Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France
Since its establishment in 1937, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France has gained a particular reputation among European ensembles for its eclectic repertoire, advocacy of new music, imaginative approach to concerts, outstanding guest artists and dynamic programmes for education and outreach.
 
Mikko Franck, its Music Director since 2015, embodies the orchestra’s distinctive spirit, values and ambitions with his determination to make each concert a memorable musical and human experience. His contract has been extended to 2022, reaffirming the commitment that he and the orchestra have made to each other.
 
Among Franck’s predecessors at the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France are Myung-Whun Chung, Marek Janowski and Gilbert Amy, but over its eight decades of history, many other major musical personalities have also conducted the orchestra, including Désiré-Émile Inghelbrecht to Gustavo Dudamel by way of Aaron Copland, Pierre Boulez, Yuri Temirkanov and Esa-Pekka Salonen.
 
Having previously made its home at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and then the Salle Pleyel, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France now gives its Paris concerts at either the Auditorium de Radio France or the Philharmonie de Paris. It also tours regularly, both in France – for instance to Lyon, Toulouse, Aix-en-Provence, the Folle Journée Festival in Nantes, the Chorégies d’Orange and the Festival de Saint-Denis – and internationally to such major venues as the Berlin Philharmonie, Vienna Konzerthaus, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, NCPA in Beijing and Suntory Hall in Tokyo.
 
Mikko Franck and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France record extensively, with a special relationship to the Alpha label. Their concerts can be heard and watched online at francemusique.fr as well as regularly on arte.tv and france.tv.
 
The orchestra believes in taking an active role in culture and society and each season it refreshes its outreach programme with creative projects for young audiences, workshops, innovative concert formats – including audience participation, and activities in hospitals and prisons. Pianist, teacher and broadcaster Jean-François Zygel hosts Les Clefs de l’orchestre, a series exploring the masterpieces of the orchestral repertoire, which is broadcast on France Inter, France Télévisions and RTBF in Belgium. In addition, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and Mikko Franck are ambassadors of UNICEF.
 

Piano: Sergei Babayan
He is one of the leading pianists of our time. Hailed for his emotional intensity, bold energy and remarkable levels of color, Sergei Babayan brings a deep understanding and insight to an exceptionally diverse repertoire. Le Figaro has praised his "unequaled touch, perfectly harmonious phrasing and breathtaking virtuosity." Le Devoir from Montreal put it simply: “Sergei Babayan is a genius. Period.”
 
Sergei Babayan has collaborated with such conductors as David Robertson, Neeme Järvi, Yuri Temirkanov, Thomas Dausgaard, Tugan Sokhiev, and Dima Slobodeniouk, among others. Over the years, Babayan has performed with Valery Gergiev numerous times to great critical acclaim, including appearances at the International Festival "Stars of the White Nights", the Moscow Easter Festival, the Barbican Centre with Mo. Gergiev conducting the London Symphony Orchestra, in St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre, the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Théâtre des Champs-Elyseés in Paris, at the Salzburg Festival, and at the Rotterdam Philharmonic-Gergiev Festival where Babayan was artist-in-residence.
 
In the 2019/20 season, Mr. Babayan’s schedule includes concert performances at Carnegie Hall, with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Bamberg Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the Mariinsky Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, and the Verbier Festival Orchestra. Sergei Babayan regularly performs at many of the world’s most prestigious venues, including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, London’s Wigmore Hall, the Vienna Konzerthaus and Munich Prinzregententheater, the Maison de la Radio in Paris, at the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie and Frankfurt Alte Oper, and the Zurich Tonhalle. He will also return to major festivals including La Roque d’Anthéron, Piano aux Jacobins in Toulouse, Gstaad Menuhin Festival, and Verbier Festival. At Konzerthaus Dortmund, Sergei Babayan is a Curating Artist during the 2019/20 season. Mr. Babayan performs with the world's foremost orchestras, including the London Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de Lille, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the New World Symphony.
 
His engagements and tours have brought him to eminent international concert venues including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Warsaw Philharmony, Severance Hall in Cleveland, Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Herkulessaal in Munich, Liederhalle in Stuttgart, Meistersingerhalle in Nuremberg, Konzerthaus Berlin, Beethovenhalle Bonn, Rudolfinum-Dvorak Hall in Prague, Victora Hall in Geneva and many others.
 
Sergei Babayan is a Deutsche Grammophon exclusive artist; his latest release of his own transcriptions for two pianos of works by Sergei Prokofiev, with Martha Argerich as his partner (‘Prokofiev for Two’; DG 2018), was praised by reviewers as ‘the CD one has waited for’ (Le Devoir), an ‘electrifying duo that leaves the listener in consternation’ (Pianiste), taking ‘the piano duo to a new level: If all music was like this, there would be no sorrow in the world.’ (Norman Lebrecht, MyScena). Mr. Babayan's performances have been broadcast by Radio France, Polish Radio and Television, BBC-TV and BBC Radio 3, NHK Satellite Television and Medici TV.
 
Born in Armenia into a musical family, Babayan began his studies there with Georgy Saradjev and continued at the Moscow Conservatory with Mikhail Pletnev, Vera Gornostayeva and Lev Naumov. Following his first trip outside of the USSR in 1989, he won consecutive first prizes in several major international competitions including the Cleveland International Piano Competition, the Hamamatsu Piano Competition, and the Scottish International Piano Competition. An American citizen, he lives in New York City.
 

Conductor: Mikko Franck
Mikko Franck was born in 1979 in Helsinki, Finland. He began his conducting career at the early age of 17 and has since worked with major orchestras and opera houses across the world.
 
From 2002 to 2007, Mikko Franck was Music Director of the Orchestre National de Belgique. In 2006, he took up the position of General Music Director of Finnish National Opera, and the following year was appointed Artistic Director and General Music Director, a dual position he held until August 2013.
 
In September 2015, Mikko Franck became Music Director of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France; his initial contract with the orchestra has been extended until September 2022.
 
Since assuming this position, he has taken the orchestra on tours of Europe, China and South Korea. During the 2018/19 season, Mikko Franck and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France gave concerts in Germany, Austria, and Spain. 2019/20 will see a further tour of Asia.
 
In September 2017, he also became Principal Guest Conductor of the Orchestra e del Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.
 
In recent seasons, as well as fulfilling a busy concert schedule in Paris and in Rome, Mikko Franck was invited by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Berlin Philharmonic. In 2019/20 he will return to the Berlin Philharmonic and conduct the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.
 
Equally devoted to opera, he has conducted in recent seasons the Vienna State Opera productions of La Bohème, Salome, Lohengrin, Josephs Legende, Elektra, Tosca, La Fanciulla del West, Die tote Stadt, and Tristan und Isolde. During the 2019/20 season he returns to Vienna for productions of Otello and Salome. 
 
In February 2018, Mikko Franck was nominated Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF France. Upon his nomination he stated: “Every child is unique; every life is important. Every child, regardless of their origin, should have the right to live in a safe and healthy environment, to follow their dreams and to realise their full potential”.
 
Program:
 
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.4
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
 
 (Please check program updates at the concert.)