Introduction to the Orchestra
Supported by the European Union and The Gatsby Charitable Foundation
Acknowledged as "the finest chamber orchestra in the world" (BBC Two Television), the Chamber Orchestra of Europe was founded in 1981 by a group of young musicians graduating from the European Union Youth Orchestra. It was their ambition to continue working together at the highest possible professional level, and of that original group, eighteen remain in the current core membership of around sixty. The members of COE, selected by the Orchestra itself, pursue parallel careers as international soloists, Leaders and Principals of nationally-based orchestras, as members of eminent chamber groups, and as tutors and professors of music.
Performances are given regularly in the major cities of Europe and occasionally in the USA and Japan.
The COE has strong links with the Lucerne Festival, the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, the Styriarte Festival in Graz, and also with certain of the major concert halls in Europe. These include the Cité de la musique in Paris, the Opéra de Dijon, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Alte Oper in Frankfurt and the Cologne Philharmonie.
Over the years the COE has performed with many of the world’s greatest artists. The Orchestra developed especially close relationships with Nikolaus and Alice Harnoncourt and Bernard Haitink (Honorary Members of the COE), Claudio Abbado, Vladimir Jurowski, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and András Schiff.
The Chamber Orchestra of Europe works with all the major recording companies and, in only thirty years, has recorded over 250 works. It has won numerous prizes for its recordings including three Gramophone Record of the Year awards and two Grammys. The COE was the first Orchestra to create its own label, “COE Records”, in association with Sanctuary Records, a division of Universal Music.
The COE has been a European Cultural Ambassador since 2007 and benefits from substantial support from the EU Culture Programme. It also attracts support from other organisations, most notably from The Gatsby Charitable Foundation.