Paris orchestra to have EIF residency

THE Orchestre de Paris will be part of the Edinburgh International Festival this year.

It will perform at the Usher Hall as part of the 2019 International Festival.

The orchestra will give two concerts conducted by music director Daniel Harding, as part of an International Festival residency in August. Tickets will go on sale next month along with the Festival’s full 2019 programme.

UK conductor Daniel Harding has been music director of the Orchestre de Paris since 2016.

The residency programme includes Beethoven’s Symphony No.6, Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem with the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, and the French composer Hector Berlioz’s Harold in Italy, which sees the orchestra joined by French soloist Antoine Tamestit on viola.

The announcement was made during a visit to Paris by Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to promote the cultural links between Scotland and France.

Fergus Linehan, director of the

EIF, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Daniel Harding and the Orchestre de Paris back to the International Festival this August.

“The Festival’s relationship with France is strong and longstanding, with leading French artists such as Pierre Boulez and Juliette Binoche, and ensembles including Opera de Lyon and Théâtre du Soleil, having performed here in the past. The Orchestre de Paris last visited the International Festival in 1985, and we look forward to sharing their return with audiences from Scotland and all over the world.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “This is the perfect example of the strong cultural links that exist between Scotland and France which I will be looking to build on during my visit to Paris this week.” www.eif.co.uk