Founded in 1942 by Victor Desarzens, the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne (OCL) has become one of the most sought-after chamber orchestras in Europe. Comprising some forty musicians, the orchestra's vast repertoire ranges from early Baroque to contemporary works. Since 2021, the OCL has been under the artistic direction of the celebrated French violinist and conductor Renaud Capuçon. Since the 2024-2025 season, Barbara Hannigan has been the orchestra's principal guest conductor.  

The OCL was soon invited to perform abroad, in the most renowned concert halls and festivals. It took part in the second Aix-en-Provence Festival and several editions of the Enescu Festival in Bucharest. His tours of Germany and the United States have been resounding successes, as have his concerts at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the BBC Proms in London, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Philharmonie in Berlin and the Philharmonie in Paris. In the 2024-2025 season, the OCL and Renaud Capuçon will tour South Korea, France, Denmark and Germany.

Throughout its history, the OCL has performed with leading soloists. These include Clara Haskil, Alfred Cortot, Walter Gieseking, Edwin Fischer, Murray Perahia, Radu Lupu, Martha Argerich, Nikolai Lugansky, Daniel Barenboim, Arthur Grumiaux, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Paul Tortelier, Truls Mørk, Jean-Pierre Rampal and Emmanuel Pahud. The OCL has also always attracted the most interesting conductors of their time, including Paul Hindemith, Günter Wand, Christoph Eschenbach, Ton Koopman, Jeffrey Tate, Bertrand de Billy, Simone Young and Daniel Harding. 

The OCL boasts an extensive discography: from the complete operas of Haydn in the 1970s and 1980s conducted by Antal Dorati to the Beethoven and Mozart concertos with Christian Zacharias, not to mention recordings dedicated to Schoenberg and Webern (with Heinz Holliger) and Spohr and Weber (with Paul Meyer). The first two CDs recorded with Renaud Capuçon have been released by Warner Classic (Arvo Pärt in 2021 and Vivaldi/Chevalier de Saint-George in 2022). A recording of the complete Mozart violin concertos was released in September 2023 by Deutsche Grammophon (DG), Renaud Capuçon's new recording partner. A new disc dedicated to Fauré is scheduled for release in June 2024 on DG. Other recent OCL releases include a live recording of Mozart's Requiem with John Nelson, and a disc devoted to American and English music with Joshua Weilerstein. 

A phalanx of the calibre of the OCL is of course synonymous with prestigious soloists, conductors and guest conductors, but it is first and foremost a strong identity forged over the years by a small number of artistic directors. Founder Victor Desarzens (1942-1973) was followed by Armin Jordan (1973-1985), then Lawrence Foster (1985-1990), Jesús López Cobos (1990-2000) and Christian Zacharias (2000-2013). From 2015 to 2021, Joshua Weilerstein will continue the work of his predecessors, while bringing the OCL into the 21st century through bold programmes and more effective use of new communications media. In autumn 2021, Renaud Capuçon will become Artistic Director of the orchestra. The renowned French violinist and conductor's vast musical experience, dynamism and artistic scope have enabled the orchestra to further consolidate its international reputation. The result: prestigious invitations throughout Europe, as well as artistic collaborations with renowned conductors and soloists such as Daniel Harding, Yo-Yo Ma, Maria João Pires and Martha Argerich.