Orchestre royal de chambre de Wallonie

The Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie (Dutch: Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia) is the oldest chamber orchestra in Belgium.

The orchestra was founded in 1958 under the name Les Solistes de Bruxelles (the soloists of Brussels) by violinist Lola Bobesco. The Orchestre royal de Chambre de Wallonie was subsequently led by violinist-conductors Philippe Hirschhorn, Jean-Pierre Wallez, Georges Octors, Augustin Dumay (from 2003 to 2014) and since January 2014 Frank Braley. The orchestra is a regular participant in the Queen Elisabeth Competition. The orchestra accompanied renowned soloists, including José Van Dam, Mstislav Rostropovitsj, Mischa Maisky, Arthur Grumiaux, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Paul Tortelier, Philippe Hirschhorn, Janos Starker, Aldo Ciccolini, Maria João Pires and Frank Braley.

The orchestra frequently performs concerts in Belgium, especially in Wallonia and in particular in Mons where the orchestra is based and in Brussels at the Palais des Beaux-Arts. In addition, the ensemble has performed in renowned halls and at festivals such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, la Folle Journée in Nantes, the Festival de Menton, and in cultural capitals such as Lisbon, Bilbao, Tokyo and Beijing.

Official website