Festival Inventio

A classical music festival rooted in the heritage of Seine-et-Marne

Created in 2016 by violinist Léo Marillier, the Festival Inventio is a unique musical event that weaves links between chamber music and architectural heritage. Each year, the festival takes over exceptional venues in Seine-et-Marne — priories, mills, medieval gardens, churches, and art galleries — to offer intimate concerts where music resonates with the architecture and history of the places.

An original thematic program

Each edition of the Festival Inventio revolves around a unifying theme that guides the choice of works and the staging of the concerts. Previous editions have explored "From Gesture to Music" (2024), while the 11th edition in 2026 is titled "Anim music al", an invitation to explore the links between music, movement, and animal energy. The program delicately blends masterpieces from the classical repertoire — Haydn, Bartók, Janáček, Rameau — with contemporary creations, notably compositions by Léo Marillier himself.

Exceptional heritage sites

The festival unfolds across several remarkable sites in the south of Seine-et-Marne:

• Le Prieuré Saint-Ayoul de Provins: A jewel of Romanesque and Gothic art, this 11th-century priory offers exceptional acoustics for chamber music. Concerts are preceded by musical walks in the cloister and gardens.
• Le Moulin — Galleria Continua de Boissy-le-Châtel: A former industrial mill transformed into a contemporary art gallery by the renowned Galleria Continua, this unique venue offers a fascinating dialogue between music and visual arts.
• Le jardin médiéval de Donnemarie-Dontilly: An intimate green setting for immersive concerts where music dialogues with nature and pictorial art.

Léo Marillier, founder and artistic director

Léo Marillier is a French violinist and composer who founded the Festival Inventio with the conviction that chamber music can create unique encounters between artists, audiences, and venues. Trained at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, he artistically directs the festival while participating as a performer and composer. His approach combines musical rigor, openness to contemporary creation, and a keen sense of cultural mediation.

An intimate and accessible festival

The Festival Inventio cultivates an intimate and friendly format. Concerts, often preceded by guided tours of the venues or musical walks, welcome music lovers in small audiences, fostering proximity with the artists. The festival also offers moments of meeting and exchange after the concerts, contributing to the democratization of classical music in a rural area.