Taking over the legacy of the first philharmonic orchestra to be created in the 1930s by French radio based on a radio orchestra founded in 1928 by André Messager, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France was remodeled in 1976 following Pierre Boulez’ criticism of the rigidity of traditional symphonic groups. On the contrary, the orchestra can simultaneously break down into several formations ranging from a small ensemble to a full orchestra, adapting to all configurations required by the repertory from the 18th century to today. Actively involved in renewing the repertoire, the orchestra performs French and world premiers of 20 new works every year. The composer Gilbert Amy and the conductor Marek Janowski were the orchestra’s first musical directors followed by Myung-Whun Chung, and Mikko Franck in 2015.
