Festival des Collines

A Lyrical Setting on the Heights of Manosque

Born in 2015, the Festival des Collines is an intimate lyrical art festival that takes place at the Chapelle Toutes Aures, a 17th-century building dedicated to Saint Pancras, the patron saint of Manosque. Perched on the hill of Toutes Aures, the chapel offers remarkable acoustics and an exceptional panorama of the Durance valley and the Luberon massif, creating a unique setting for open-air musical evenings.

An Initiative of the Philosophical and Cultural Circle

The festival was born from the initiative of the Philosophical and Cultural Circle of Manosque, chaired by Claude Tardy. After a conference in Sisteron on Freemasonry among great musicians, the idea germinated among the nine members of the association to create a lyrical event in Manosque. The challenge was bold: to offer quality lyrical art in a town that had no tradition in this field, and to prove that it is not necessary to go to Aix-en-Provence or Marseille to hear talented artists in the great repertoire.

Artistic Direction of Excellence

The artistic direction is provided by Hélène Hébrard, a renowned soprano, who selects the works and artists with the constant concern of making lyrical art accessible to everyone, amateurs and neophytes alike. The festival has thus offered pocket operas specially adapted for the occasion, such as Puccini's Tosca or Gounod's Faust, where the choral scenes are replaced by a narrator's performance.

Three Evenings, Three Worlds

Each edition of the festival is structured around three thematic evenings scheduled in June and July, at 8:30 PM. Spectators discover in turn lyrical recitals, chamber operas, and classical music concerts highlighting the great works of the repertoire: Rossini, Vivaldi, Pergolesi, Puccini, Gounod, Handel, or Bizet. The ensembles range from trios to vocal quartets, accompanied by piano or instrumental ensembles.

A Place Steeped in History

The Chapelle Toutes Aures, built in 1637, overlooks Manosque from the hill known as "of all breezes" (toutes aures in Provençal). Accessible via the chemin de San Brancaï, it is a popular walking spot for the people of Manosque and an ideal setting for open-air summer concerts, between architectural heritage and preserved nature.