Orchestre National de France

The Orchestre National de France is both an established authority and a dynamic force in the interpretation of French music. Its international tours have made it a flagship for French culture across the world, while its presence throughout France, reinforced by vibrant educational programmes, has cemented its relationship with a diversity of national audiences.

A Radio France ensemble, the Orchestre National de France was founded in 1934 as the country’s first full-time symphony orchestra. Its mission to serve the symphonic repertoire was furthered by radio broadcasts of its concerts, and it soon achieved an enviable reputation.

Désiré Émile Inghelbrecht was the first conductor to take charge of the ensemble. The musical tradition he established, characterised by a significant commitment to French repertoire, continues today. He was followed after World War II by Manuel Rosenthal, André Cluytens, Roger Désormière, Charles Munch, Maurice Le Roux and Jean Martinon. Sergiu Celibidache, the orchestra’s principal guest conductor from 1973 to 1975, was succeeded by Lorin Maazel, who in 1977 became its music director. Jeffrey Tate held the post of principal guest conductor from 1989 to 1998, while subsequent music directors were Charles Dutoit (1991 to 2001), Kurt Masur (2002 to 2008), Daniele Gatti (2008 to 2016) and Emmanuel Krivine (2017 to 2020). The current music director is Cristian Măcelaru, who assumed his responsibilities on 1st September 2020.