Founded in 1982 by , Les Musiciens du breathe new life into the repertoires of the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras, performed on period instruments.

Over the past thirty years, the Orchestra drew attention with its reinterpretations of Handel, Purcell and Rameau, but also Haydn and Mozart and more recently Bach and Schubert. It is also well known for playing nineteenth-century French music: Berlioz (Les Nuits d’été, ), Bizet (L’Arlésienne), Massenet ()...

Its recent operatic successes include (, MC2: ), Hoffmann’s Tales by Offenbach (Salle Pleyel, ), La Périchole (Salzburg), Le Nozze di Figaro (Theater an der Wien, Versailles Opera), Don Giovanni (Versailles Opera), Così fan tutte (Versailles Opéra), (Opéra Garnier, Paris) and by Gluck (Wien Staatsoper), by Handel (Wien Staatsoper), a Mozart Gala for the thirtieth anniversary of the Orchestra or The Flying Dutchman by Wagner (Versailles Opera ; MC2: Grenoble ; Vienna Konzerthaus ; Palau de la Mùsica, Barcelona ; Theater an der Wien).

The 2018-2019 season celebrates French XIXth century opera with Offenbach’s operettas (Hoffmann’s Tales, La Périchole and an anthology) and Massenet’s Manon. Under Marc Minkowski’s direction, the Orchestra will go on an European tour with two programs : Symphonie imaginaire (Rameau) and the Great Mass in C minor (Mozart). It will also play under Thibault Noally’s direction (Lausanne Bach Festival, Porpora versus Handel, Arias for Farinelli) and under Sebastien Rouland’s (Orfeo ed Euridice and D’Offenbach à Fauré).

After the complete London Symphonies by Haydn for naïve in 2010 and the Schubert Symphonies in 2012, and both Flying Dutchman by Dietsch and Wagner in 2013, the Orchestra published Johannes-Passion by Bach in April 2017. In 2018, the Orchestra will record the Great Mass in C minor (Mozart).

Supported by the Département de l’Isère, the Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the French Ministry of Culture and Communication (DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) and many enterprises (Banque Populaire Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Air Liquide...), have an extensive outreach and educational programme to promote in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes area.

Last update : 03.07.2018