Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (often informally abbreviated to " OAE ") is a British orchestra founded in 1986. Its name refers to the Age of Enlightenment (English Age of Enlightenment ); the music of this period is the focus repertoire of the orchestra, whose members play music on period instruments. Seat of the orchestra is the Southbank Centre in London.

The orchestra has no permanent musical director, but is led by an elected artistic group. As a Principal Artists currently act (2008) Simon Rattle, Vladimir Jurowski and Ivan Fischer. Other guest conductors include Charles Mackerras, Philippe Herreweghe, Gustav Leonhardt, Mark Elder, René Jacobs, Roger Norrington, Frans Brüggen, Ton Koopman, Marin Alsop, Sigiswald Kuijken, Ivor Bolton, Monica Huggett, Rachel Podger and Bruno Weil.

Toured the OAE by numerous countries, 2002 to South America and the United States, or 2003 to Southeast Asia.

The discography of OAE includes over 50 recordings, including with works by Henry Purcell, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Georg Friedrich Handel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Joseph Haydn. From an opening of the repertoire to Romanticism and late Romanticism but also bear witness to recordings of works by Franz Schubert, Felix Mendelssohn or even Gustav Mahler.

The orchestra is also working in the educational field, particularly in the London concerts in schools and oversees projects that serve to introducing children to the instrumentalists.