In January 2015, the violinist Julien Chauvin founded a new period-instrument orchestra with the ambition of reviving a famous eighteenth-century orchestra, the Concert de la Loge Olympique.
That orchestra, founded in 1783, has remained famous for commissioning the ‘Paris’ Symphonies from Joseph Haydn, possibly through the agency of the Chevalier de Saint-George. The Concert de la Loge Olympique was considered one of the finest orchestras in Europe. It played first at the Hôtel de Bullion, Paris, and was later resident at the Tuileries Palace under the aegis of Marie-Antoinette.
At that time, the majority of musicians were Freemasons, and many concert associations were linked to Lodges. Values such as social harmony and equality by merit found in the music an ideal terrain in which to grow and express themselves in new genres such as the symphonie concertante.
Today, this new orchestra of variable format is constructed on a unique model in France, inviting collaborations from top soloists and conductors. It offers chamber music, symphonic and vocal programmes directed from the bow or the baton and maintains a large repertoire from the Baroque era to the turn of the twentieth century.
The aim of this re-creation is also to explore new forms of concert inspired by its original deployment at the end of the eighteenth century. Projects mix different genres and artists even on the same evening and establish links with other artistic disciplines.
As a consequence of the research into French music which founder-conductor Julien Chauvin has pursued for more than ten years, the ensemble continues to rediscover and recreate forgotten works from the national repertoire in partnership with the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles and the Palazzetto Bru Zane in Venice.
As the French Committee for Olympic Sport (CNOSF) has opposed the orchestra’s use of the adjective ‘Olympic’, it has been forced to truncate its historic name and has been known since June 2016 as Le Concert de la Loge.
On tour, the Concert de la Loge has appeared on several French opera stages with Haydn’s Armida, directed by Mariame Clément, as well as in concert with soloists Karina Gauvin, Sandrine Piau, Edwin Crossley-Mercer, Eduarda Melo, Jean Rondeau and Justin Taylor.
Future projects include a tour with countertenor Philippe Jaroussky to Europe, Asia and South America, a touring production of Sacchini’s opera Le Cid directed by Sandrine Anglade, and performances of Lemoyne’s opera Phèdre, directed by Marc Paquien at the Caen Opera and the Theatre des Bouffes du Nord.
The orchestra is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Communication, by the Caisse des Dépôts (principal sponsor), by the Orange Foundation and by the Caisse d’Épargne Île-de-France. It has a residency at the Jean-Baptiste Lully Conservatoire (Puteaux).
