Philippe Jordan - New Music Director of the Orchestre National de France from 2027/28
PHILIPPE JORDAN will become Music Director of the Orchestre National de France in 2027
"Sibyle Veil, President and General Director of Radio France, and Michel Orier, Director of Music and Creation of Radio France, are delighted to announce the appointment of Philippe Jordan as Music Director of the Orchestre National de France. He will take up the position on September 1, 2027.
With this appointment, Philippe Jordan follows in the footsteps of Lorin Maazel, Charles Dutoit, Kurt Masur, Daniele Gatti, Emmanuel Krivine and current Music Director Cristian Măcelaru, who will leave his post in summer 2027 after seven outstanding seasons with the orchestra.
Philippe Jordan, who served as Music Director of the Opéra national de Paris for 12 years (2009–2021), now returns to the French capital as Music Director of the Orchestre National de France. Philippe Jordan reaffirms the ensemble as an ambassador for French music and an undeniably authoritative force in the broader orchestral repertoire and looks forward to reaching ever-broader audiences with the Orchestre National de France, whether in Paris, elsewhere in France, or around the world. The path to this new long-term relationship was paved by his recent performances with the Orchestre National de France.
" From my first meeting with the Orchestre National de France in October 2022, I had the feeling that its roots lie both in the French musical tradition and in the broader Classical and Romantic repertoire. I was certain that together we could achieve something extraordinary. For me, this new association feels like coming home. The 12 years I spent at the Paris Opéra were an extremely rewarding time in my career, and now I return to France after my time in Austria at the Vienna State Opera and previously as Chief Conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra .
" The circumstances couldn't be more favorable: Paris has become a second home to me, and after spending so much time at major opera houses, I'm now at a stage in my life where I want to focus primarily on the orchestral repertoire. I'm very happy to have found the ideal partner in the Orchestre National de France ."
Philippe Jordan
" In collaboration with Philippe Jordan, the Orchestre National de France will ensure that French music and the broader repertoire receive a prominent and comprehensive presence not only on France Musique, but also on all other Radio France channels and in performances at major venues throughout France and internationally. My sincere thanks go to Cristian Măcelaru, who will be succeeded by Philippe Jordan in September 2027, for all his achievements with the orchestra over the past seasons and for the tours, concerts, and exemplary recordings we can look forward to during his remaining time as Music Director. "
Sibyle Veil, President-Director General, Radio France
" Philippe Jordan is an outstanding conductor and I am delighted by the happy alignment between his ambitions for the orchestral repertoire and the goals of the Orchestre National de France and Radio France. Our musicians will be as enthusiastic as the audience when they experience the new partnership in the acoustically superb Auditorium de Radio France. Philippe Jordan's experience, which spans Paris and Vienna, makes him the ideal guide through Europe's diverse musical heritage. With Cristian Măcelaru as Music Director, the Orchestre National de France has gone from strength to strength and I am delighted that the relationship will continue after his term ends.
Michel Orier, Music and Creative Director, Radio France
"The musicians of the Orchestre National de France will soon have completed five highly successful seasons with Cristian Măcelaru as our Music Director, and we very much look forward to two more seasons under his leadership. With the arrival of Maestro Jordan, a new chapter opens. It is a great honor to welcome him, and we do so with great pride. This is a meeting of strong personalities: the orchestra and conductor are equal in temperament and determination. Above all, we share a vision of orchestral sound characterized by lyricism and classic French transparency. The date is set: 2027."
Philippe Jordan conducted the Orchestre National de France for the first time on October 6, 2022, at the Auditorium de Radio France—a concert with a Viennese theme, including a suite from Der Rosenkavalier , which the conductor re-arranged in collaboration with Tomáš Ille, and Brahms' Violin Concerto with Frank Peter Zimmermann. Jordan returned in October 2023 with a program featuring Debussy, Chausson, Mendelssohn, and Britten.
On this evening, November 21, 2024, Philippe Jordan conducts the Orchestre National de France at the Auditorium de Radio France in a program including Messiaen's Offrandes oubliées and Bruckner's Symphony No. 7.
SOURCE RADIO FRANCE PRESS RELEASE