Must-see opera and classical music festivals | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Tourism

Festival Mars en Baroque in Marseille

The concept is in the name. The “Mars en Baroque” festival showcases baroque music and opera right through March. This repertoire which was created in the early 17th century focuses on operatic performances, cantatas, oratorios and operas, with an elite of specialized musicians and singers. Directed by Jean-Marc Aymes, Maria Cristina Kiehr and the Concerto Soave ensemble, this event which takes place over a whole month in different venues in Marseille, specifically L’Abbaye Saint-Victor and L’église Saint Théodore, is dedicated to Baroque art.

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Concerto Soave Francois Guery
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François Guery

The Festival international d’Art Lyrique d’Aix-en-Provence

The Aix-en-Provence Festival takes place every year in June and July. It’s one of the biggest opera festivals and is known the world over. Each year it presents new opera productions and also operatic performances and symphonic concerts directed by the most famous conductors. With Aix en Juin, the Festival has the town ringing with classical and Mediterranean music concerts. During the event, the artists are welcomed in symbolic venues in the town such as the Théâtre de l’Archevêché, the Grand Théâtre de Provence and the Conservatoire Darius Milhaud.

Festival Opus Opéra in Gattières

At the end of July, the Festival Opus Opéra takes over the village of Gattières. In the evenings, head for Place Grimaldi to attend the open-air pocket version of a classical opera. Experienced artists and young talents to discover. Opus Opéra performs operatic concerts and apéropéras in the neighbouring villages to share a love of lyrical art.

Chorégies d’Orange

Created in 1869, the Chorégies d’Orange is currently the oldest French music festival. Their particularity: the event is staged in a perfectly preserved Roman theatre with exceptional acoustics. Every year in July and August, one or two large format opera productions are performed with a programme of concerts, film concerts, performances and ballets which showcase artists, soloists and internationally famous orchestras and ring around this exceptional monument with its striking stage wall listed in the UNESCO World Heritage along with the whole Roman town of Orange.

Les Musicales du Luberon

For around 32 years, the association Les Musicales du Luberon has been inviting lovers of classical music. On the menu, music from all the classical repertoires with artists, soloists, choirs and internationally famous orchestras… From Apt, to Ménerbes and Les Taillades, the festival gives pride of place to the lyrical arts with prestigious operatic performances, and pages of classical or Baroque operas.

Performance at the La Roque d'Anthéron International Piano Festival — ©
The International Piano Festival takes place in La Roque d'Anthéron, in the Bouches-du-Rhône
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DR

The International Piano Festival at La Roque d’Anthéron

A must-attend event for music lovers in the South and the world’s greatest classical artists, the International Piano Festival, founded by René Martin, is a truly unique musical experience that has successfully reinvented itself year after year. So much so that the festival is now embracing jazz and expanding beyond its famous Parc du Château Florans in La Roque-d’Anthéron: the music reaches as far as the Luberon, Marseille and the Alpilles, passing through the Aix region and the famous Silvacane Abbey.

Nuits du Château de la Moutte in Saint-Tropez

What could be better than a century-old palm grove, set within the Château de la Moutte estate, for hosting an intimate and exclusive gathering between the public and the artists? Since the 19th century, the Château de la Moutte has established itself as a venue steeped in musical tradition, thanks to its courtyard where the air is always pleasant and the acoustics a real treat. Between July and August, the greatest soloists from the worlds of classical and jazz take to the stage to the delight of all music lovers during the Nuits du Château.

The Menton Music Festival

The Menton Festival owes its existence to a Hungarian journalist, André Böröcz, who fell in love with the town and believed that its architecture perfectly complements the notes of classical music, making it all the more magical. For over 70 years, the town has welcomed the world’s greatest classical musicians and attracted an audience that remains ever-faithful to the event. From late July to early August, soloists, orchestras and chamber music ensembles take over the Parvis Saint-Michel and the Palais de Menton, immersing the town in an exhilarating atmosphere.

Our off-season favourite: The festival de Pâques in Aix-en-Provence

Spring also has its own musical highlight. Throughout April, Aix-en-Provence hosts the Festival de Pâques. Founded by Renaud Capuçon and Dominique Bluzet, this festival brings together a host of leading international soloists, choirs and exceptional orchestras, ensuring that each edition reinvents itself and appeals to audiences of all kinds – and it’s a success every single time!