ON TOUR: PARIS

26 April: Last night the orchestra performed with Ivry Gitlis in the recital theatre of the Musée d’Orsay.

The Musée d’Orsay, once a train station but reopened in 1986 by Francois Mitterand as a museum which now houses one of the finest collections of French Impressionist art in the world, was a great venue for the orchestra’s one off appearance in Paris on this tour.

Today the orchestra had the luxury of enjoying a free day in Paris although quite a large number of musicians elected to go on a tour of the Ruinart Estate in the Champagne region. No matter what people decided to do on their free day here, I am sure their days will end in the same way – dinner in a Parisian restaurant (three courses of course as one cannot turn down dessert here) and accompanied by local French wines.

Damien Low, Orchestra Manager

ON TOUR: PARIS

25 April: Yesterday the orchestra made its way (in some cases more directly) from Glasgow to Paris. For those who braved Easyjet, they were rewarded with an extra six hours here. For the rest of us who stayed on the group flight through Amsterdam, we arrived much later in the day, but still with enough time to experience as much of a Parisian evening as we could before we passed out from exhaustion.

Today the orchestra is no doubt devouring as much French culture, and of course, as much French food as they can before we travel onto the Musée d’Orsay later this evening for a one off concert with legendary violinist Ivry Gitlis. It will no doubt be a special evening, particularly for Ivry’s number one fan – Richard Tognetti.

Damien Low, Orchestra Manager