The Orchestre de la Société des concerts du Conservatoire was a

symphony 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, ce ...

established in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

in 1828. It gave its first concert on 9 March 1828 with music by Beethoven, Rossini, Meifreid, Rode and Cherubini. Administered by the philharmonic association of the ''

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

'', the orchestra consisted of professors of the Conservatoire and their pupils. It was formed by François-Antoine Habeneck in pioneering fashion, aiming to present Beethoven's symphonies, but over time it became more conservative in its programming.Nichols R. The Harlequin Years – Music in Paris 1917–1929. Thames and Hudson, London, 2002. Its long existence kept the tradition of playing taught at the Conservatoire prominent in French musical life. The orchestra occupied the center-stage of French

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

life throughout the 19th and most of the 20th centuries. A major tour of the US took place in 1918, appearing in 52 cities. Later that year it made the first of its many recordings. In 1967, financial difficulties, along with irregular work for the players and poor pay led to a decision by the French government to form a new orchestra. Following auditions chaired by Charles Munch, 108 musicians were chosen (of whom 50 were from the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra) for the newly created

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 ...

, which gave its first concert on 14 November 1967 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. The chief conductors of the orchestra were: * François-Antoine Habeneck 1828–1848 *

Narcisse Girard Narcisse Girard (28 January 179716 January 1860) was a French violinist, conductor and composer.Walsh TJ. ''Second Empire Opera – The Théâtre-Lyrique Paris 1851-1870.'' John Calder Ltd, London, 1981. Life Girard was born in Nantes. A pupil ...

1848–1860 *

Théophile Tilmant Théophile (Joseph Alexandre) Tilmant, (''Tilmant aîné'') was a French violinist and conductor born on 9 July 1799 in Valenciennes France, and died on 7 May 1878, Asnières.Tilmant was a founding Sociétaire of the Société des Concerts in 18 ...

1860–1863 *

François George-Hainl François George-Hainl (16 November 1807 – 2 June 1873) was a French cellist and conductor.Fétis F-J. ''Biographie universelle des musiciens.'' Paris, 1878. He was born in Issoire. His father, who worked as both cobbler and amateur fiddler, ga ...

1863–1872 *

Édouard Deldevez Édouard Marie Ernest Deldevez (31 May 1817 – 6 November 1897) was a French violinist, conductor at important Parisian musical institutions, composer, and music teacher. Biography Deldevez was born and died in Paris. He won many prizes as a ...

1872–1885 * Jules Garcin 1885–1892 *

Paul Taffanel Claude-Paul Taffanel (16 September 1844 – 22 November 1908) was a French flautist, conductor and instructor, regarded as the founder of the French Flute School that dominated much of flute composition and performance during the mid-20th century ...

1892–1901 * Georges Marty 1901–1908 *

André Messager André Charles Prosper Messager (; 30 December 1853 – 24 February 1929) was a French composer, organist, pianist and conductor. His compositions include eight ballets and thirty opéra comique, opéras comiques, opérettes and other stage wo ...

1908–1919 *

Philippe Gaubert Philippe Gaubert (5 July 1879 – 8 July 1941) was a French musician who was a distinguished performer on the flute, a respected conductor, and a composer, primarily for the flute. Biography Gaubert – commonly referred to as Gauberto – ...

1919–1938 * Charles Munch 1938–1946 *

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 ...

1946–1960 No principal conductor was appointed during the orchestra's final years 1960–1967. Notable premieres given by the orchestra include Berlioz's '' Symphonie fantastique'', Saint-Saëns's Cello Concerto No. 1, and Franck's Symphony in D minor.

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External links

Online version of extracts and appendices
to

D. Kern Holoman Dallas Kern Holoman (born September 8, 1947) is an American musicologist and conductor, particularly known for his scholarship on the life and works of Hector Berlioz. Life and career Holoman was born in Raleigh, North Carolina on September 8, 1 ...

's definitive study ''The Société des Concerts du Conservatoire 1828–1967'' (University of California Press, 2004). Includes the Orchestra's complete discography and program details for all season concerts. Organizations established in 1828 Musical groups established in the 1820s Musical groups disestablished in 1967 French orchestras Musical groups from Paris History of Paris Disbanded orchestras Conservatoire de Paris 1828 establishments in France 1967 disestablishments in France {{France-band-stub