Orchestre Philharmonique de l'ORTF

Since its creation by French broadcasting in 1937, the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra has established itself as a unique formation in the European symphonic landscape through the eclecticism of its repertoire, the importance it attaches to creation (more than 25 new works each season), the original form of its concerts, the artists it invites and its artistic, educational and civic project.

This “Philhar spirit” finds in Mikko Franck – its musical director since 2015 – a standard bearer who lives up to the values ​​and ambitions of the orchestra, determined to make each concert a human and musical experience. His contract was extended until August 2025, guaranteeing long-term support. Myung-Whun Chung, Marek Janowski and Gilbert Amy preceded him.
The orchestra has also been conducted by great personalities, from Aaron Copland to Gustavo Dudamel via Pierre Boulez, John Eliot Gardiner, Lahav Shani, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Daniel Harding, Marin Alsop and even Barbara Hannigan who, since September 2022, is her first guest artist for three seasons.

The Philharmonic Orchestra shares its Parisian concerts between the Radio France Auditorium and the Philharmonie de Paris. He is also regularly on tour in France and in major international halls and festivals (Berlin Philharmonie, Isarphilharmonie in Munich, Elbphilharmonie, Alte Oper in Frankfurt, Musikverein and Konzerthaus in Vienna, NCPA in Beijing, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Gstaad Menuhin festival, Athens Festival, Montreux Musical September, Prague Spring Festival…)

Mikko Franck and the Philhar are developing an ambitious policy with the Alpha label. Among the most recent releases, “Franck by Franck” with the Symphony in D minor, a disc dedicated to Richard Strauss offering Burlesque with Nelson Goerner, and Death and transfiguration, a Claude Debussy disc bringing together< a i=11> The Chosen Damsel, The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian and the Nocturnes; a Stravinsky recording withThe Rite of Spring, a disc of Debussy melodies coupled with La mer ; a Shostakovich disc (Symphony No. 14) with Asmik Grigorian and Matthias Goerne; and theFour Last Songsby Richard Strauss with Asmik Grigorian (February 2024). The Philhar concerts are broadcast on France Musique and many of them are available on video on the website ofradiofrance.fr/francemusique and on ARTE Concert . With France Télévisions, the Philhar continues its Clefs de l’Orchestre hosted by Jean-François Zygel to discover the great repertoire.

Alongside the Radio France branches, the orchestra develops original projects which contribute to the intersection of aesthetics and genres (concerts-fiction on France Culture, Hip Hop Symphonique on Mouv’ and more recently Pop Symphonique on France Inter, Classique & Mix with Fip or the podcasts Une histoire et… Oli on France Inter, the Tales of the Round House on France Musique…).
Aware of the social and cultural role of the orchestra, the Philhar reinvents its projects each season aimed at new audiences, notably with creation schemes in schools, workshops, new forms of concerts, interventions in hospitals, in prison environment and a partnership with School Orchestras.

The Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra and Mikko Franck are ambassadors for UNICEF France.

Source: Maison de la Radio et de la Musique