Solistes Europeens, Luxembourg

The Solistes Européens, Luxembourg, or European Soloists of Luxembourg, are based in that small northwestern European country, but the orchestra's membership and reputation are both international. The players are gathered from top orchestras around Europe, and they play concerts both in Luxembourg and abroad. The Solistes Européens, Luxembourg, was formed by a pan-European group of orchestral soloists in the summer of 1989 and played their first concert on September 20 of that year. The group meets in Luxembourg for rehearsals and performs two cycles of Monday-night concerts there at the Philharmonie concert hall in the capital, Luxembourg City. Other regular appearances include those at festivals in the Luxembourg cities of Echternach and Wiltz. The Solistes Européens, Luxembourg, also has a long résumé as a touring ensemble. The group has performed in many of the major European capitals, including Vienna, Paris, and Berlin, and in 2004, the Solistes appeared at the United Nations in New York. The orchestra appeared at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in Germany and has appeared on television in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, as well as on radio broadcasts in several Eastern European countries. The Solistes Européens, Luxembourg, cultivate an educational role, having founded the European Academy of Music in the Luxembourg village of Schengen as well as organized frequent concerts featuring young orchestral and compositional talent. The group performs music of many places and periods, often unearthing comparatively rare music from Luxembourg, and it has programmed contemporary music from the likes of Sofia Gubaidulina, Milan Slavicky, and Thierry Escaich. The group's early conductors included Jack Martin Händler, and since 2010, it has been led by Christoph König. The Solistes Européens, Luxembourg, has a large recording catalog that began in 1995 with the album Rencontres Stretnutie, released on the Kmart label. They recorded a complete cycle of Haydn's symphonies for Sony Classical, and in the late 2010s and early 2020s, they recorded for the Rubicon and Naxos labels. For the latter, the Solistes released several albums of music by the neglected 19th century composer and pianist Louise Farrenc. ~ James Manheim