Orchestre Colonne is a Parisian symphony orchestra founded in 1873 by violinist and conductor Édouard Colonne in Paris. It became one of France’s oldest symphonic associations, following the Pasdeloup and Lamoureux concert series. After forming the Association artistique des Concerts Colonne at the Théâtre du Châtelet, the orchestra promoted contemporary French repertoire, premiering works by Saint‑Saëns, Massenet, Debussy, Ravel, and Berlioz, and bringing German orchestral literature to Paris. It revived La Damnation de Faust in 1877 and staged its 117th edition in 1903. Eminent conductors, including Gustav Mahler, who gave the French premiere of his Second Symphony in 1910, and later Gabriel Pierné, Paul Paray, and Pierre Dervaux, led the ensemble. Following World War I, the orchestra merged with the Concerts Lamoureux, then was revived under Pierné and subsequent directors, maintaining a concert and recording program from the 1908 to 1909 Pathé cycle and from 1928 to 1931 discography under Pierné. In 2010, the orchestra opened the Salle Colonne. In 2024, it marked its 150th anniversary with a program mirroring its 1873 concerts, conducted by Jean‑Claude Casadesus.
