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Originating from Pupitre 14 and the Sinfonietta, it took on the name Orchestre de
Picardie in 1994. After Louis Langrée and Edmon Colomer, Pascal Verrot became its Musical Director in January 2003.
Having a public service mission, the Orchestre de Picardie gives over 70 concerts
every year in Picardie. Being keen to allow the public to discover the repertoire and work of a symphonic formation, the orchestra concentrates in a variety of sensitisation exercises, the season is
punctuated by stays of a week in Picardie towns with pre-concert and concert meetings. However, it is towards young audiences that the Orchestra’s policy is most innovative with cultural initiatives for
secondary and lower secondary school students consisting of 4 days spent with the Orchestra and major artistic projects in which students are invited to participate.
In addition to its activity in the region, invitations to some of the greatest
French festivals (Besançon, Religious Art Festival, Chaise-Dieu) and foreign tours (Belgium, China, Great Britain, Switzerland, Spain, Germany), allow the orchestra to reach beyond the region where it
has become, over the years, a privileged ambassador. Conductors and soloists such as Jacques Mercier, Louis Langrée, Maurice Bourgue, Pascal Verrot, Régis Pasquier, Laurent Korcia, Françoise Pollet,
Stephan Genz, Emmanuel Strosser, Anne Queffélec…are regular guests
 In parallel with its symphonic representation activities, the Orchestre de Picardie has participated in important lyric productions under
the direction of Louis Langrée: La Clémence de Titus (The clemency of Titus) by Gluck at Amiens and at the Champs-Elysées Theatre, Ombra Felice by Mozart at
Montpellier, Paris and Lille together with the original version of Eugene Onegin at Lille Opera. The production and tour of Ariadne auf Naxos co produced by the Amiens
Maison de la Culture, Comédie de Reims/CDN and the Fondation Royaumont have enjoyed an immense success. French music, contemporary composer creations and
orders occupy also a prominent position with the Orchestre de Picardie.
Under Edmon Colomer’s direction, the Orchestre de Picardie’s recording policy has taken a fresh start with Isabelle Aboulker’s oratorio in 1999 of 1918, L'’Homme qui Titubait dans la Guerre. In February 2000, a Poulenc
recording under the M10 assai label was rewarded by Le Choc du Monde de la Musique and a “5” from Diapason Magazine. In December 2001, still under the label M10
assai, a record dedicated to Gabriel Fauré with Emmanuel Strosser at the piano and in November 2002, another presentation of Alberto Ginastera’s works with Marie-Pierre
Langlamet on harp. This will be followed by a recording dedicated to Bernstein and Weil, with the participation of the violinist Régis Pasquier.
In 2003, works by Honegger and Milhaud with the choir of
Radio France (Calliope) will be published followed by works by Ricardo Nillni written when he was resident conductor from 2000 to 2002 (Triton).
For the 2003-2004 season, collaboration under the
direction of Passcal Verrot with the Centre de la Voix of the Fondation Royaumont (Royaumont Foundation Voice Centre), the Compiegne Théâtre Français de la Musique
(French Theatre of Music) and Lille Opera will emphasise the lyric repertoire. Recordings and the cultural policy of the orchestra will continue.
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