Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra

On May 7, 1940 the orchestra played a concert of Bruch and Stravinsky in a celebration of Flipse's first ten years as conductor.

However, on May 14 Nazi Germany bombed Rotterdam and nearly completely destroyed it, thereby launching its occupation of the Netherlands which lasted for the duration of World War II.

During the occupation, the rules of the new Cultuurkamer, an organization meant to regulate the arts in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands, were severely restrictive and discriminatory.

After the war, the orchestra lacked a permanent home until a new concert hall, also called the Doelen, was built in 1966.

After Flipse retired as principal conductor in 1962, his successors were Franz Paul Decker (1962-1967) and Jean Fournet (1968-1973).

[2] In December 2006, the orchestra voted unanimously to name Yannick Nézet-Séguin as their 11th Principal Conductor, as of the 2008–2009 season,[3] with an initial contract of 4 years.

On the basis of this concert, in August 2016, the RPhO unanimously elected Shani as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2018–2019 season, with an initial contract of 5 years.

[10][11] Past principal guest conductors of the RPhO included Jirí Belohlávek,[12] who held the title from the 2012–2013 season until his death on 31 May 2017.

On the basis of this appearance, the RPhO announced the appointment of Peltokoski as its next principal guest conductor, effective with the 2023-2024 season, with an initial contract of 4 years.