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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Debussy: C'est l'extase - La mer
Vannina Santoni, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Mikko Franck
Classical - Released by Alpha Classics on Jun 9, 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Paris (Chausson, Prokofiev, Rautavaara)
Hilary Hahn, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Mikko Franck
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Mar 5, 2021
Gramophone: Recording of the Month24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Debussy: La Damoiselle élue, Le martyre de Saint Sébastien & Nocturnes
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Maîtrise de Radio France, Mikko Franck
Classical - Released by Alpha Classics on Apr 1, 2022
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Eötvös: DoReMi, Speaking Drums, Cello concerto grosso
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Midori, Martin Grubinger, Jean-Guihen Queyras
Classical - Released by Alpha Classics on May 27, 2016
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Dusapin: Quatuor Vl 'Hinterland' & Quatuor Vll 'OpenTime'
Arditti String Quartet, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Pascal Rophé
Classical - Released by AEON on May 26, 2017
Gramophone Award24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Franck by Franck
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Mikko Franck
Classical - Released by Alpha Classics on Apr 10, 2020
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Pierre Henry: La Dixième Symphonie, Hommage à Beethoven
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre du Conservatoire de Paris, Choeur de Radio France, Jeune Choeur De Paris
Classical - Released by Alpha Classics on Sep 4, 2020
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Messiaen: La Transfiguration de Notre-Seigneus Jésus-Christ
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Myung-Whun Chung
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan 1, 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Strauss: Burleske, Serenade & Tod und Verklärung
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Mikko Franck, Nelson Goerner
Classical - Released by Alpha Classics on May 28, 2021
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Poèmes - Ravel, Messiaen, Dutilleux
Renée Fleming, Orchestre National de France, Alan Gilbert, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Seiji Ozawa
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloe
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Myung-Whun Chung
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Nov 8, 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Messiaen: Trois petites liturgies; Couleurs de la Cité Céleste; Hymne au Saint-Sacrament
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Myung-Whun Chung
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan 1, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky & Mendelssohn: Violin Concertos
Sayaka Shoji, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Myung-Whun Chung
Classical - Released by Universal Music LLC on May 3, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Extase - Orchestral Works by Qigang Chen
Leonard Slatkin/Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on Feb 6, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Campo: Pop-Art
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Jay Gottlieb, Musicatreize, Ensemble des Lauréats du Conservatoire
Classical - Released by AEON on Jul 1, 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Camille Saint-Saëns : La Muse et le Poète - Concertos pour violon n°3 - Concerto pour violoncelle n°1
Renaud Capuçon, Gautier Capuçon, Lionel Bringuier, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France
Concertos - Released by Warner Classics International on Oct 7, 2013
Gramophone Editor's Choice16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Paris
Hilary Hahn, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Mikko Franck
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Mar 5, 2021
Gramophone: Recording of the Month16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Georges Bizet : La Jolie fille de Perth
June Anderson, Alfredo Kraus, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Georges Prêtre
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on May 22, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Piano Concertos No. 21 & No. 24
Jean-Claude Pennetier, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Christoph Poppen
Concertos - Released by Mirare on Mar 24, 2017
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bizet: Carmen
Andrea Bocelli, Marina Domashenko, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Myung-Whun Chung
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Oscar Strasnoy : Œuvres pour orchestre (Orchestral Works)
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Susanna Mälkki, Dima Slobodeniouk
Symphonic Music - Released by AEON on Mar 25, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo