Brussels Philharmonic

The Brussels Philharmonic is a Belgian radio orchestra located in Brussels. Formerly known as the BRT Philharmonic Orchestra, and later as the Flemish Radio Orchestra, the orchestra has been linked to the Flemish public broadcaster NIR/INR (the present VRT). The orchestra was founded in 1935 as a studio ensemble of public broadcasting with the name of Groot Symfonie-Orkest. In 1998, it began its independent existence as the VRT Radio Orkest (Flemish Radio Orchestra). From 2008, the orchestra took the new name of the Brussels Philharmonic. Since 2005, the residence of the orchestra is Studio 4 of the renovated Place Flagey in Brussels. The orchestra also gives concerts in the BOZAR, Centre for Fine Arts. The orchestra also plays elsewhere in Flanders, as well as abroad in London, Vienna and Tokyo. The orchestra also performs as accompanying ensemble with the Royal Ballet of Flanders. The orchestra's current Music Director is Stéphane Denève, as of the 2015-2016 season. One new initiative scheduled for Denève's tenure is the establishment of CffOR (Centre for Future Orchestral Repertoire), for commissioning new compositions. With the orchestra, Denève has commercially recorded music of Guillaume Connesson, and Sergei Prokofiev. In 2017, Brussels Philharmonic and Stéphane Denève accompanied the finale of the Queen Elisabeth Competition for cello. In March 2019, Brussels Philharmonic made its debut at Carnegie Hall in New York under the baton of Stéphane Denève.