Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra, also known as the BRT Philharmonic Orchestra, is the older name of what is now called the Brussels Philharmonic. The orchestra was founded in 1935 as a studio ensemble of the public broadcaster, under the name Groot Symfonie-Orkest (Grand Symphony Orchestra). It was linked to the Flemish public broadcaster, first NIR and INR, later the VRT. In 1998 it began an independent existence as the VRT Radio Orchestra, and in 2008 it received its name Brussels Philharmonic.

Music and breakthrough

Since 2005 the orchestra has rehearsed in Studio 4 of the renovated Flagey building in Brussels. It also plays at Bozar, elsewhere in Flanders and abroad, including London, Vienna and Tokyo, and accompanies the Royal Ballet of Flanders. Fernand Terby was music director from 1978 to 1988. Since the 2015–2016 season Stéphane Denève has been music director. Under him the Centre for Future Orchestral Repertoire began, which commissions new compositions, and the orchestra recorded music by Guillaume Connesson and Sergei Prokofiev. In 2017 the orchestra accompanied the final of the Queen Elisabeth Competition. Kazushi Ōno became music director in 2022.

Influence

The orchestra began as a broadcasting ensemble and grew into an independent orchestra with a name of its own in the Belgian musical world. In this way it shows how broadcasting orchestras in Europe have formed a core of classical musical life.

Listening