Thirteen masterful musicians have joined work and talent on an intense and unique journey since the orchestra’s creation by concertmaster Evgueni Ratchev, in 1998. The orchestra’s traditional repertoire of erudite music became even more vibrant by the inclusion of Brazilian composers such as Carlos Gomes, Alberto Nepomuceno, Villa-Lobos, Guerra-Peixe and Ernani Aguiar. This led OCSL to win Brazil’s most prestigious music award – Prêmio Tim – for the CD "Imagens Brasileiras" (2002). It also received the Saul Trumpet Award for Best Erudite CD.

The Orchestra traversed international boundaries when invited by the French to record the soundtrack for "Marsupilami" in 2003. The international version of the "Imagens Brasileiras" album, titled "Brazilianas" (2004), was released in Austria, Germany, and France.

At home, the Historical Archive for the Imperial Museum selected the brilliant recording of Carlos Gomes’ Sonata for Strings as the soundtrack for "The Imperial Family – Portrait Album" (CD – ROM 2002). Remaining true to the vision of revealing Brazilian composers, "Music of the Centuries" (2007) takes the listener on a sophisticated musical tour, with pieces by Mozart and Benjamin Britten, along with national compositions by Alberto Nepomuceno, Cláudio Santoro, Alexandre Levy, and Ricardo Tacuchian.

The orchestra has received numerous awards and grants for its achievements. These accomplishments include several seasons of Concerts in the Churches, Concerts around Paraná, and Concerts around Brazil, sponsored by state and municipal governments. These talented musicians offer music of excellence to diversified audiences, often to those who have never had an opportunity to listen to erudite music.

Soloists of international prestige have performed with the Orchestra, including oboist Alex Klein; cellist Antonio Lauro del Claro; guitarists Yamandu Costa and Fábio Zanon; violinists Eva Szekely, Evgenia-Maria Popova, Tânia Camargo Guarnieri and Alessandro Borgomanero; violist Jairo Chaves; pianist Pablo Rossi and Duo Henosis, and other talented musicians.

Ten Years of Music

The first CD in the "Portraits" series, marks the 10-year anniversary of the OCSL. At the heart of presenting these compositions by César Guerra-Peixe is a celebration. The composer, a master in every sense of the word and an artist at ease with academic formality as well as avant-garde freedom, takes his place as one of the great names of Brazilian music in the twentieth century. The orchestra commemorates a decade of art. It is a celebration with strings, talent, and sensitivity across boundaries.