Founded in 1942 by Victor Desarzens, the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne (OCL) has become one of the most sought-after chamber orchestras in Europe. After six years under the artistic direction of the American conductor Joshua Weilerstein, the OCL is now conducted by the famous French violinist Renaud Capuçon. Composed of around forty musicians, the orchestra covers a vast repertoire ranging from early Baroque to contemporary works.
Quickly invited abroad, the OCL performs in the most renowned concert halls and festivals. It has participated in the Aix-en-Provence Festival since its second edition, as well as in several editions of the Enescu Festival in Bucharest. Its tours in Germany and the United States have been resounding successes, as have its concerts at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, the BBC Proms in London, the Konzerthaus in Vienna and the Berlin Philharmonie. During the 2023-2024 season, the OCL will be performing in Madrid, Barcelona and, for the first time, at the Philharmonie de Paris.
Throughout its existence, the OCL has played with leading soloists. These include, for example, Clara Haskil, Alfred Cortot, Walter Gieseking, Edwin Fischer, Murray Perahia, Radu Lupu, Martha Argerich, Nikolai Lugansky, Daniel Barenboim, Arthur Grumiaux, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Paul Tortelier, Truls Mørk, Jean-Pierre Rampal and Emmanuel Pahud. The OCL has also always been able to attract the most interesting conductors of their time, including Paul Hindemith, Günter Wand, Christoph Eschenbach, Ton Koopman, Jeffrey Tate, Bertrand de Billy, Simone Young and Daniel Harding.
The OCL has an extensive discography: from the complete Haydn operas in the 1970s and 1980s under Antal Dorati to Beethoven and Mozart concertos with Christian Zacharias, as well as recordings dedicated to Schoenberg and Webern (with Heinz Holliger) and Spohr and Weber (with Paul Meyer). The OCL has recorded two albums under the direction of Joshua Weilerstein. The first two albums under the direction of Renaud Capuçon have been released by Warner Classic. The first is dedicated to the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt (2021) and the second brings together Vivaldi's Four Seasons and two concertos by Chevalier de Saint-George (2022). A recording of all of Mozart's violin concertos with Renaud Capuçon will be released in September 2023 by Deutsche Grammophon, the new recording partner of the French conductor and violinist. Other recent releases by the OCL include an album dedicated to Jean Françaix with Nicolas Chalvin, as well as another dedicated to Schoenberg and Webern with Heinz Holliger (CHOC Classica 2022).
A phalanx of the caliber of the OCL is of course synonymous with soloists and prestigious guest conductors, but it is above all a strong identity forged over the years by a small number of artistic directors. The founder Victor Desarzens (1942-1973) was succeeded by Armin Jordan (1973-1985), then Lawrence Foster (1985-1990), Jesús López Cobos (1990-2000) and Christian Zacharias (2000-2013). From 2015 to 2021, Joshua Weilerstein continued the work of his predecessors, while bringing the OCL into the 21stst century through bold programs and more effective use of new means of communication. In the fall of 2021, Renaud Capuçon became the orchestra's artistic director. The renowned French violinist and conductor's extensive musical experience, dynamism and artistic stature have enabled the orchestra to further establish its international reputation. This has resulted in prestigious invitations throughout Europe, as well as artistic collaborations with renowned conductors and soloists such as Daniel Harding, Barbara Hannigan, Maria João Pires and Martha Argerich.