Chants Libres Festival

Chants Libres in Autun: Choral singing in freedom in the city of Autun

Since 2021, the Chants Libres festival has transformed the city of Autun into the capital of choral singing for a weekend in June. Supported by the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, a patron committed to choral singing in France, and supported by the City of Autun, this free event aims to introduce and foster a love for choral singing among the widest possible audience.

A Decentralized National Festival

Chants Libres unfolds simultaneously in several cities across France, making Autun one of the major hubs of this national celebration of singing. The Autun program is particularly ambitious: concerts, musical walks, singing breakfasts, musical aperitifs, and conferences punctuate an intense weekend where the human voice reigns supreme.

Emblematic Venues Filled with Music

Concerts take place in the most emblematic sites of the city of Autun: the Saint-Lazare Cathedral, a jewel of Burgundian Romanesque art with its tympanum sculpted by Gislebertus, the Notre-Dame Church, the Hexagone hall, the kiosk on the Terrasse de l'Europe, the Balthus passage, and the museum garden. This dissemination of concerts throughout the city invites the public to a musical stroll guided by the voices.

A Program Balancing Excellence and Sharing

The festival brings together leading vocal ensembles, such as Les Métaboles directed by Léo Warynski, a benchmark vocal ensemble in France, alongside local amateur choirs — Chorustodunum, La Petite Cantate, Divertimento, L'Aubade, the Maîtrise de la Cathédrale d'Autun — and invited groups like the quintet Têtes de Chien. This mix of professionals and amateurs is the source of Chants Libres' richness and generosity.

Choral Singing as a Social Bond

Beyond the artistic program, Chants Libres carries a strong message about choral practice as a vector for social connection and personal fulfillment. The festival is part of the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation's action to promote the development of choral singing in France, supporting over thirty-five choirs across the country.