Georges Cziffra Festival

The Georges Cziffra Festival: over thirty years of classical music in Unieux

The Georges Cziffra Festival was born from a meeting and a deep friendship between Ado Swirc, doctor, writer, and Deputy Mayor for Culture of the town of Unieux, and the virtuoso pianist Georges Cziffra (1921-1994), one of the greatest performers of the 20th century. Their shared passion for great music and their desire to make it accessible to all gave birth to this major event in the cultural life of Unieux and the Ondaine valley.

It was at the Festival de La Chaise-Dieu in 1989 that Ado Swirc met three young laureates of the Cziffra Foundation. The idea then arose to create classical music concerts in Unieux in the spirit of this foundation. In 1992, a first concert exceptionally welcomed two laureates of the Foundation: pianist Yukio Yokoyama and violinist Frédéric Pelassy. The name "Festival Cziffra" officially appeared in 1993.

A festival rooted in transmission

The primary mission of the Georges Cziffra Festival is to allow young virtuoso musicians, laureates of the Cziffra Foundation of Senlis — recognized as being of public utility by the French state since 1975 — to perform before a warm audience and progress in their art. The festival welcomes instrumentalists from all backgrounds: piano, violin, cello, oboe, accordion, and many others.

Each edition features a free opening evening open to all, followed by several concerts over the weekend. A meeting with the artists is organized after each performance, creating a special bond between the audience and the musicians.

The Cinéma Théâtre le Quarto

The festival takes place at the Cinéma Théâtre le Quarto, a performance and cinema venue located in the heart of Unieux, at 5 rue Jean Jaurès. This versatile hall offers an intimate setting and quality acoustics, ideal for appreciating the nuances of chamber music and piano recitals.

Georges Cziffra: an extraordinary destiny

Born in 1921 in Budapest into an extremely poor Gypsy family, György Cziffra was a piano child prodigy. Trained at the Franz Liszt Academy, his career was interrupted by World War II and then by the Hungarian communist regime, which sent him to a labor camp. He escaped from Hungary in 1956 and settled in France, where he became one of the most acclaimed pianists of his time, famous for his dazzling interpretations of Liszt, Chopin, and the great romantic repertoire.

In 1973, he acquired and restored the Royal Chapel of Saint-Frambourg in Senlis, where he founded his foundation dedicated to helping talented young musicians. Georges Cziffra passed away on January 17, 1994, but his legacy lives on through the Cziffra Foundation and the festivals that bear his name, including the one in Unieux.