.webp){kind=logo}
“At the center was the music itself. Equilbey has a special gift for generating the highest level of emotion through a clearly structured interpretation. This is achieved through a sublime sound culture, which she nurtures with her Insula orchestra.”
Insula orchestra’s mission is clearly defined: to perform music of the Baroque, Classical and early Romantic periods at the highest level, with a historically informed approach. Alongside the masterpieces of the repertoire, the orchestra also showcases lesser-known works, notably those of Louise Farrenc and Emilie Mayer. The ensemble plays on period instruments in order to faithfully convey the original sound, text and musical conception.
Supported by the Département des Hauts-de-Seine, Insula orchestra was founded in 2012 by its artistic director and conductor, Laurence Equilbey. In 2017, it became the resident orchestra of La Seine Musicale, which it inaugurated. The orchestra also programmes part of the Auditorium’s season, welcoming a variety of ensembles and artists. It performs regularly in France and abroad at leading venues and festivals, such as the Philharmonie de Paris, the Grand Théâtre de Provence, the Theater an der Wien, the Stadtcasino Basel, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, London’s Barbican Centre, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Louvre Abu Dhabi for its official opening.
Insula orchestra is redefining the formats and conventions of classical music to reach all audiences. It regularly presents staged productions that cast a new light on music, in collaboration with artists such as Yoann Bourgeois, Antonin Baudry, Pascale Ferran, David Bobée and La Fura dels Baus. It is also strongly committed to digital innovation, exploring 360° experiences and virtual reality. In 2024, it presented Beethoven Wars at La Seine Musicale, an immersive show blending new technologies with a manga aesthetic. In 2025, Insula orchestra premiered at La Seine Musicale a new staged version of Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri, directed by Daniela Kerck with video artist Astrid Steiner, before taking it on tour to the Musikverein in Vienna. In 2026, it performed Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem in a staging by David Bobée.
An extensive and innovative educational program aimed at fostering sharing and inclusion has been developed across the Hauts-de-Seine department. Additionally, Insula orchestra is a member of La Documenta.eu, an online resource center committed to disseminating musical and scientific research.
In 2025, Insula orchestra launched Insula camerata, a professional integration academy for young musicians dedicated to historically informed performance.
On the recording front, following a complete cycle of Louise Farrenc’s symphonies, Insula orchestra releases two new albums in 2026 under the direction of Laurence Equilbey: Musiques de cinéma (Warner Classics – Erato), devoted to great Baroque and Classical pieces that have become iconic in film, and Beethoven Extended (harmonia mundi), which brings together Insula orchestra and Insula camerata as a double orchestra in Symphonies No. 5 and No. 7, as in Beethoven’s day. An album devoted to Emilie Mayer is due for release in 2027 on Warner Classics – Erato.
Insula orchestra is supported by the Département des Hauts-de-Seine and is the resident orchestra at La Seine Musicale. Its projects are supported by the circle of friends and patrons accio and by the Insula orchestra – Laurence Equilbey Foundation. Insula orchestra is a member of FEVIS, Scène Ensemble, ARVIVA, FEDORA, OPERA EUROPA, TMNlab and SPPF.
-091.jpeg)
%20DSCF0375%20Curtis%20Perry%20copie.jpg)
