The Arctic Philharmonic is the world’s northernmost professional orchestra. 

With its strong sense of belonging to its home, north of the Arctic Circle, the orchestra is committed to conveying knowledge about life and conditions in the Arctic. The orchestra is also the youngest orchestra in Norway and is organised in a unique way: it comprises a sinfonietta in Bodø and a chamber orchestra in Tromsø, each playing weekly concerts in their hometowns. Eight to ten times a year, the two ensembles join forces for larger symphony and opera productions. This arrangement has been judged extremely successful on several fronts: flexibility, use of resources, and most importantly, in terms of quality and the audience experience. Each year the orchestra performs some 200 — 250 concerts at home and abroad. 

In addition to its continuous striving to attain ever higher artistic standards, the Arctic Philharmonic is determined to fulfil its obligation to be a relevant part of life in heart of Sápmi, the region traditionally inhabited by Sami people. An important mission for the orchestra is therefore to promote understanding and knowledge of Sami culture and traditions. Highlighting the challenges faced by the whole word due to climate change is also an important task. These changes reveal themselves with greater speed and consequence in the Arctic, where literally, the health of the world has its temperature taken.