Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse © DR
Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse
Born in the 1960s from the merger of the Orchestre du Capitole and the Orchestre symphonique de Toulouse-Pyrénées, the Orchestre national du Capitole quickly took on a new dimension thanks to the work of Michel Plasson, who conducted it until 2003.
In 1981, the Orchestre du Capitole was awarded the “national” label. From 2005 to 2022, Tugan Sokhiev breathed new life into the orchestra’s one hundred and twenty-five musicians, making it one of the most renowned orchestras in France and Europe. Since September 2024, Tarmo Peltokoski has held the position of Music Director Designate for his first season, and from September 2025 he will assume the full role of Music Director.
The Orchestre national du Capitole offers a rich symphonic season in its historic concert hall, the Halle aux grains, as well as a lyrical and choreographic season at the Théâtre du Capitole.
In France, the Orchestre du Capitole regularly performs in major Parisian venues, as well as in the Occitanie region, strengthening its local roots and opening up to new audiences. With this in mind, the orchestra has developed its educational activities, on the one hand through family and school concerts (over 25,000 children attend general or educational concerts each season), and on the other hand through particular involvement in two emblematic projects: the DEMOS project and the “Tous les matins d’orchestre” scheme.
Musical creation is at the heart of each season. The Orchestre national du Capitole has forged special relationships with musicians such as Bruno Mantovani, Qigang Chen and Benjamin Attahir, and has premiered several of their works.
The Orchestre national du Capitole is regularly invited to perform on the most prestigious stages on international tours.
For many years now, it has been pursuing an active policy of critically-acclaimed recordings with Warner Classics, for example – notably of Shostakovich symphonies – and has forged privileged links with Mezzo TV, Radio Classique and France Musique.