Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1938, is a Norwegian symphony orchestra based in Stavanger. Its first artistic leader, violinist Gunnar Knudsen, guided the group through early radio broadcasts until 1945. The orchestra adopted its current name in 1982 and has since been directed by conductors including Susanna Mälkki, Steven Sloane, Christian Vásquez, and Andris Poga. The SSO has released notable recordings for BIS, such as Geirr Tveitt's Wedding Suite/Troll Tunes (2003) and Georg Friedrich Händel's Jephta (2011). They continued to perform at the Stavanger Concert Hall and promoted early music through conductors Frans Brüggen and Fabio Biondi. The orchestra currently consists of 85 musicians. During the 2000s, the SSO undertook several international tours across Europe, Japan, and the United States. In 2016, the orchestra toured Germany twice, followed by performances in Russia, Finland, and the Netherlands in 2017. Christian Vásquez served as chief conductor until stepping down in June 2019, and Andris Poga assumed the role of chief conductor in 2021.