The Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra began in the 19th century as the opera house orchestra of the city of Monte Carlo. Among the oldest permanently established orchestras in the French-speaking world, it is Monaco's main symphonic ensemble. Unsurprisingly, the beginnings of the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra were connected to the city's development as a gambling Mecca. At the beginning, the group was a pickup orchestra of 15, tasked with providing entertainment for Monaco's new Maison de Jeux ("Gaming House"), which would soon develop into the famed Casino that still exists today. The orchestra quickly grew in renown and was soon giving concerts in Nice, France, as well as in Monaco. Under the directorship of Eusèbe Lucas (1861-1871), the orchestra grew to 70 musicians and moved into a new hall designed by Paris Opéra architect Charles Garnier. Critic Stéphane Liégeard, who coined the term "Côte d'Azur," wrote: "Whether Paris likes it or not, it is in Monte-Carlo that you should come and listen to good music." The group's fame became pan-European under conductors Arthur Steck (1885-1894) and Léon Jehin (1894-1928). From 1928 to 1933, during World War II, and again in the '60s for a 42-city U.S. tour, the group was led by future Detroit Symphony Orchestra conductor Paul Paray. By World War I, the orchestra had attracted major foreign artists such as Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, and in the 20th century, it was especially identified with opera and ballet productions. In 1953, by order of Prince Rainier III, the orchestra was renamed the National Orchestra of the Monte Carlo Opera. The name Monte Carlo Opera Orchestra is still sometimes used in connection with operatic productions, but the group had always played orchestral music as well, and in 1979, it was given its present name. Conductors in the later 20th and early 21st centuries included Louis Frémaux (1956-1965), Igor Markevitch (1967-1972), Lovro von Matačić (1972-1979), Lawrence Foster (1980-1990), James dePreist (1994-1998), Marek Janowski (2000-2006), Yakov Kreizberg (2009-2011), and Kazuki Yamada (2016-). The orchestra has made many recordings, releasing them on various labels, including Erato, Warner Classics, its own OPMC label, and more. Its repertory is not limited to music from Francophone countries. In 2023, the Monte Carlo Philharmonic backed contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux on an Erato album of orchestral songs by Berlioz, Ravel, and Saint-Saëns. ~ James Manheim, Rovi