Orchestre National de France & Sternath, Noseda

Orchestre National de France

Through its heritage and the dynamism of its artistic vision, the Orchestre National de France contributes to the international influence of France’s cultural excellence, both across the country—based at the Auditorium of Radio France, the centre of its activities—and around the world through its international tours. Committed to reaching wide audiences, the orchestra undertakes a “Grand Tour” across France and is also deeply engaged in educational initiatives.

Part of Radio France, the Orchestre National de France is the first permanent symphony orchestra created in France. Founded in 1934, it was established with the ambition of serving the symphonic repertoire and upholding the highest standards in the interpretation of French music. This ambition, together with the broadcast of its concerts on radio, quickly made the orchestra a prestigious institution. After the war, conductors such as Manuel Rosenthal, André Cluytens and Jean Martinon enriched this tradition, later enhanced by its successive music directors (Lorin Maazel, Charles Dutoit, Kurt Masur, Daniele Gatti, Emmanuel Krivine) as well as by regular guest conductors including Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Muti and Seiji Ozawa. Since 1 September 2020, Cristian Măcelaru has served as Music Director of the Orchestre National de France.

A witness to its time, the orchestra has premiered many masterpieces of the twentieth century, including Le Soleil des eaux by Boulez, Déserts by Varèse and the French premiere of Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie, as well as most of the major works by Dutilleux.

The Orchestre National de France recently performed at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, broadcast to 1.5 billion viewers worldwide.

Lukas Sternath

Lukas Sternath, an Austrian pianist born in Vienna in 2001, came to international attention at the ARD International Music Competition in Munich in 2022, where he won First Prize as well as seven special prizes. Since then, he has established himself on major international stages and has notably been named ECHO Rising Star 2024/25, BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist 2025–2027, and recipient of the Terence Judd-Hallé Award 2026. Trained notably under Igor Levit and Paul Lewis, and a former member of the Vienna Boys’ Choir, Lukas Sternath is now a Steinway Artist and lives in Vienna. His debut album, devoted to Liszt and Schubert, will be released in autumn 2026.

Gianandrea Noseda

Gianandrea Noseda is one of the world’s most sought-after conductors, acclaimed both in concert halls and in opera houses. Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts since 2017, he is also Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and General Music Director of the Opernhaus Zürich. Among the important milestones of his tenure in Zurich is the presentation of two complete cycles of Richard Wagner’s Ring in spring 2024, in a new production by Andreas Homoki.

Over the course of his career, Noseda has conducted all major symphony orchestras and has appeared at the world’s leading opera houses. He is also a regular guest at the most prestigious international festivals.

For his outstanding contribution to Italian artistic life, he has been appointed Commendatore of the Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana. He was named Conductor of the Year by Musical America in 2015 and Conductor of the Year at the International Opera Awards in 2016. In February 2023, he received the Best Conductor award at the Oper! Awards for his interpretations of Wagner. In December 2024, he was also honoured with the Ambrogino d’Oro, the highest distinction awarded by the city of Milan.