The Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire (ONPL) is a symphony orchestra based in Angers and Nantes, France. The orchestra receives support from the Regional Council of the Pays de la Loire.
The precursor ensembles to the future ONPL were the orchestra of the Opéra de Nantes and the orchestra of the Société des Concerts Populaires d'Angers. In 1971 these two orchestras united into a single organisation, the 114-member Orchestre Philharmonique des Pays de la Loire (OPPL), recruited by competition throughout France. It gave its first concert under that name in September 1971, with Pierre Dervaux, the OPPL's first music director, conducting. Dervaux served as music director until 1976. Although based in Angers and Nantes the orchestra gave concerts in all the main towns of the Loire region. In 1979 the orchestra toured to Romania, Bulgaria and Poland, and made its first visit to London in 1980.
Subsequent music directors were Marc Soustrot (1976-1994), Hubert Soudant (1994-2004), and Isaac Karabtchevsky (2004-2010). In April 2009, the ONPL announced the appointment of John Axelrod as its next music director, effective September 2010, with an initial contract of 3 years.
Early recordings by the orchestra included orchestral works by Vincent d'Indy (Grand Prix du Disque, 1977), and music by Rabaud and Pierné (all EMI). Later CDs included Guillou's Concerto Grosso and Concerto 2000, Ravel's Boléro and other works, and Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony.
Read more about Orchestre National Des Pays De La Loire: Music Directors
Famous quotes containing the words national, des and/or pays:
“As one digs deeper into the national character of the Americans, one sees that they have sought the value of everything in this world only in the answer to this single question: how much money will it bring in?”
—Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859)
“When I was growing up I used to think that the best thing about coming from Des Moines was that it meant you didn’t come from anywhere else in Iowa. By Iowa standards, Des Moines is a mecca of cosmopolitanism, a dynamic hub of wealth and education, where people wear three-piece suits and dark socks, often simultaneously.”
—Bill Bryson (b. 1951)
“It had been drilled into us that when an audience pays to see a performance, it is entitled to the best performance you can give. Nothing in your personal life must interfere, neither fatigue, illness, nor anxiety—not even joy.”
—Lillian Gish (1896–1993)