The Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse is a French

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

based in

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...

. It acts as both a symphony orchestra whose main residence is Toulouse's Halle aux Grains, and the permanent orchestra of the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse.

History

Initially named ''Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse'', the orchestra began as the opera orchestra of

Théâtre du Capitole The Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse is an opera house within the main administration buildings, the Capitole, of the city of Toulouse in south-west France. It houses an opera company, ballet company and symphony orchestra, Orchestre nationa ...

. Notable past music directors of the orchestra have included

André Cluytens André Cluytens (, ; born Augustin Zulma Alphonse Cluytens; 26 March 19053 June 1967)Baeck E. ''André Cluytens: Itinéraire d’un chef d’orchestre.'' Editions Mardaga, Wavre, 2009. was a Belgian-born French conductor who was active in the con ...

(beginning in 1932) and

Georges Prêtre Georges Prêtre (; 14 August 1924 – 4 January 2017) was a French orchestral and opera conductor. Biography Prêtre was born in Waziers ( Nord), and attended the Douai Conservatory and then studied harmony under Maurice Duruflé and conducting ...

(1951–1955), but the Orchestre du Capitole rose to international prominence during

Michel Plasson Michel Plasson (born 2 October 1933, Paris, France) is a French conductor. Plasson was a student of Lazare Lévy at the Conservatoire de Paris. In 1962, he was a prize-winner at the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors. ...

's tenure as music director, from 1968 to 2003. Until Plasson's era, the orchestra was a purely operatic orchestra, rarely playing symphonies and almost never touring. Within twelve years, Plasson's insistence of higher artistic standards and goals had improved the orchestra's reputation dramatically. He began a period of critically acclaimed recordings and tours, and in 1980 the orchestra was bestowed the title of a French 'National' orchestra. Since 1974, the Halle aux Grains become the orchestra's main concert hall. It was originally a market and was later converted to a boxing arena, before becoming the orchestra's principle symphonic residence. Plasson's flamboyant personality, his insistence on playing and recording the French repertoire (especially rarely played pieces), and his record deal with

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

, combined to make the orchestra the "reference" French orchestra, the most visible and most visibly French, with approximately one hundred records released. He also created a fundraising group called 'Aida', which has many large business donors, most notably

Airbus Airbus SE (; ; ; ) is a European Multinational corporation, multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace manufacturer, aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft througho ...

, as well as banks. 'Aida' contributes to the orchestra's very busy international touring calendar, and recordings. It was early in Plasson's tenure that the orchestra began to tour internationally, and it continues to tour heavily today.

Natalie Dessay Natalie Dessay (; born 19 April 1965) is a French singer, known for her former career as an operatic soprano. She gained wide recognition after her portrayal of Olympia in ''The Tales of Hoffmann'' in 1992, and then performing at leading stages, ...

began her career as a singer in the Choeur du Capitole and also made her solo debut with the orchestra. In 2014 she sang with the orchestra in the title role of

Manon ''Manon'' () is an ''opéra comique'' in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel '' L'histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut'' by the Abbé Prévost. It was first ...

, which was her last official opera performance. On May 9, 2003, Plasson announced his decision not to renew his contract after August 31, 2003. He complained that planned works in the Halle aux Grains would impair the 2003-2004 concert season. Unofficially, his departure was caused by the city's refusal to increase the orchestra's payroll. In 2004, Plasson was made "honorary conductor" of the orchestra, although he has rarely conducted the orchestra since. In 2005, the city named

Tugan Sokhiev Tugan Taymurazovich Sokhiev ( os, Сохиты Таймуразы фырт Тугъан, Soxity Tajmurazy fyrt Tuhan; russian: Туга́н Таймура́зович Сохиев; born 21 October 1977, Vladikavkaz, Ossetia) is an Ossetian conduct ...

principal guest conductor and musical adviser of the orchestra. Sokhiev became the orchestra's music director and principal conductor in September 2008. Artistically, Sokhiev moved the orchestra away from the French sound and traditions cultivated by Plasson, and has taken the orchestra in a more rhythmically impactful and sonically contrasting direction. In 2011 the French national paper ''

Le Figaro ''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of reco ...

'' reviewed the top 25 orchestras in France. The Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse was listed among the three best orchestras in France, one of the so-called 'Trio de l'excellence'. Also included in this top tier group were the

Orchestre de Paris The Orchestre de Paris () is a French orchestra based in Paris. The orchestra currently performs most of its concerts at the Philharmonie de Paris. History In 1967, following the dissolution of the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Co ...

, and the orchestra of the

Opera National de Paris Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libretti ...

. In 2015, Sokhiev signed a new contract with the orchestra through 2019. In March 2022, Sokhiev resigned as the orchestra's music director, citing pressure to make a public statement regarding the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

Tarmo Peltokoski Tarmo may refer to: * Tarmo (given name), Estonian and Finnish masculine given name * Tarmo, Estonian and Finnish family name ** Ruut Tarmo (1896–1967), Estonian stage and film actor, and stage director * , a Finnish steam-powered icebreaker * , a ...

first guest-conducted the orchestra in September 2022, and returned for an additional guest-conducting appearance in October 2022. In December 2022, the orchestra announced the appointment of Peltokoski as its next music director, effective with the 2024-2025 season, with an initial contarct of five seasons.

Music Directors (partial list)

(1951–1955) *

(1968–2003) *

(2008–2022) * Tarmo Peltokoski (designate, effective 2023)

References

External links

/ Orchestra Homepage

French-language biography of Tugan Sokhiev

2011 Review of French Orchestras by Le Figaro

Announcement of Sokhiev's 2015 contract
{{DEFAULTSORT:Orchestre National Du Capitole De Toulouse French orchestras Organizations based in Toulouse Tourist attractions in Toulouse Musical groups from Occitania (administrative region)