Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France
Guided by composer and conductor Pierre Boulez in the 1970s, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France evolved into a versatile group whose repertory includes a good deal of contemporary French music. Beginning in the 1980s, the orchestra has been a spawning ground for conductors, not all of them French, who have gone on to international careers.
What is now the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, or in English the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, was founded in 1937 in Paris, under the auspices of the Radiodiffusion Française national radio network. Its original name was the Orchestre Radio-Symphonique, and its first conductor was Rhené-Baton (René-Emmanuel Baton), who led the group until he died in 1940. The group limped through World War II with Eugène Bigot as the conductor; there were pauses as musicians were stranded in Paris while the group came under the control of the collaborationist French government in Vichy. After the end of World War II, the orchestra was re-formed; Bigot remained the music director until 1965, and the group gave performances at the Salle Érard and the Théâtre des Champs Élysées. In 1960, the orchestra was renamed the Orchestre Philharmonique de la Radiodiffusion Française, and in 1964, it became the Orchestre Philharmonique de l'ORTF. The name was changed again, to Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, in 1975, and at that time, it was reconceptualized, with input from Boulez, as an ensemble that could handle many kinds of contemporary music. The orchestra assumed its present name in 1989. Conductors have included Charles Bruck (1965-1970), Marek Janowski (1989-2000), Myung-Whun Chung (2000-2015), and Mikko Franck, whose contract has been extended through 2025. In addition to performances at the Maison de la Radio in Paris, the orchestra performs at the new Philharmonie de Paris.
The Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France has recorded some 20 albums since the mid-1990s when Chung stimulated the orchestra's recording program. Many have involved contemporary French music, but the group has also performed popular repertory such as music by Bizet, Dukas, and Offenbach on the album French Spectacular (1998). The Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France has recorded for Virgin Classics, Aeon, and Deutsche Grammophon, where the group released the album Paris, with violinist Hilary Hahn, in 2021.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Jodlowski: Jour 54
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France
Classique - Paru chez Signature - Radio France le 22 mai 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Berlioz : Orchestral Works (- Apex)
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France
Classique - Paru chez Warner Classics International le 21 août 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lyrinx Archives (1958·61·75) Zino Francescatti, New York, Dec. 16, 1975: The Last Performance
Zino Francescatti, New York Philharmonic, Pierre Boulez, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Manuel Rosenthal
Musique concertante - Paru chez Lyrinx le 16 déc. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Weber: Ouvertures (Mono Version)
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Philippe Strübin
Divers - Paru chez BNF Collection le 1 janv. 1956
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Murail: Terre d'ombre
Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France, Peter Eötvös
Classique - Paru chez Densité 21 - Radio France le 10 févr. 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Read Thomas: Juggler in Paradise
Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France, Andrey Boreyko, Frank-Peter Zimmermann
Classique - Paru chez Densité 21 - Radio France le 24 févr. 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Decoust: Concerto pour violon et orchestre, L'application des lectrices aux champs & De la gravitation suspendue des mémoires
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France
Classique - Paru chez Densité 21 - Radio France le 1 mars 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo