Music of Monaco Music of Monaco Monaco is a city and independent state located in the south of France, along the Mediterranean coast. The country has long been under the control of the Grimaldi family, who have encouraged musical development. Prince Rainier III introduced the Prince Rainier III Prize for Musical Composition to reward Monegasque musicians. The Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1863 and gained a permanent home at Salle Garnier in 1879. The Orchestra is quite prominent in the classical world, and has been conducted by Igor Markevitch, Lovro von Matačić, Paul Paray, Lawrence Foster, Gianluigi Gelmetti and Louis Frémaux.
Coat of arms of the Bagrationi dynasty Coat of arms of the Bagrationi dynasty The coat of arms of the Bagrationi dynasty has been used by the former royal family of Georgia and its descendants. It is a symbol of the Bagrationi dynasty, which claims the erstwhile Georgian crown. In the arms of the Mukhrani branch of the family, the shield is quartered by the cross, depicting: in the first quarter, the harp and the sling, attributes of the biblical King David from whom the dynasty claimed their descent; in the second, the crossed sword and scepter crowned with the globus cruciger; in the third, a pair