FIMAJ

FIMAJ: Thirty Years Serving Young Instrumental Prodigies

FIMAJ — acronym for Festival Musical d'Automne des Jeunes Interprètes — is a musical event of profound uniqueness in the cultural landscape of Val-d'Oise. For over three decades, it has fulfilled a dual mission: discovering and rewarding the most talented young instrumentalists in Île-de-France, and offering residents of partner towns — including Saint-Gratien (95210) — a high-quality classical and contemporary musical program.

At a time when young musicians graduating from conservatories and music schools struggle to find opportunities to perform in concert before a live audience, FIMAJ offers them something invaluable: a stage, a professional orchestra to accompany them, and the recognition their hard work deserves.

A Competition of Exemplary Rigor

FIMAJ is organized around an annual competition open to instrumentalists under 25 years old from major French music schools — national and regional conservatories, CNSM of Paris and Lyon. Each year, the competition focuses on three different musical disciplines, allowing for a rotation that explores all instrument families: strings, winds, woodwinds, percussion, piano.

A jury of professionals — musicians, educators, artistic directors — evaluates candidates during demanding auditions. The three best instrumentalists chosen by the jury become the FIMAJ laureates. Each receives a first prize of €3,000, a financial reward that concretely helps support the nascent careers of these young artists who are often confronted with the economic realities of a musician's life.

From Competition to Concert

What distinguishes FIMAJ from other competitions for young performers is the continuity it establishes between the competition and the stage. The three laureates do not simply receive a prize: they are invited to perform as soloists during the concert season following the competition, from September to December. Accompanied by small chamber ensembles and professional symphony orchestras, they thus gain the full experience of a concert performer and acquire valuable stage experience.

An Exemplary Territorial Network

The FIMAJ laureate concerts are not concentrated in a single large venue but are spread across nine towns in Plaine Vallée, the inter-municipal community that includes Saint-Gratien, Deuil-la-Barre, Soisy-sous-Montmorency, Margency, Montmagny, Épinay-sur-Seine, and their neighbors. This deliberate geographical dispersion is at the heart of the festival's philosophy.

By bringing classical music and the presence of talented young soloists to each partner town — in their multipurpose halls, performance venues, churches, or theaters — FIMAJ democratizes access to sophisticated music. It allows residents of areas that do not have a large concert hall to attend professional-level performances.

Access to Music for All

FIMAJ's pricing policy reflects this commitment: concerts are offered at accessible prices, sometimes with free tickets for schoolchildren or specific audiences. The festival also organizes educational workshops in schools in the partner towns, where laureates come to present their instruments and play for classes of schoolchildren.

Thirty Years of History and Revealed Talents

In over thirty years of existence, FIMAJ has recognized dozens of young instrumentalists, some of whom have become renowned musicians on the French and international classical scene. It has helped forge vocations and confirm talents that have gone on to brilliant solo or orchestral careers. This remarkable longevity testifies to the solidity of the project and the commitment of the partner communities, foremost among them the Communauté d'agglomération Plaine Vallée.