Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg

The Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg traces a lengthy past shaped by its Alsatian base close to the Franco-German frontier. Recognized among France’s official national ensembles, the orchestra enjoys worldwide esteem and has traveled extensively.

Josef Hasselmans led the ensemble at its establishment in 1855. Whenever Strasbourg fell under German administration, the group operated under the title Straßburger Philharmoniker. Its podium has been occupied by a succession of distinguished figures from several countries: Hans Pfitzner served from 1907 to 1915 and again from 1918 to 1919, Otto Klemperer held the post while still in his youth between 1915 and 1918, Paul Paray conducted from 1929 to 1940, Theodor Guschlbauer remained from 1983 to 1997, Marko Letonja directed the orchestra from 2012 to 2021, and Aziz Shokhakimov assumed leadership in 2021. Beyond its own subscription programs, the orchestra shares responsibility with the Orchestre Symphonique de Mulhouse as the resident ensemble of the Opéra national du Rhin. Comprising 110 players, it presents a yearly concert series in Strasbourg’s Palais de la musique et des congrès “Pierre Pflimlin.” For the FNAC Music label it taped the album Bal au Second Empire in 1994.

Official designation as a national orchestra arrived the same year, bringing both domestic and global attention. Consequently the ensemble began appearing regularly in prominent European venues—the Philharmonie de Paris, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, and Vienna’s Musikverein—while also reaching Brazil, Japan, and South Korea; a substantial tour of the last country took place in 2017 and prompted an immediate invitation to return. Several noted composers have held residencies with the orchestra, among them Kaija Saariaho, whose music was documented on disc under Letonja in 2015, Jean-Louis Agobet, and John Corigliano. The orchestra’s recordings have appeared on PentaTone, Ondine, and, beginning in the early 2020s, Warner Classics; the latter partnership yielded a 2022 release devoted to Leoš Janáček that featured the Glagolitic Mass.