Festival Vocal du Castillonnais

A festival of voices in the valleys of Couserans since 2000

Created in 2000 by the association La Bellongaise, the Festival Vocal du Castillonnais is one of the oldest cultural events in Couserans. For over twenty years, this mountain festival has built a strong identity around vocal music in all its forms: choral singing, polyphonies, sacred music, opera singing, contemporary repertoire, and world music. The concerts take place in the churches and chapels of Castillonnais, offering natural acoustics and an intimate heritage setting that enhances the voices.

The 4 Seasons of La Bellongaise

The festival is now part of the "4 Seasons of La Bellongaise" program, which structures the association's cultural programming throughout the seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The spring segment — that of the Vocal Festival — unfolds over several weekends in April, offering concerts in various towns of Castillonnais: Castillon-en-Couserans, Illartein, Argein, Arrout, Audressein, and other villages in the valley. In 2024, the "4 Seasons" celebrated their 25th anniversary, demonstrating the vitality and sustainability of this cultural project rooted in the territory.

Talented artists in an exceptional setting

Each year, the festival's program brings together high-level vocal ensembles, choirs, soloists, and collective creations. The repertoires explored cover a very wide spectrum: medieval music, Renaissance, baroque, Orthodox sacred music, Corsican, Basque, Georgian polyphonies, Occitan traditional songs, contemporary creations, and improvised music. The association La Bellongaise, a partner of the ADECC (Couserans Cultural Development Agency), also promotes vocal practice workshops and participatory creations involving the local population.

Castillon-en-Couserans, the heart of the festival

Castillon-en-Couserans is a mountain village located at 700 meters altitude in the Bellongue valley, in the heart of the Ariège Pyrenees. It is the headquarters of the association La Bellongaise and the starting point of the vocal festival. The village, surrounded by forests and mountains, offers a remarkable natural setting that is perfectly suited for contemplation and musical listening. Spectators are invited on a true musical journey through the villages of Castillonnais, discovering rich architectural and landscape heritage along the way.