Lyrical art in the heart of the Gartempe valley
Created in 2012 by the company Figaro Si, Figaro Là, based in Montmorillon, the Au Fil des Notes Festival was born from a strong conviction: lyrical art is not just for big cities. Every summer, for a week, this traveling event crisscrosses the Gartempe valley and the south of Vienne to offer opera performances in historic locations—Romanesque churches, festive halls, and heritage sites.
Under the musical direction of Éric Sprogis and the stage direction of Mylène Audoin, each edition of the festival revolves around an original production that revisits the great works of the lyrical repertoire. The adaptations, designed for unconventional venues, combine artistic excellence with audience proximity. Professional opera singers share the stage with a choir of children and teenagers trained during the summer lyrical academy, creating a unique intergenerational dynamic.
Over the years, the festival has built a rich and varied repertoire. In 2023, Verdi's La Traviata captivated a large audience in several towns in Vienne. The 2024 edition, “Puccini… passionately”, celebrated the centenary of the Italian composer's death through a selection of his most beautiful arias. In 2025, the festival continued its exploration of Verdi's repertoire with “Un ballo in maschera”, an original adaptation blending lyrical art and melodrama, transposed to the 1930s.
The Au Fil des Notes Festival unfolds every summer in five to six towns in the department: Montmorillon, Valdivienne, Bonneuil-Matours, Charroux, and La Roche-Posay, allowing an audience dispersed in rural areas to access professional-quality performances. This itinerant nature is at the heart of the project, part of the Résonances de Gartempe network which federates musical festivals along the banks of the Gartempe.
Alongside the performances, the summer lyrical academy hosts young singers for an intensive workshop that culminates in their participation in the festival's shows. This educational component makes the festival a true tool for transmission and artistic education in rural areas.
The 2026 edition of the Festival Au Fil des Notes presents Georges Bizet's « Carmen », in a new touring production by the company Figaro Si, Figaro Là. From July 24 to 31, 2026, the famous opéra-comique inspired by Prosper Mérimée's novella will be performed in several communes of the Vienne, under the musical direction of Éric Sprogis and staged by Mylène Audoin.
For its 2026 edition, the Festival Au Fil des Notes presents « Carmen », Georges Bizet's masterpiece created in 1875 based on Prosper Mérimée's novella. True to the spirit of the company Figaro Si, Figaro Là, the show intertwines the original literary text and the lyrical score with the help of an actor, to make the opera accessible to all audiences, including in rural areas.
The production brings together professional solo singers, an instrumental ensemble (violins, viola, cello, double bass, harp, oboe, clarinet, cornets, percussion) as well as the company's children's and teenagers' choir. Musical direction is by Éric Sprogis and staging by Mylène Audoin.
Each performance is preceded, at 5:30 PM, by an « Anacrouse »: a free concert-reading allowing discovery of the work before the evening show.
Each performance is preceded by an « Anacrouse » (concert-reading) at 5:30 PM, with free admission.
Main venue: Espace Gartempe, Montmorillon (86500). The festival also travels to Valdivienne, Bonneuil-Matours, Charroux, and La Roche-Posay.
By car: Montmorillon is located 50 km southeast of Poitiers via the N151. Free parking near the performance venues.
Full price: €28. Reduced price: €15. Free for children under 12. Online booking on Weezevent or on-site.
Performances at 8:45 PM. Doors open 30 minutes before the show.
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Espace Gartempe et lieux patrimoniaux
93 rue des Clavières, 86500 Montmorillon, 86500 Montmorillon