jubilee. 1943 – Air-raid warning interrupts season opening concert. 1944–45 – Concert time changed to 6:00 p.m. because of 9:00 curfew. Orchestra holds benefit concert for victims of bombing in Laksevåg. 1946–47 – Orchestra premieres Harald Sæverud Oboe Concerto. School concert series begins. 1947–48 – Site for Grieg Hall selected. Haakon B. Wallem donates one million Norwegian Kroner to building fund. 1948 – Olav Kielland becomes principal conductor. 1951 – Orchestra employs 54 full-time musicians. 1952–53 – Carl von Garaguly named Artistic Director. 1953 – Bergen International Festival begins. Leopold Stokowski conducts. 1953–54 – Harmonien's fund for New Music established. 1954–55 – Eugene Ormandy guest conducts. 1956–57 – Orchestra premieres Egil Hovland Symphony No. 2. 1957–58 – Orchestra premieres Geirr Tveitt Brudlaupssuiten. 1958–59 – Arvid Fladmoe becomes Artistic Director. Orchestra employs 60 full-time musicians. 1961–62 – Pierre Monteux guest conducts. 1962–63 – Orchestra has first international tour, to Copenhagen, Denmark. 1964 – Karsten Andersen becomes principal conductor 1966 – Tour to the U. S. A. under the name "Norwegian Festival Orchestra." Orchestra celebrates 200th season. Karsten Andersen named Artistic Director. 1968 – King Olav V of Norway lays cornerstone of the Grieg Hall. 1969–70 – Orchestra premieres Ragnar Søderlind Polaris. 1970–71 – Lukas Foss conducts Rileys in C. Orchestra tours England. 1972–73 – Orchestra tours Germany. Orchestra premieres Magnar Åm Bøn. 1974–75 – Orchestra premieres Allan Pettersson Symphony No. 11 1975–76 – Aaron Copland conducts his own works. 1976–77 – Orchestra premieres Ketil Hvoslef Cello Concerto. 1978 – Orchestra moves to the Grieg Hall. 1979–80 – Orchestra tours Tallinn, Moscow and Leningrad. Antal Doráti guest conducts. 1980–81 – Witold Lutosławski conducts his own works. Dmitri Kitajenko conducts orchestra for first time. Orchestra employs 72 full-time musicians. 1982–83 – Krzysztof Penderecki conducts his own works. Aldo Ceccato conducts orchestra for first time. 1984–85 – Orchestra tours Belgium and France. 1985 – Aldo Ceccato becomes principal conductor 1986 – Name changed to Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester. Orchestra employs 83 full-time musicians. 1989 – Orchestra employs 89 full-time musicians. 1990 – Dmitri Kitajenko becomes principal conductor 1997 – Lorentz Reitan becomes managing director 1998 – Simone Young becomes principal conductor 2000 – Krzysztof Penderecki and Luciano Berio each conduct their own works. 2002 – Orchestra tours Austria (Bregenz, Salzburg, Vienna and Graz) and Croatia (Zagreb) with Spanish conductor Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos 2003 – Andrew Litton becomes principal conductor, takes orchestra on tour to