The Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra which was founded in 1856 under the name of « Orchestre du Nouveau Cercle des Etrangers » (New Foreigners' Club), has always enjoyed an international reputation having been led by many of the world's finest conductors: Victor de Sabata, Arturo Toscanini, Richard Strauss, Dimitri Mitropoulos, Bruno Walter, Eric Kleiber, André Cluytens, Sir Thomas Beecham, Karl Schuricht, Karel Ancerl, Leonard Bernstein, Charles Munch, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Eugen Jochum, Leopold Stokowski, Sir John Barbirolli, Paul Klecki, George Szell, Carlo-Maria Giulini, Rafael Kubelik, Kirill Kondrachine, Kurt Sanderling, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Sir George Solti, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Georges Prêtre, Gennadi Rojdestvenski, Yuri Temirkanov… and many others.
The list of its eminent Musical Directors includes Paul Paray, Igor Markevitch, Lovro von Matacic, Lawrence Foster, Gianluigi Gelmetti, James dePreist and Marek Janowski. In January 2008 Yakov Kreizberg was named Artistic Director and in September 2009 he took over the helm as Musical Director of the orchestra until his untimely death in March 2011. After one year as « chef referent », Gianluigi Gelmetti was named Musical and Artistic Director in March 2013.
Known in 1953 as the « Orchestre National de l'Opéra de Monte Carlo » and renamed « Philharmonic Orchestra… » in 1980, the orchestra has always played a major role in commissioning and performing contemporary operatic, choreographic and symphonic works. Hence, the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra enjoys a rich body of both traditional and modern repertoire.
The Orchestra has participated in such major festivals as Aix-en-Provence, Ankara, Athens, Bonn, Dresden, Dublin, Leipzig, Lisbon, Lyon, Montreux, Orange, Prague, Strasbourg, Tunis and Vienna and has toured widely abroad (Austria, Germany, Belgium, Spain, United States, Great Britain, Italy, Japan and Switzerland).
H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover is President of the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, which was supported and encouraged by Prince Rainier III throughout his reign as it is now by H.S.H. Prince Albert II.
The Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra is grateful for the support of the Monaco Government, the Société des Bains de Mer, CMB Bank and the Friends of the Philharmonic Orchestra Association.
Source: www.productions-sarfati.com
