MARSEILLE PHILHARMONIC
ORCHESTRA

Michele Spotti, direction

Founded in 1965 following the dissolution of the ORTF Regional Orchestra, the Marseille Opera Orchestra became the Marseille Philharmonic Orchestra in 1981 under the leadership of Janos Furst. Its ranks expanded to 88 musicians thanks to the support of the City of Marseille.

Since then, the ensemble from the Phocaean city has championed a wide-ranging repertoire, from classical and Romantic masterworks to 20th-century pieces, while also supporting contemporary creation through municipal commissions such as Marius et Fanny by Vladimir Cosma and Colomba by Jean-Claude Petit.

Backed for many years by the City of Marseille, the orchestra has become a major player in the city’s musical life. It regularly collaborates with renowned conductors such as Paolo Arrivabeni, Sylvain Cambreling, Emmanuel Krivine, Evelino Pidò, Michael Schønwandt, and Patrick Fournillier, and performs alongside world-class soloists including Roberto Alagna, Patrizia Ciofi, Angela Gheorghiu, Michel Portal, the Capuçon brothers, Nemanja Radulović, and Abdel Rahman El Bacha.

Deeply committed to education and accessibility, the orchestra is actively involved in outreach projects led by the Opéra de Marseille, engaging with young audiences, schools, universities, and underserved communities.

From 2012 to 2023, Lawrence Foster served as music director, bringing renewed artistic vitality to the ensemble. Under his baton, the orchestra toured China in 2014 to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and China, appeared at the Bad Kissingen Festival, and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015 with a special concert broadcast on France Musique. Several critically acclaimed albums were recorded for the Pentatone label, featuring works by Martinů, American composers, and French repertoire.

Since 2016, the orchestra has been a regular guest at the International Piano Festival of La Roque d’Anthéron, performing with artists such as Evgeny Kissin, David Kadouch, Adam Laloum, and Bruce Liu. In 2018, it performed at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam with Arabella Steinbacher. During the 2020 lockdown, its video Corona Wars received a Silver Hashtag award from the Observatoire socialmedia des territoires and the Cap’Com Forum.

In January 2023, Michele Spotti was appointed music director, succeeding Lawrence Foster, whose tenure marked over a decade of artistic influence both in France and abroad.

The Marseille Philharmonic Orchestra has been a member of the French Association of Orchestras (AFO) since 2014.