 Initially named "Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse", (without the 'National' title) the orchestra began as the opera orchestra of Théâtre du Capitole.Notable past music directors of the orchestra have included André Cluytens (beginning in 1932) and Georges Prêtre (1951–1955), but the Orchestre du Capitole rose to international prominence during Michel Plasson's tenure as music director, from 1968 to 2003.Until Plasson's era, the orchestra was a purely operatic orchestra, rarely playing symphonies and almost never touring.