Established in 1889, the Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra gives some hundred symphony concerts each season in the province of Gelderland, The Netherlands, in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht, and abroad, including tours to Spain, Austria, Germany and Hungary. In 2007 the orchestra toured Japan for the first time and returns there in 2009. From the 2003–2004 season Martin Sieghart took over as Chief Conductor and artistic adviser of the orchestra. Ken-ichro Kobayashi was appointed Permanent Conductor from the 2006–2007 season, and Nikolai Alexeev Permanent Guest Conductor in 2002. Former Chief Conductors include Lawrence Renes, Roberto Benzi and Yoav Talmi. Other conductors who have regularly made guest appearances with the orchestra in the past years include Bernard Klee, Hans Vonk, Jaap van Zweden and Roy Goodman. Soloists such as Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Leif Ove Andsnes, Zoltan Koscis, Nicolai Znaider and Akiko Suwanai are also among those who have performed with the orchestra. Recordings by the Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra include the symphonies of Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Brahms and Berlioz, with an enthusiastic reception by the press in both Japan and The Netherlands for recordings of Mahler’s Sixth Symphony and Das Lied von der Erde.