Orquestra Sinfônica do Rio Grande do Norte

The Orquestra Sinfônica do Rio Grande do Norte is a Brazilian state orchestra centred on Natal. Founded in 1976, it is maintained through the state government, its culture secretariat and the Fundação José Augusto. Its programmes combine symphonic repertoire with projects involving Brazilian popular music. The fiftieth-anniversary season in 2026 was announced with conductor Linus Lerner and a concert featuring singer Roberta Sá at Natal’s Teatro Riachuelo. Through the Movimento Sinfônico project, the orchestra also links performance with educational activity, including open rehearsals introducing public-school students to orchestral work and careers in music. Brazil's north-east is thinly supplied with permanent orchestras, which gives this one its importance: it is the symphony orchestra of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, centred on Natal, and for much of the state's population it is the only regular source of live orchestral repertoire. Its work runs from standard symphonic programmes to school and outreach concerts, and it draws on the strong regional tradition of wind and band playing that has long fed Brazilian orchestras with players.