In 1953, Louis Auriacombe gathered a group of musician friends and founded the Orchestre de Chambre de Toulouse.

This marked the beginning of a musical and personal adventure which, despite many ups and downs, continues to this day, taking the orchestra to every continent to delight a diverse audience.

The story of a resounding success, the story of men and women who have never abandoned either their passion or their values. The story of a ‘troupe’ driven by an ideal, which has given more than 5,000 concerts in over 30 different countries and recorded more than 60 albums. Generations of musicians have followed one another, the interpretative style has constantly evolved, and the administration has been modernised, without the orchestra ever abandoning the existential ethos of its original founders:

“There’s no such thing as a small concert, there’s no such thing as a small audience”

This is the phrase with which all new musicians have been welcomed since the orchestra was founded. The most senior musicians among us were trained on their instruments by the founders of the OCT in 1953, and we have, in turn, passed on this tradition—which we received from them—to the youngest members, who, we hope, will enrich it with their own ideas and, in turn, pass it on to future generations.

A report from 1963 in *Midi-Pyrénées Magazine*, available on the INA website: https://www.ina.fr/ina-eclaire-actu/video/rbf01009493/orchestre­auriacombe

How on earth did they manage to organise so many tours without computers, fax machines or mobile phones: the USSR in 1967, South America and Arab countries in 1968, Japan in 1971, Germany in 1972, the USA and China in 1976…! It’s hard to imagine that today.

Eleven musicians and a conductor… no administrative staff… they built it all up with their own hands, with their hearts and boundless energy.

Following the death of Louis Auriacombe in 1971, the concertmaster Georges Armand took over as conductor of the orchestra. Since then, the orchestra has performed as a quartet, with the concertmaster conducting from his music stand.

The story continues. Long before it became fashionable, the OCT performed for sick children in hospitals across Toulouse, as well as in schools and colleges throughout the region. However, this does not prevent the OCT from performing with the greatest soloists or commissioning works composed especially for the orchestra.

The story continues. Long before it became fashionable, the OCT performed for sick children in hospitals across Toulouse, as well as in schools and colleges throughout the region. However, this has not prevented it from performing with the greatest soloists or commissioning works composed especially for the orchestra.

Spain, the USA and Canada in 1980, then again in 1981, 1982 and 1984… The founding members gradually left the orchestra as they reached retirement age. New musicians took the helm: whilst the Orchestre de Chambre de Toulouse is the orchestra of the major international stages and festivals, it is also the orchestra of the local community, performing even in the smallest villages or sharing the stage with people with intellectual disabilities.

The musicians have always managed the orchestra themselves. Aimée Auriacombe, Louis’s wife, handles the administration, but all important decisions are taken collectively. An association chaired by a friend of the founding musicians serves as the legal framework for the management of the ensemble. Germany in 1986, then Spain in 1988: Augustin Dumay succeeded Bojidar Bratoev at the helm of the orchestra, and the tours continued. Italy and Switzerland in 1989, Germany in 1990…

In 1992, Alain Moglia took over as musical director. The orchestra’s work was further developed, and the subscription season in Toulouse attracted record audiences. Germany in 1994, Asia and Japan in 1995, the USA, Spain and the Canary Islands in 1996, Japan in 1999, Vietnam in 2000 – one tour followed another. Gérard Caussé succeeded Alain Moglia from 2002 to 2004, and the orchestra took part in the ‘Folles Journées’ in Nantes and Lisbon.

The orchestra first met Gilles Colliard back in 2002. It is fair to say that it was mutual love at first sight. Gilles Colliard embodies all the qualities the orchestra is looking for: he is a virtuoso violinist, as well as a composer and conductor. He is driven by the same enthusiasm as the musicians and, like them, is determined not to neglect the audience.

It was not until 2004, with the establishment of the production cooperative to replace the former association, that the merger was finally completed! The City of Toulouse, Toulouse Métropole, the Occitanie-Pyrénées-Méditerranée region, the Haute-Garonne Departmental Council and the DRAC Occitanie support the orchestra, which gives more than 150 concerts a year. Spain and Slovakia in 2007, Switzerland, Sweden and Japan in 2008, Macedonia, Argentina and Brazil in 2011, and Bermuda and New Caledonia in 2012 continue the OCT’s international activities. In Toulouse, Tournefeuille and Balma, audiences flock to the subscription season, which now comprises more than 40 themed concerts. Gilles Colliard will step down as music director of the Orchestre de Chambre de Toulouse in October 2025, having made music with the orchestra for more than 20 years.

The Toulouse Chamber Orchestra will perform the concert on 30 July 2026