Orchestre National de Lille

Based in Lille in the heart of the Hauts-de-France region, the Orchestre National de Lille was founded in 1976 as the successor to the ORTF Nord-Picardie orchestra at the initiative of local authorities and the State, with Jean-Claude Casadesus serving as musical director until 2016. Renamed Orchestre National de Lille in the early 1980s, the symphony developed a project combining the great works of the classical and romantic repertoire, a sustained focus on French music and an openness to contemporary creation. Under the direction of Alexandre Bloch, appointed in 2016, the Orchestre National de Lille continues this line, alternating symphonic programmes, oratorios, concert performances of opera and cross-disciplinary projects that sometimes blend jazz, film music or multimedia forms. In principal residence at the Auditorium du Nouveau Siècle, the Orchestre National de Lille regularly tours in France and across Europe, collaborates with vocal and instrumental soloists of different generations, and runs a substantial programme of educational activities and concerts aimed at school audiences and people who are distant from traditional concert halls.