The Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra began in the 19th century as the opera house orchestra of the city of Monte Carlo. Among the oldest permanently established orchestras in the French-speaking world, it is Monaco's main symphonic ensemble. Unsurprisingly, the beginnings of the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra were connected to the city's development as a gambling Mecca. The group's fame became pan-European under conductors Arthur Steck and Léon Jehin. From 1928 to 1933, during World War II, and again in the '60s for a 42-city U.S. tour, the group was led by conductor Paul Paray. Conductors in the later 20th and early 21st centuries included Igor Markevitch, Lawrence Foster, and Kazuki Yamada beginning in 2016. In 2023, the Monte Carlo Philharmonic backed contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux on an album of orchestral songs by Berlioz, Ravel, and Saint-Saëns.