Orchestre de Paris: HAYDN - MOZART - PROKOFIEV

Heinrich Schiff, Conductor and Cello
Founded in 1967, the Orchestre de Paris soon proved itself to be a worthy successor to the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, the earliest French symphony orchestra, celebrated for championing the contemporary composers of its time: Beethoven, Schubert, Weber and Mendelssohn. Following in the footsteps of Charles Munch, its first Music Director, a series of eminent conductors have guided the orchestra’s fortunes: Herbert von Karajan, Sir Georg Solti, Daniel Barenboim, right up to Christoph Eschenbach, Music Director since September 2000. Today, the Orchestre de Paris is one of the greatest and most prestigious international orchestras. Its 120 musicians give more than 100 concerts every year, and offer a vast repertoire which extends over three centuries of music, from the symphonic to the operatic, while maintaining an important place for contemporary creation and for works from France through commissions and first performances. A distinguished ambassador for French culture abroad, the Orchestre de Paris regularly tours Europe, the United States, Asia and Latin America. Under the direction of Christoph Eschenbach it performed a triumphantly successful tour of China in October/November 2004 and in Germany in February 2005.