The Russian National Orchestra was founded in 1990 by pianist and conductor Mikhail Pletnev, and today is widely recognised as one of the world’s top orchestras. Maintaining an active international tour schedule, the RNO appears throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas, and is a frequent visitor to major festivals such as Edinburgh, Shanghai and the BBC Proms.
The orchestra presents its own RNO Grand Festival each September to open the Moscow season, and is the founding orchestra of Festival Napa Valley, held every July in California’s Napa Valley. RNO concerts are regularly aired on National Public Radio in the United States, the European Broadcasting Union, and Russia’s Kultura channel.
The orchestra’s critically acclaimed discography, launched with a highly acclaimed 1991 recording of Tchaikovsky's Pathétique, now numbers more than 80 albums.
The RNO is unique among the principal Russian ensembles as a private institution funded with the support of individuals, corporations and foundations in Russia and throughout the world. In recognition of its artistry and path-breaking structure, the RNO was the first non-governmental orchestra to receive grant support from the Russian Federation.
www.russiannationalorchestra.org