Formed in 2003 by François-Xavier Roth, Les Siècles comprises outstanding young players pooled from the very finest French ensembles. Roth’s founding ambition was for his orchestra to offer a new approach, not only to repertoire but also to the nature of the concert form. With a vast period-instrument collection at its disposal, spanning the baroque, classical, romantic and modern eras, the orchestra’s repertoire is notably wide in range. Les Siècles is one of a small number of ensembles to play each repertoire on appropriate instruments. Its flexible and historically informed work delivers a unique strand of creative programming.
François-Xavier Roth and the musicians of Les Siècles have made a distinctive mark at home and abroad, presenting an orchestra for the 21st century. They have given well over 700 performances in France and in major international halls and festivals. Les Siècles have already released recordings with pieces of Stravinsky (The Firebird, The Rite of Spring and Petrouchka), Berlioz, Saint-Saëns, Matalon, Liszt, Dubois, Debussy, Dukas, France-Espagne and Ligeti. In 2018, they won the Victoire de la Musique Classique with Sabine Devieilhe and the album Mirages and the Gramophone Classical Music Award with Daphnis & Chloé. Awarded by the prestigious Deutsche Schallplattenkritik for Harold en Italie in 2018 and Les Tableaux d'une Exposition in 2020, they also won the Diapason d'or with Mahler's Titan in 2019.
