Institution

Orchestre National de France

The Orchestre National de France was founded in 1934 as the country’s first full-time symphony orchestra. In its role as the national orchestra, the Orchestre National de France is the ambassador of French classical music culture throughout the world. At the same time, the orchestra is one of two orchestras of Radio France, the nationwide French radio broadcasting corporation.

From the beginning, the orchestra’s mission to serve the symphonic repertoire was furthered by radio broadcasts of its concerts, and it soon achieved an enviable reputation.

Each year the Orchestre National de France gives a total of some 70 concerts in Paris, where it has made its principal base at the new Auditorium of Radio France since November 2014, and on tour in France and abroad. Notably, it made a first major tour of China in November 2018. All the orchestra’s concerts are broadcast on France Musique, and frequently also by international radio stations. The Concert de Paris, broadcast live from the Champ-de-Mars in front of the Eiffel Tower regularly attracts millions of viewers. The concert ranks second in terms of world-wide viewers after Vienna’s New Year concert.

For the last 15 years the education programme of the Orchestre National de France has reached out to amateur musicians, families, schoolchildren and students.

Speaker

Johannes Neubert, 49, was previously the director of the Wiener Symphoniker. He had announced his departure from the Austrian capital in October 2019, without however revealing his arrival on Radio France. During his nine years in Austria, he worked with Principal Conductor Philippe Jordan, as well as the appointment of his successor, Andrés Orozco-Estrada.

Since the departure of Eric Denut from the post of general delegate of the National Orchestra of France, the interim has been provided by Didier de Cottignies, as artistic delegate of the orchestra.

Johannes Neubert took up his duties on September 1, 2019. He started to assist the orchestra's musical director, Emmanuel Krivine. According to Antoine Pecqueur (La Lettre du Musicien), his "international experience should be an asset for this phalanx which still intends to develop its activity abroad".