²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp

Zehetmair has appeared as a conductor and violinist with orchestras including Seattle Symphony, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Orchestra of the Eighteenth-Century, Budapest Festival Orchestra and Hamburger Philharmoniker.

Thomas Zehetmair has an extensive and varied discography as a violinist, conductor and with the Zehetmair Quartet. His recording of the Paganini Caprices attracted a Midem Classic Award and his rendition of the Elgar Concerto with the Hallé Orchestra under Sir Mark Elder received a Gramophone Award in 2010. Recent recordings include Brahms Four Symphonies and Bruckner Symphony No.3 with Musikkollegium Winterthur. He received an Opus Klassik Award 2020 for his latest CD release of Bach Six Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin which was also selected by the New York Times as one of “The 25 Best Classical Music Tracks of 2019” and by Die Zeit as one of their favourite recordings of 2019. The Zehetmair Quartet has been awarded the Paul Hindemith Prize by the City of Hanau for outstanding musical achievement. Thomas Zehetmair was honoured by the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik and holds honorary doctorates from the Liszt University in Weimar and Newcastle University.

Thanks to the support and impetus of our Associate Conductors and the surrounding region as a whole, our unique ensemble has been able to successfully enrich its repertoire with a plethora of original and inventive projects, weaving together a series of concerts across stages near and far in perfect harmony.

From quartet to orchestra, the globally-minded string ensemble continues to project the charm of its region across international borders, all the while innovating within the metropolis of Clermont-Ferrand and its home streets in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes through a whole host of musical formats suitable for all kinds of audiences, from Baby concerts and Coffee concerts, to recitals in nursing homes and local residencies: a diverse approach recognised by the Ministry of Culture in 2019, awarding the ensemble the prestigious title of "Orchestre national en région".

Testament to the huge diversity of its repertoire, to date the orchestra has recorded 50 albums exploring an abundance of musical styles, from baroque masterpieces to contemporary creations. The ensemble is also the first French orchestra to create its own 100% freely accessible digital label, OnA Live, which has currently been streamed more than 400,000 times in almost 90 countries.

Since it was founded in 1981, the French National Orchestra of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes has always strived to reach a broad audience both regionally and internationally. Nestled in the heart of the Massif Central, the ensemble is praised amongst French orchestral music lovers for its unique sonority, strength and quest for absolute perfection. Initially formed with Jean-Jacques Kantorow at the helm, the orchestra has a signature sound that has gradually been shaped by the invaluable input of musical directors past and present, now instantly recognised across the world.