François-Xavier RothFrançois-Xavier Roth

A unique orchestra composed of musicians from a new generation, playing each repertoire on the appropriate historical instruments: Les Siècles puts several centuries of musical creation into perspective in a relevant and unexpected way.

Les Siècles is in residence in the Atelier Lyrique in Tourcoing as well as in the Aisne department, in the Hauts-de-France French region, and is an associate artist in the Cité de la Musique in Soissons. The orchestra is also an associate artist of the Théâtre du Beauvaisis, the Berlioz Festival in La Côte-Saint-André, the Théâtre-Sénart, the Théâtre de Nîmes and Les Musicales de Normandie festival.

Les Siècles performs regularly in Paris (Philharmonie, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées), Amiens, Caen, Royaumont, Aix-en-Provence and abroad in London (BBC Proms, Royal Festival Hall), Berlin (Philharmonie, Konzerthaus), Hamburg (Elbphilharmonie), Amsterdam (Concertgebouw), Bremen, Brussels (Bozar, Klara Festival), Bucharest (Enescu Festival), Aldeburgh, Wiesbaden, Köln, Luxemburg, Rome, Venice, Tokyo, Shanghai, Beijing, Essen, Moscow…

Three times winner of the prestigious Deutschen Schallplattenkritik prize (Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring & Petrushka, Berlioz, Harold en Italie, Moussorgsky-Ravel, Pictures at an Exhibition) and twice awarded with the Edison Klassiek prize in the Netherlands (Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring & Petrushka and Berlioz, Symphonie fantastique), it is several times the only French orchestra nominated for the Gramophone Classical Music Award, which it won in 2018, in “classical recording of the year” category (Ravel, Daphnis et Chloé).

In France, Les Siècles won a Victoire de la Musique Classique and a Diamant Opéra (“Mirages”, with Sabine Devieilhe) as well as several Diapasons d’Or (Mahler, Titan and Saint-Saëns, Le Timbre d’argent). Its recordings Debussy, Jeux et Nocturnes and Berlioz, Harold en Italie are Choc de l’année 2019 Classica and the Debussy disc is awarded “recording of the year” by Presto Classical website.

Les Siècles have been recording for the harmonia mundi label since 2018. They are currently recording the complete orchestral music of Berlioz, Ravel and Debussy and are beginning a new cycle dedicated to Mahler symphonies. Les Siècles also made the world’s first recordings of Le Timbre d’argent by Saint-Saëns, Christophe Colomb by Félicien David and the cantata Velléda by Paul Dukas.

In order to spread their passion for classical music to as many people as possible, the orchestra’s musicians regularly organize educational activities in schools, hospitals and prisons. The orchestra is a partner of the Jeune Symphonie de l’Aisne, the Jeune Orchestre Européen Hector Berlioz and DEMOS (a social music and orchestral education program) in the Hauts-de-France and Ile-de-France regions. The orchestra is also behind the “Music in Hospitals” project proposed in the pediatric haemato-oncology department at the Trousseau Hospital in Paris and the Beauvais Hospital, and an educational residency at the Petite Bibliothèque Ronde in Clamart. Les Siècles was also the main actor in the Presto television program, which was shown to several million viewers on France 2 and published on DVD with the support of the CNDP.