Biennale de l'Orgue

A historic instrument at the heart of an innovative festival

Inaugurated in January 2026, the Biennale de l'Orgue is the very first festival entirely dedicated to the grand organ of the Auditorium de Lyon. This exceptional instrument, built in 1878 by the renowned builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll for the Universal Exhibition and the Trocadéro Palace in Paris, has 82 stops and approximately 6,500 pipes. Transferred to Lyon in 1977 during the construction of the Auditorium, it is today one of the largest symphonic organs in France.

A week of musical and sensory discoveries

The Biennale de l'Orgue offers a rich and varied program, designed for all audiences. On the program: recitals by great international organists, a cine-concert of Murnau's silent film Tabou performed by Karol Mossakowski, round tables on the links between art and ecology, a symphonic concert mixing organ and orchestra with the piece “Le souffle de la forêt,” and a family concert “Promenade en forêt” accessible from age 7. The week concludes with a recital by British organist James McVinnie, a figure of the minimalist scene, performing works by Philip Glass, Meredith Monk, and Olivier Messiaen.

The organ in the service of ecological reflection

The common thread of this first edition: the beauty and fragility of our planet. The organ, a wind instrument par excellence, becomes the vehicle for a sonic meditation that transports the audience from Bora-Bora to California, inviting environmental awareness through music. This original approach, championed by composer Grégoire Rolland, makes the Biennale a unique event in the French musical landscape.

An event destined to grow

Supported by the Auditorium-Orchestre national de Lyon under the musical direction of Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, the Biennale de l'Orgue aims to become a major event on the European organ scene. By appealing to both discerning music lovers and families and neophytes, it opens wide the doors to one of the most spectacular instruments in French musical heritage.