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For this new discovery day, the OPRL has some surprises in store that will delight all the curious and those who are not yet familiar with the Orchestra and its Philharmonic Hall. Head to Boulevard Piercot for unforgettable moments, combining musical explorations around the new season, fun and interactive experiences, and gourmet snacks. An enriching immersion to discover an orchestra of our time, in all its diversity and creativity!

Lionel Bringuier begins his term as the 10th Music Director of the OPRL. For the opening of the season, he explores the French tradition through an emblematic program. His baton sets out to conquer the brilliance of The Sorcerer's Apprentice , the boundless and whimsical energy of Roussel, and the whirlwinds of Ravel in a Waltz with a spectacular denouement. And to complete the celebration, Gautier Capuçon, star of the French cello, pays homage with the Orchestra to the timeless elegance of Saint-Saëns.

A short concert designed around two masterpieces from the classical repertoire, followed on stage by a warm dialogue with Lionel Bringuier and Gautier Capuçon. This is the two-part format proposed by the new "Concert & Rencontre" series. The OPRL will bring forth the swirling clouds of La valse (1920), Ravel's sumptuous evocation of the decline of Western society between the two wars, and Saint-Saëns' elegant First Cello Concerto , a key piece in the revival of this instrument in France in the 1870s. A moment combining musical immersion and convivial exchanges.

First Prize winner at the ARD Competition in Munich in 2022 and Rising Star of the European Concert Halls (ECHO) in 2024-2025, Viennese pianist Lukas Sternath highlights the perfection of proportions in Schubert's penultimate sonata, the spiritual depth of Liszt's Funérailles , honoring three martyrs of the Hungarian Revolution (1849), and the rich writing of Prokofiev's 8th Sonata (1943), the last of the three "war sonatas." Exceptionally dense, this work presents itself somewhat "like a tree bending under the weight of its fruit ." (Sviatoslav Richter)

A champion of Norwegian music, Edvard Grieg composed only two string quartets, the second of which is unfinished. The String Quartet No. 1 in G minor was premiered in Cologne on October 29, 1878, by the Heckmann Quartet. After hearing it in Wiesbaden, Liszt decided to perform it immediately in Rome, which earned the work a rather unexpected reception. As for the short string quartet Crisantemi (" Chrysanthemums "), it was composed by Puccini in 1890, in memory of Amedeo of Savoy, former King of Spain, and includes two themes later taken up in the final scene of the opera Manon Lescaut . Two rare works performed here by four members of the OPRL: an hour of musical pleasure to brighten up your lunchtime!

In the new series "Lionel Bringuier", the Music Director of the OPRL, joined by the formidable pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, invites us on a sonic journey that crosses continents and fuses cultures. Written for the 50th anniversary of the Boston Orchestra, the Fourth Symphony (1930) was revised 17 years later in the USSR by Prokofiev, who thus completed an expressionist and frenetic work, with a martial finale. The Concerto "The Egyptian", completed in Cairo in 1896, succumbed to the fashion for orientalism, notably with the revival of a Nubian song collected by Saint-Saëns during a cruise on the Nile. Finally, An American in Paris , with its jazzy rhythms and urban energy, concludes this journey with a vibrant homage by Gershwin to the French capital.

The return of "Family Sundays" promises to be full of magic... The OPRL invites you to hop on your broomsticks with Lionel Bringuier, the brand new Music Director of the OPRL, who will be at the helm! Not an apprentice here, but a true maestro ready to roll up his sleeves to get young and old dancing to Dukas's bouncy Sorcerer's Apprentice . He will then take you on a journey to the sound of brass and percussion from Gershwin's An American in Paris . Captivating works to discover with the family, presented by the sparkling Adèle Molle who will accompany you throughout the adventure.

The year 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Dmitri Shostakovich, the immense Russian composer, born in Saint Petersburg in 1906 and died in Moscow in 1975. An emblematic figure of 20th-century music , Shostakovich is honored in a program for strings and piano, alongside other composers who counted in his life, such as Britten (the friend to whom he dedicated his 14th Symphony ) , Prokofiev (who supported him against the communist regime) and Weinberg (freed thanks to Shostakovich's intervention). The concert is presented by Axelle Thiry, presenter and producer on Musiq'3.

The OPRL opens the "New Classics" series with new horizons: a major figure of the Modern Classical movement, Max Richter draws inspiration from the trials and hopes of candidates for exile to deliver a minimalist work, with cinematic lyricism, magnified by a poignant orchestration. The Estonian-American conductor Kristjan Järvi, who recorded Exiles for Deutsche Grammophon with great public acclaim, brings it into dialogue with some of his own compositions, where he deploys all his capacity to break down musical barriers and explore new sonic territories.

The new "Rendez-vous du samedi" series kicks off in style with the Orchestre National de Metz Grand Est, invited to a program rich in varied music. Mendelssohn's overture evokes the majesty of the Scottish islands, between grandeur and romantic torments. Fiery and expressive, the Piano Concerto by Florence Price (1932), the first African-American composer to establish herself on stage, mixes classical forms and melodies of Negro spirituals . Finally, Mussorgsky 's Pictures at an Exhibition (1874) draws inspiration from the works of the painter Viktor Hartmann and delivers sound frescoes of extraordinary expressiveness.