The orchestra was not established until March 9. 1950. In such a short time since then it may seem strange that the country has reach such high level of artistry as the ISO clearly manifests. The ISO gives approximately sixty concerts each season, including subscription concerts in Reykjavik, and tours both in Iceland and abroad, with recent visits to the Faeroes, Greenland, Germany, Austria, France, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and North America. The year 2000 tour to USA and Canada was the most extensive one the orchestra has done. The American press embraced the performances of the orchestra and the tour was considered a major success for the ISO. Over the years, many renowned guest artists have enriched the ISO's music making, most notably Vladimir Ashkenazy, Yehude

The roots of The Icelandic Opera go back to the end of he 1970s, so it is certainly young, at least by the standards of the long-standing opera houses of Europe that have traditions reaching back centuries. But it has never lacked ambition and energy, and now, as it leaves its youth and enters adulthood, it intends to go on playing an established and important role in the future. From the outset, one of the main aims of the IO has been to build up and strengthen a professional basis for Icelandic singers; naturally there are complex artistic and cultural aspects to the work of the IO. The agreement concluded with the Ministry of Education and Culture in 2001, which runs to the end of