Festival de Saint-Cirq, Causse & Vallée

The Festival de Saint-Cirq, Causse & Vallée: Music at the Heart of Quercy's Heritage

Since 2021, the Festival de Saint-Cirq, Causse & Vallée has been bringing new cultural energy to one of France's most beautiful villages. Born from the initiative of the cultural association La Mouchine de Berganty, chaired by Edith Tardy, and under the artistic direction of internationally renowned clarinettist Michel Lethiec, this music festival takes over the most emblematic sites of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie and its surroundings every summer.

Exceptional Concert Venues

The originality of the festival lies in its choice of concert venues, all intimately linked to the history and landscape of the Quercy plateau. The amphitheater of La Fourdonne, nestled in the heart of the historic center of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, offers an open-air setting with a breathtaking view of the Lot valley. The Romanesque churches of Tour-de-Faure and Berganty provide their remarkable acoustics for chamber music recitals. The terrace of the Maison André Breton, the surrealist poet's former residence, hosts intimate concerts in a setting steeped in literary history. Finally, the prehistoric site of the Pech Merle cave, famous for its 25,000-year-old cave paintings, is a magical place where music and prehistory meet.

An Eclectic Program Led by Exceptional Artists

The festival offers a musical journey through the centuries, from the baroque and classical repertoire to jazz and improvisation. Michel Lethiec, a major figure in international clarinet music, brings together about ten soloists of different origins and generations each year, creating unique musical encounters. Among the artists who have marked past editions are the Quatuor Girard, flutist Patrick Gallois, violinist Théotime Voisin, soprano Marie Perbost, violinist Gilles Apap, and the Orchestre de chambre de Toulouse.

The Spirit of the Festival

Each edition is designed as a musical journey that blends great masterpieces of the repertoire with festive music, in a friendly and accessible atmosphere. The 2022 edition notably paid tribute to André Breton, the surrealist poet who had chosen Saint-Cirq-Lapopie as his home seventy years earlier, with works by Varèse, Milhaud, and Satie accompanied by poems by Breton, Éluard, and Char. Musical discovery workshops, such as the "Musical Prehistories" around lithophones and archaic instruments at the Pech Merle Prehistory Center, enrich the program.

A Festival Rooted in its Territory

Part of the Causses du Quercy Regional Natural Park, the festival contributes to the cultural and tourist influence of this exceptional territory. Concerts are held in four communes—Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, Tour-de-Faure, Berganty, and Bouziès—inviting the public to discover the rich heritage and natural beauty of the Lot valley and the causse. The festival benefits from the support of Cahors Agglo and the Lot Department, and participates in the cultural dynamism of this area classified as a Grand Site of France.