Orchestre National de Lyon

L'Orchestre National de Lyon, or the National Orchestra of Lyon, is one of France's major regional orchestras. The ensemble grew out of a long tradition of orchestral music-making in its long-time culturally independent city. Ultimately, the history of L'Orchestre National de Lyon dates back to a municipal academy of the arts in the 18th century, but its immediate predecessor was the Societé Symphoniques des Grands Concerts, which was founded in 1903 and gave its first concert in 1905. Early conductors were Louis Frémaux (1969-1971) and Serge Baudo (1971-1986); the latter moved the orchestra into the 2,0900-seat Maurice Ravel Auditorium, which remains the group's home today. In 1982, the orchestra released an album of works by Henri Dutilleux. Since 2020, Nikolai Szeps-Znaider has been the music director. It was heard on the album Aux Étoiles: French Symphonic Poems in 2023.