Festival Ravel

Festival Ravel: Classical Music in the Basque Country

The Festival Ravel perpetuates the legacy of Maurice Ravel, one of the greatest French composers, born in Ciboure in 1875. Since its launch in 2021, the festival has quickly established itself as a must-attend event for classical music in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, attracting artists and music lovers from around the world to the Basque Coast.

A History Rooted in the Region

The festival's roots go back to 2007, the year of the 70th anniversary of Ravel's death, which marked the beginning of the collaboration between Musique en Côte Basque and the Académie Ravel. In 2017, the two organizations joined forces to co-produce the first Festival Ravel with the support of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region. After a break due to the pandemic, the festival truly took off in 2021.

An Exceptional Program

The Festival Ravel offers a program that brings together the greatest French and international orchestral ensembles:

• Orchestre de l'Opéra national de Paris
• Orchestre National de France
• Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine
• Orchestre de Chambre Nouvelle-Aquitaine
• Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse
• Ensemble intercontemporain

The concerts take place in emblematic venues in the Basque Country, from the Saint-Jean-Baptiste church in Saint-Jean-de-Luz to the gardens of Villa Harriet Baita.

The Académie Ravel

In parallel to the festival, the Académie Internationale de Musique Maurice Ravel, with over fifty years of experience, hosts young musicians and composers from around the world each summer for masterclasses given by internationally renowned artists. The concerts by the young soloists of the Académie are held throughout the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.