Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie (ORCW), biography
Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia
Coming from a great musical tradition, the Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia (ORCW) was founded by Lola Bobescoété in 1958.
Led by conductors hailing from this tradition but also by those of the new generation such as Robin Ticciati, it is the oldest chamber orchestra in Belgium and the only one to be given a royal seal.
The orchestra has given concerts with the greatest performers including José van Dam, Mstislav Rostropovitch, Aldo Ciccolini, Mischa Maiski, Maurice André, Arthur Grumiaux, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Paul Tortelier, Philippe Hirshhorn, Georges Octors, Adrian Prabava, Janos Starker, Frank Braley, Jean-Bernard Pommier, Michel Beroff, Guidon Kremer, Augustin Dumay, Louis Lortie, Paul Goodwin, Pavel Gomziakov, Jian Wang, Ivry Gitlis, Antoine Tamestit, Simone Kermes, Maria João Pires, etc.
Since 2003, the orchestra has benefited from the dynamism and reputation of its Musical Director and Principal Conductor, Augustin Dumay.
Under the direction of its first violinist,Jean-François Chamberlan, the ORCW gives regular concerts in Belgium particularly at the Wallonia- Brussels Federation.
Coming up soon, the ORCW:
will be performing with Augustin Dumay within the framework of Concerts de Poche (and with David Walter in Bizet's Carmen), at Toulouse and at the music festivals of Touquet and Picardy;
will be touring with Augustin Dumay, in North and South America and in Northern Europe;
will be performing the work of Josse De Pauw&Jan Kuijken (Les pendus)in France (Montpellier) and in Germany (Wiesbaden) under the direction of Etienne Siebens (produced by LOD Production, Ghent).
The ORCW has played:
in France in 2004 at the festival of Menton,
in the Netherlands in 2005 at the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam; in France at the festivals of Menton and ofRadio France and Montpellier,
in France in 2006 at the festival of Radio France and Montpellier in a Beethoven programme; in Switzerland at the Gianadda Foundation; in Rumania at the Athenaeum ofBucharest; in China at the Beijing Festival;and in the context of Mozart Year with Augustin Dumay and Maria João Pires:
at the Champs-Élysées Theatre and
in the international series at the Bozar concert hall part of the complete concerti of Mozart, the other being given by Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Camerata Academica of Salzburg.
in 2008, with a number of international performers to celebrate its 50th anniversary
ARTE and R.T.B.F. broadcast the 50th anniversary concert of the ORCW with Augustin Dumay, Maria João Pires an Pavel Gomziakov (Mozart, Mendelssohn, Schumann);
and in the context of the filmAugustin DUMAY - Laisser une trace dans le cœur [Leave a trace in your heart] made by Gérard Corbiau (Le Maître de Musique, Farinelli), broadcast by ARTE (Belgium, France, Germany) and the R.T.B.F.,
in France in 2010 at the Auditorium of Lyons and at the festivals of Menton and of La Roque D'Anthéron withMaria João Pires, Ivry Gitlis and Antoine Tamestit,
in France in 2011 at the festival of Radio France andMontpellier with Simone Kermes and Louis Lortie; at the United Arab Emirates to open the festival of Abu Dhabi with Abdel Rahman El Bacha;in Belgium at theKVS [Royal Flemish Theatre] Brussels, Hasselt, Turnhout, Bruges, the Singel in Antwerp, TNB Brussels, Mons, Leuven), in the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Groningen), in Germany (Hannover), in France (Strasburg, etc.) and in Luxembourg performing Josse De Pauw&Jan Kuijken'sLes pendus, under the direction of Etienne Siebens (produced by LOD Production, Ghent).
In Belgium, the ORCW regularly accompanies the Queen Elisabeth of Belgium International Musical Competition, the Queen Elisabeth Chapelle Musicale, the Bozar concert hall, the Festival of Wallonia (Hainaut, Stavelot, Walloon Brabant, etc.), several music festivals (Silly, Abbey of Aulne, Binche, Lasnes, Château de Modave, Château La Folie, Mont-sur-Marchienne, etc.), in towns and cities (Charleroi, Namur, Liège, Louvain-La-Neuve, Antwerp, Turnhout, Hasselt, Knokke, Ypres, etc.), at cultural centres, etc.
In Mons, it city of residence, in collaboration with the Manège, Mons, the ORCW:
presents a cycle of chamber music "Mons & Merveilles" [Mons and Wonders] with the city of Mons,
organises exceptional concerts at theRoyal Theatre of Mons
offers a divers and original repertoire and showcases young performers in the series "Mons Découvertes" [Mons discovered].
The orchestra and Arts2 (Royal Conservatory of Mons) organise the summer festival Côté Cour, Côté Jardin and concerts "Premières scènes" [First scenes] which encourages the emergence and development of youngtalents.
The ORCW has already taken part in events in the context of Mons, European Capital of Culture 2015.
Many prizes have been awarded to the recordings of the ORCW: Diapason d'or, Choc of the Monde de la Musique [World of Music], etc.
La qualité des cordes de l'Orchestre de Chambre de Wallonie est un des atouts de cet enregistrement - The quality of the strings of the ORCW is one of the assets of this recording (LeMonde de la musique, Jean Roy, 2006 – Chausson, Ravel with Augustin Dumay.
The ORCW benefits from support from the public authorities:
Ministry of the Wallonia Brussels Federation - Ministry of Culture / Directorate General of the Performing Arts, Wallonia-Brussels International, Walloon Export Agency, National Lottery, City of Mons, European Cultural Capital 2015.
