BIOGRAPHY

ORCHESTRE NATIONAL D'AUVERGNE

Both as a regional orchestra and as a chamber orchestra attending numerous festivals in Europe and around the world, the Orchestre d'Auvergne has flourished artistically since its creation in 1981. A cultural ambassador for live music in France, and in more than 18 other countries, the ensemble consists of 21 musicians recruited internationally and forged its exemplary unity and cohesion under its former musical directors Jean-Jacques Kantorow and Arie van Beek. To maintain this quest for excellence, the young Spanish conductor Roberto Forés Veses was appointed chief conductor and artistic director in 2012.

The remarkable stability of the orchestra's personnel has resulted in a rich repertoire, which varies from baroque music to the most contemporary music, playing under the direction of conductors such as Emmanuel Krivine, Ivor Bolton, Dimitri Sitkovetski, Gilbert Varga, Victor Lieberman, Léopold Hager, Fabio Biondi, Hervé Niquet, and inviting world renowned soloists such as Augustin Dumay, Michel Dalberto, Mstislav Rostropovitch, Brigitte Engerer, Youri Bashmet, Barbara Hendricks, Nemanja Radulovic, Jean Guihen Queyras, Jérôme Pernoo, Svetlin Roussev, Donald Litaker, David Guerrier, Alexandre Tharaud, Cédric Tiberghien… amongst others too numerous to mention.

Regularly invited to play in the most renowned halls and operas in Tokyo, Osaka, New-York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Munich, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, The Hague, Zurich, Geneva, Milan, the orchestra also participates in well known festivals in France: Prades, Antibes, Evian, la Roque d'Anthéron, Auvers-sur-Oise, La Chaise-Dieu, Montpellier, Nantes, Saint-Riquier, Pérouges, Musiques au Cœur du Médoc, La Vézère, Saoû chante Mozart, Flâneries Musicales de Reims, la Grange de Meslay, Septembre Musical de l'Orne, La Folle Journée…

In parallel to these prestigious venues, the orchestra is also very implicated in the cultural life of the Auvergne region, giving concerts with the same musical involvement during the key regional concert seasons as well as in some of the most beautiful Romanesque churches. Fullfilling its mission as a regional cultural project coordinator, the orchestra proposes educational actions in the four departments of its region, but also social actions in hospital, community center, etc.

The Orchestre d'Auvergne's eloquence, the accuracy of its interpretations and its artistic inspiration have impressed record labels such as Olympia, Channel Classics, BNL, EMI, Denon, Calliope and Zig-Zag Territoires - leading to more than 30 recordings with Daniel Marillier, Gordan Nikolitch, Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Marielle Nordmann, Michel Lethiec, Marvis Martin, Svetlin Roussev, Philippe Bernold, Xavier de Maistre, Marc Desmons, Antoine Lederlin, Juliette Hurel, Edna Stern, Emmanuel Rossfelder and the jazzman Bill Mobley.