold Rowicki. In 1947, Grzegorz Fitelberg returned from abroad and became its Artistic Director. After his death in 1953, the orchestra was headed by some of the best Polish conductors, including Jan Krenz (1953-68), Bohdan Wodiczko, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Jacek Kaspszyk and Kazimierz Kord (1969-73). From 1983 to 2000 Antoni Wit was its Artistic and Managing Director. In September 2000 Joanna Wnuk-Nazarowa became the orchestra's Managing Director. In October 2001 the post of Artistic Director was taken over by Gabriel Chmura. Stanisław Skrowaczewski was recently appointed the orchestra's Principal Guest Conductor.
National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice has made a great many radio recordings. It has also recorded about 150 lps and cds for Polskie Nagrania, emihmv, Decca, Philips/Point Music, nvc Arts, Newport Classic, cri, Thorofon Schallplatten and naxos (winning the Diapason d'Or and Grand Prix du Disque for a recording of the complete piano concertos by Prokofiev, 1993).
Foreign tours have taken the orchestra to most of the European countries, the Middle and Far East, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil.
The orchestra has worked with many outstanding conductors such as Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Colombo, Paul Kletzki, Kiril Kondrashin, Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir Neville Marriner, Kurt Masur, Jerzy Semkow and Stanisław Skrowaczewski, as well as with world-famous soloists, including Martha Argerich, Placido Domingo, Nicolai Gedda, Barbara Hendricks, Julius Katchen, Wilhelm Kempff, Marguerite Long, Maurizio Pollini, Ruggiero Ricci, Mstislav Rostropovich, Artur Rubinstein, Isaac Stern, and Henryk Szeryng.