Choralies de Vaison-la-Romaine

Les Choralies: Seventy Years of Choral Singing in Vaison-la-Romaine

Founded in 1952 by Louis Beydts and composer César Geoffray, the Choralies de Vaison-la-Romaine are more than just a festival: they are a unique phenomenon, a triennial gathering that transforms this Roman city in Provence into the world capital of choral singing every summer.

Supported by the association À Cœur Joie, recognized as being of public utility since 1948, the Choralies bring together amateur and professional choirs, soloists, conductors, and instrumentalists from all over the world every three years. The event hosts up to 14,000 participants and spectators, making it the largest choral gathering on the planet.

A Unique Format: Training, Concerts, and Collective Celebration

The Choralies differ from ordinary festivals with their hybrid format, combining intensive musical training with a grand collective celebration:

• Morning Workshops: Over 50 choral and vocal training workshops constitute "the largest choral training space in France." Renowned choirmasters, vocalists, composers, and educators lead these sessions, which are reserved for participating singers.
• Afternoon Concerts: Around sixty concerts, held in numerous venues throughout Vaison-la-Romaine (ancient theater, Notre-Dame de Nazareth Cathedral, chapels, public squares), allow all participating choirs to perform.
• Evening Communal Singing: Every evening, 4,000 voices unite under the stars in the Roman Ancient Theater of Vaison-la-Romaine for Communal Singing, a moment of unique collective emotion, prepared and rehearsed throughout the workshops.

This unique format makes the Choralies both a great school for choral practice and a celebration of the power of the collective.

Vaison-la-Romaine: An Exceptional Setting

The choice of Vaison-la-Romaine is no accident. This town in the Vaucluse region is home to one of the most important Roman archaeological sites in France—theaters, temples, thermal baths, and an entire ancient district—as well as a medieval upper town dominated by its castle and the Notre-Dame de Nazareth Cathedral, a masterpiece of Provençal Romanesque art. These exceptional locations provide an incomparable backdrop for the concerts.

The Ancient Theater, with its stone seating capable of accommodating several thousand spectators, is the beating heart of the Choralies. Its natural acoustics, tested by twenty centuries of performances, magnify the choirs that perform there.

A Rich History and Global Reach

Over the decades, the Choralies have built an exceptional international reputation. Many great composers have written works specifically for the Choralies, and successive artistic directors—including Henri Davenson, Guy Ropartz, and their successors—have maintained a balance between choral tradition and openness to new forms of vocal expression.

The association À Cœur Joie, founder and organizer of the Choralies, conducts a program throughout the year to foster the choral movement in France: training courses, regional gatherings, and educational publications. The Choralies represent the triennial culmination of this ongoing activity.

Editions and Frequency

Held every three years, the Choralies alternate with the regional activities of À Cœur Joie. The XXVe edition took place in 2025, bringing together over 4,000 active participants. The next edition is scheduled for 2028.