Festival de La Chaise-Dieu

Festival de La Chaise-Dieu: sixty years of music in the heart of Auvergne

Since 1966, the Festival de La Chaise-Dieu has transformed this medieval village in Haute-Loire into a major venue for classical music every late summer. Founded by the Hungarian virtuoso pianist Georges Cziffra, who discovered the abbey and its organ during a private visit, the festival was born from a generous gesture: Cziffra gave several recitals whose fees were donated to the reconstruction of the organ in the Saint-Robert Abbey.

Exceptional architectural heritage serving music

The Saint-Robert Abbey, a jewel of 14th-century Auvergne Gothic art, is the beating heart of the festival. Its remarkable acoustics make it an ideal setting for large symphony orchestras, choirs, and sacred music. The Cziffra Auditorium, named in honor of the founder, complements the facilities by hosting chamber recitals and intimate concerts. The festival also extends to neighboring towns: the Brioude basilica, the Lavaudieu church, the Saint-Paulien collegiate church, and other heritage sites in Haute-Loire, Puy-de-Dôme, and Loire.

An excellent program blending tradition and discovery

The program of the Festival de La Chaise-Dieu encompasses all styles and musical eras: sacred, baroque, classical, romantic, contemporary music, opera, and chamber music. Each edition brings together the greatest international orchestras and the most renowned performers around masterpieces of the repertoire. Handel's oratorios, Bach's masses, Mozart and Beethoven's masses, Monteverdi's operas, and symphonies from the romantic repertoire resonate under the Gothic vaults of the abbey.

The festival also places great importance on discovery and transmission. The Génération Chaise-Dieu program highlights talented young ensembles through about fifteen free concerts in the surrounding villages, promoting access to classical music for all audiences.

Major cultural and territorial influence

Under the direction of Guy Ramona for 27 years, and then under the impetus of Boris Blanco, general director since 2022, the festival has continuously developed. It now operates in 24 towns across three departments, offering 33 paid concerts and over 50 free events: organ recitals, musicological conferences, fireworks, and family activities.

With over 23,000 spectators per edition and a record occupancy rate of 89%, the Festival de La Chaise-Dieu asserts itself as one of the major classical music events in France and a key player in the cultural and tourist dynamism of Auvergne.