Francis Poulenc & Friends Festival

1st edition: birth of a festival on Poulenc's home ground

The very first edition of the Francis Poulenc & Friends Festival took place from August 12 to 16, 2025, marking the birth of a new classical and lyrical music event in Aveyron. The festival opened on August 12 with a conference at the Rex Cinema in Espalion at 6:30 PM, setting the historical and artistic context of the event.

The program offered piano-voice concerts and lyrical recitals in three heritage venues: the Saint-Fleuret Church in Estaing, the Saint-Jean Church in Espalion, and the Malet Chapel in Saint-Côme-d'Olt. The invited artists for this inaugural edition were pianist Joseph Birnbaum, mezzo-sopranos Karine Deshayes and Delphine Haidan, and baritone Hervé Ribaud-Shinberg.

The musical program featured Poulenc's melodies in dialogue with works by Mozart, Schubert, Ravel, Debussy, Fauré, and Rossini, offering a panorama of classical and lyrical music in an intimate and remarkable setting.

2025 Program

• August 12: Opening Conference — Rex Cinema, Espalion (6:30 PM)
• August 13-16: Piano-voice concerts and lyrical recitals
• Artists: Joseph Birnbaum (piano), Karine Deshayes (mezzo-soprano), Delphine Haidan (mezzo-soprano), Hervé Ribaud-Shinberg (baritone)
• Venues: Saint-Fleuret Church (Estaing), Saint-Jean Church (Espalion), Malet Chapel (Saint-Côme-d'Olt)
• Repertoire: Poulenc, Mozart, Schubert, Ravel, Debussy, Fauré, Rossini

• Historic first edition of the festival
• Karine Deshayes, internationally renowned mezzo-soprano
• Joseph Birnbaum on piano
• Concerts in three remarkable churches and chapels
• Tribute to Francis Poulenc on his ancestral lands