In 1958, Lola Bobesco created “Les Solistes de Bruxelles" [Brussels Soloists], renamed "Ensemble d’archets Eugène Ysaÿe" [Eugène Ysaÿe String Ensemble], now known as the "Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie" (ORCW) [Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia]. The orchestra has worked together regularly with the biggest names in music on the most important international stages:
- José Van Dam, Mstislav Rostropovitch, Aldo Ciccolini, Mischa Maïski, Maurice André, Arthur Grumiaux, Philippe Hirschhorn, Georges Octors, Jean-Pierre Wallez, Gidon Kremer, Louis Lortie, Jian Wang, Ivry Gitlis, Antoine Tamestit, Henri Demarquette, Richard Galliano, the Modigliani Quartet, Jean-Philippe Collard, Gérard Caussé, Renaud et Gautier Capuçon, Augustin Dumay, Maria João Pires… ; - Paris, Beijing, Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Bucharest, Bayreuth, Munich, Luxembourg, Zurich, Geneva, Saint Petersburg, Brussels, etc.
From 2003 to 2013, the orchestra benefited from the dynamism and renown of its Music Director and Principal Conductor, Augustin Dumay. In 2014, Frank Braley took over the reins with enthusiasm.
The Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia performs regularly in Belgium with Jean-François Chamberlan, its principal violinist. The orchestra is a partner of the Queen Elisabeth International Music competition, and a regular fixture of the Queen Elisabeth College of Music, Bozar [Brussels Centre for Fine Arts], Flagey, and many Belgian music festivals as well as the Queen Paola Foundation.
In Mons, its city of residence, with Mars (Mons Arts de la Scène) [Mons Performing Arts], and the support of the City of Mons, the Orchestra gives concerts with a diversified and original repertoire. Frank Braley schedules a season with the biggest international artists : Michel Portal, Paul Meyer, Eliane Reyes, Ronald Van Spaendonck, Augustin Dumay, Gérard Caussé, Steve Houben, Aurélien Pascal, Les Violons du Roy, Sylvain Cremers, Jean-Pierre Wallez, Richard Galliano, Jean-Paul Dessy, l’Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège, Renaud Capuçon, le Quatuor Modigliani, Jean-Philippe Collard, Anne Quéffelec, Miguel da Silva, Sergio Alapont, Barnabás Kelemen, Mathieu Herzog, Vahan Mardirossian, Henri Demarquette…