The ''Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine'' (ONBA) is a French symphony orchestra based in

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...

. Its principal concert venue is the ''Palais des sports''. In addition to its regular symphony concerts, the ONBA serves as the accompanying orchestra for the

Opéra National de Bordeaux This is a glossary list of opera genres, giving alternative names. "Opera" is an Italian word (short for "opera in musica"); it was not at first ''commonly'' used in Italy (or in other countries) to refer to the genre of particular works. Most c ...

and the Ballet of the

. The ONBA also participates in such French music festivals as

La Folle Journée La Folle Journée is a French annual classical music festival held in Nantes. It is the largest classical music festival in France. The festival's name refers to the Pierre Beaumarchais play '' The Marriage of Figaro'', whose alternative title ...

(Nantes) and the

Festival de La Roque-d'Anthéron The Festival de La Roque-d'Anthéron is an international piano festival, founded in 1980 by Paul Onoratini (1920–2010), then mayor of La Roque-d'Anthéron and , then an intern at the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs, seeking to creat ...

. The ONBA receives financial support from the ''Mairie de Bordeaux'', the French Ministry of Culture and the ''Conseil Régional d’Aquitaine'' (Regional Council of Aquitaine). The ONBA has its historical roots in two instrumental ensembles based in Bordeaux. The first was the ''Orchestre de la Société Sainte-Cécile'' (Orchestra of the Saint Cecilia Society), established in 1853 by the conductor of the ''Grand-Théâtre de Bordeaux'', Charles Mézeray. The second organisation dated from 1932, the ''Association des Professeurs du Conservatoire'' (Association of Professors of the Conservatoire), which

Gaston Poulet Gaston Poulet (10 April 1892 – 14 April 1974) was a French violinist and conductor. He played an important part in the diffusion of the contemporary music of the first half of the 20th century. His son Gérard Poulet, born in 1938, is also a vio ...

, the director of the city's conservatory, established. In 1940, the two ensembles were essentially merged, under the direction of Poulet, to form the ''Société des Concerts du Conservatoire'' (Society of Conservatory Concerts). This ensemble worked also with the

Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux The Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux is an opera house in Bordeaux, France, first inaugurated on 17 April 1780. It was in this theatre that the ballet '' La fille mal gardée'' premiered in 1789, and where a young Marius Petipa staged some of his fir ...

. After World War II, Poulet stood down from the

Conservatoire de Bordeaux The Conservatoire de Bordeaux is an arts conservatory that offers higher education in music, dance and drama in Bordeaux, France. It is one of the leading schools in France for singers and saxophonists. Founded in 1821, the school is operated by ...

and the orchestra. The orchestra was renamed the ''Orchestre Philharmonique de Bordeaux'', and a new leader took over both the orchestra and the conservatory,

Georges Carrère Georges Carrère (19 May 1897 – 31 December 1986) was a French classical violinist and head of the Conservatoire de Bordeaux and the l’ Orchestre Philharmonique de Bordeaux. Biography Born in Bordeaux by a father conductor at the Grand T ...

, who served until 1963. In 1963, Jacques Pernoo became the orchestra's director, and the orchestra changed names again, to the ''Orchestre Symphonique de Bordeaux''. In 1972, the orchestra acquired another new name, the ''Orchestre de Bordeaux Aquitaine''. In the wake of the "decentralisation" policies of

Marcel Landowski Marcel François Paul Landowski (18 February 1915 – 23 December 1999) was a French composer, biographer and arts administrator. Biography Born at Pont-l'Abbé, Finistère, Brittany, he was the son of French sculptor Paul Landowski and gre ...

in French music funding, the orchestra enhanced its regional activities. During the leadership of its then-music director, Roberto Benzi, the orchestra attained a strength of 95 musicians. With the subsequent music directorship of Alain Lombard, from 1988 to 1995, the orchestra received its current name, the ''Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine'', and expanded to its present complement of around 120 musicians. The ONBA's current music director is the British conductor

Paul Daniel Paul Daniel (born 5 July 1958) is an English conductor. Biography Early life Daniel was born in Birmingham. As a boy, he sang in the choir of Coventry Cathedral, where he received musical training; then studied music at King's College, Cambr ...

, starting with the 2013-2014 season. In May 2017, the ONBA announced the extension of Daniel's contract through 2021. Past principal guest conductors of the ONBA have included

Yutaka Sado is a Japanese conductor. While still in school, Sado obtained a position in the Kansai Nikikai, a Japanese school of opera, where he had the opportunity to work with the New Japan Philharmonic and the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, learning operati ...

, from 1999 to 2004. The ONBA has made commercial recordings for such labels as

Naxos Records Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about 1 ...

harmonia mundi Harmonia Mundi is an independent record label which specializes in classical music, jazz, and world music (on the World Village label). It was founded in France in 1958 and is now a subsidiary of PIAS Entertainment Group. Its Latin name ''ha ...

, and

Mirare Mirare is a French classical music record label founded by René Martin and François-René Martin. The label was created for recordings of the La Folle Journée La Folle Journée is a French annual classical music festival held in Nantes. I ...

Music directors

(1940–1944) *

(1945–1963) * Jacques Pernoo (1963–1972) *

Roberto Benzi Roberto Benzi (born 1937) is a French conductor and former child actor. Early life Roberto Benzi was born on December 12, 1937, in Marseille, France. His parents discovered his musicality when he was very young, and taught him solfège and piano. ...

(1973–1987) *

Alain Lombard Alain Lombard (born 4 October 1940, Paris) is a French conductor. Career Lombard attended the Conservatoire de Paris, where his studied violin with Line Talleul and conducting with Gaston Poulet. He subsequently secured an appointment at the Op� ...

(1988–1995) *

John Neschling John Neschling is a Brazilian orchestral and operatic conductor. He was the musical director and the chief conductor of the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo (São Paulo State Symphony) from 1997 to 2008. He was the Artistic Director o ...

(1996–1998) *

Hans Graf Hans Graf (born 15 February 1949 in Marchtrenk) is an Austrian conductor. As a child, Graf learned the violin and the piano. He studied at the Musikhochschule in Graz, Austria, and graduated with diplomas in piano and conducting. He also partic ...

(1998–2004) * Christian Lauba (2004–2006) *

Kwamé Ryan Kwamé Ryan (born 1970 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Trinidadian conductor. Career Early history and education Ryan is the son of Joya Gomez, a school teacher and actress and Selwyn Ryan, a university professor. Having set his sights on a career in ...

(2007–2013) *

(2013–present)

References

External links

Official ONBA page, French-language

David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com review of Naxos 8.570075
{{Authority control French orchestras Musical groups established in 1974 Musical groups from Bordeaux