La Via Musica Festival
Festival of music from all eras in the Grand Besançon
About La Via Musica
La Via Musica Festival: twenty years of music in Grand Besançon
The La Via Musica Festival was born in 2005 under the name Festival de Musique Ancienne de Montfaucon, founded by passionate music lovers who wanted to showcase early music in an exceptional heritage setting. Renamed La Via Musica on January 1, 2024, the festival has gradually expanded its program to include all musical eras, from Antiquity to contemporary creation, including world music.
An eclectic and demanding program
Each year, the festival offers about ten concerts and cultural activities spread across several municipalities in Grand Besançon Métropole:
- Montfaucon — historical birthplace of the festival
- Besançon — notably the Saint-Jean Cathedral
- Serre-les-Sapins, Pin, and Pirey
The artistic objective is to introduce lesser-known music and arts performed by high-level artists to the widest possible audience. The concerts take place in churches and heritage sites that offer remarkable acoustics.
Highlights
The festival is distinguished by its exceptional events, such as the concerts held at the Saint-Jean Cathedral in Besançon, which combine the grandeur of the venue with musical quality. The concerts by young virtuosos highlight the new generation of talented musicians.
20 years of musical adventure in 2025
In 2025, the La Via Musica Festival celebrated its 20th anniversary with a memorable edition. An exceptional concert of the Passion According to Saint John was performed on March 28, 2025, at the Besançon Cathedral, with broadcasts in Belfort (March 29) and Paris (March 30), marking the national scope of the festival.
A festival rooted in its territory
The La Via Musica Festival contributes to the cultural radiance of Grand Besançon by promoting the architectural and religious heritage of the metropolis. It is part of a movement to democratize classical music by offering affordable prices and using venues open to all.
La Via Musica — edition 2026
The 21st edition of the Festival La Via Musica takes place in two parts: from June 3 to 7, 2026 and then from August 27 to 30, 2026, in about thirty heritage sites in Grand Besançon, Doubs (Pirey, Sancey, Belvoir), in Orbe in Switzerland and in Planoise. Under the theme « Naples seen from Besançon », more than 70 musicians from Europe interpret Neapolitan baroque music (Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti, Francesco Mancini, Pergolesi) on the occasion of the bicentenary of the passing of Saint Jeanne-Antide Thouret.
21st Edition — From June 3 to 7 and August 27 to 30, 2026, theme « Naples seen from Besançon »
For its 21st edition, the Festival La Via Musica weaves a sensitive thread between Naples and Besançon, two cities of character marked by a rich history, a vibrant spirituality, and a deep relationship between art and society. The 2026 program honors Neapolitan baroque music, notably that of Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti and Francesco Mancini, on the occasion of the bicentenary of the passing of Saint Jeanne-Antide Thouret, founder of the Sisters of Charity born in Sancey.
Two highlights: June and August
The 2026 edition unfolds in two complementary periods: from June 3 to 7 focusing on Neapolitan passion and baroque keyboard (concerts by young performers, Masters of Baroque, conferences, Chemins d'Arcadie, La Passion Napolitaine at Théâtre Ledoux) then from August 27 to 30 with the show « Tzigane » in partnership with the Pagnozoo equestrian circus in Planoise.
About thirty concerts in the region
More than 70 musicians from all over Europe perform in about thirty concerts and cultural events spread across Grand Besançon Métropole, in Doubs (Pirey, Sancey-le-Long, Belvoir), in Orbe in Switzerland, and in the Planoise district. The concerts take place in exceptional churches and heritage sites: Chapelle de la Présentation, Pavillon de Musique, Temple du Saint-Esprit, Théâtre Ledoux, Cathédrale Saint-Jean, Basilique Sainte-Jeanne-Antide de Sancey-le-Long, medieval halls and Château de Belvoir.
Headliners and invited ensembles
The 2026 edition brings together international figures of the baroque keyboard: Jos van Immerseel, Béatrice Martin, Jean-Marc Aymes, Miklós Spányi, Temenuschka Vesselinova, Giulia Nuti, Cândida Matos, the Ensemble Cristofori, the Ensemble Les Alizés, the Ensemble Par le Regart, the vocal ensemble Lux Cantus, the Winterthurer Streichquartett, soloists Yongbeom Kwon (altus) and Johanna Neß (soprano), not to mention South Korean jazz pianist Younee.
An original creation: La Passion Napolitaine
A centerpiece of the edition, « La Passion Napolitaine » is performed on Saturday, June 6 at 8:00 PM at Théâtre Ledoux in Besançon, then on Sunday, June 7 at 5:00 PM at Saint-Martin church in Sancey. This immersive program brings together sacred works by Caldara, Alessandro Scarlatti, and Pergolesi performed by the two soloists, the Winterthurer Streichquartett, and the Ensemble Cristofori.
Workshops and cultural activities
In parallel with the concerts, the festival offers an introductory workshop on Gregorian chant led by Olga Roudakova at the Centre Diocésain (June 5 and 6), conferences (birth of the piano with Kerstin Schwarz, J.S. Bach's favorite instrument with Joris Potvlieghe), master classes by Jos van Immerseel, and a medieval banquet at the halls of Belvoir.
Programme La Via Musica 2026
Wednesday, June 3, 2026 — Opening in Besançon
- 12:30 PM — Affetti Napoletani (concert by young performers) · Chapelle de la Présentation, Besançon · free admission
- 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM — Masters of Baroque : Béatrice Martin and Jean-Marc Aymes (harpsichord) · Pavillon de Musique, Besançon
- 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM — The Birth of the Piano (conference-concert) · Kerstin Schwarz and Temenuschka Vesselinova · Auditorium du CRR, Besançon
- 8:00 PM — Under the Sky of Naples: Scarlatti & Mancini · Ensemble Les Alizés · Chapelle des Sœurs de la Charité, Besançon
Thursday, June 4, 2026 — Scarlatti at the Keyboards
- 12:30 PM — Scarlatti in a Thousand Keyboards (concert by young performers) · Chapelle de la Présentation, Besançon · free admission
- 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM — Masters of Baroque : Miklós Spányi and Temenuschka Vesselinova · Pavillon de Musique, Besançon
- 8:00 PM — The 30 Essercizi by Domenico Scarlatti · five keyboard artists · Temple du Saint-Esprit, Besançon
Friday, June 5, 2026 — Paths of Arcadia
- 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM / 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM — Introductory workshop on Gregorian chant (day 1) · Olga Roudakova · Centre Diocésain, Besançon
- 12:30 PM — Canti Napoletani (concert by young performers) · Chapelle de la Présentation, Besançon · free admission
- 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM — Masters of Baroque : Giulia Nuti (harpsichord) · Pavillon de Musique, Besançon
- 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM — J.S. Bach's Favorite Instrument (conference) · Joris Potvlieghe · Grand Salon, Besançon
- 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM — The Paths of Arcadia : three simultaneous keyboard concerts · Jos van Immerseel, Miklós Spányi, Temenuschka Vesselinova · three locations in Besançon
- 10:15 PM — Jazz with Younee · South Korean pianist · Le Brass'Éliande, Besançon
Saturday, June 6, 2026 — La Passion Napolitaine
- 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM / 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM — Gregorian chant workshop (day 2) · Olga Roudakova · Centre Diocésain, Besançon
- 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM — The Sound of the Harpsichord (conference) · Geert Karman · Salle de conférence FRAC, Besançon
- 11:30 AM — Le Souffle Royal (aperitif concert) · Ensemble Les Alizés (Renaissance flutes) · Église de Pirey
- 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM — Master class : Jos van Immerseel teaches · Salle de conférence FRAC, Besançon
- 4:00 PM — 15th Century Franco-Flemish Polyphonies · Ensemble Par le Regart · Temple d'Orbe (Switzerland)
- 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM — Scarlatti & Seixas in a quiz-concert · Cândida Matos (harpsichord) · Théâtre du Scènacle, Besançon
- 8:00 PM — La Passion Napolitaine · Yongbeom Kwon (altus), Johanna Neß (soprano), Winterthurer Streichquartett, Ensemble Cristofori · works by Caldara, Alessandro Scarlatti, Pergolesi · Théâtre Ledoux, Besançon
- 10:15 PM — Jazz with Younee · Le Brass'Éliande, Besançon
Sunday, June 7, 2026 — Sancey & Belvoir, Jeanne-Antide Bicentenary
- 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM — Lauds in Gregorian chant · Ensemble Lux Cantus · Basilique Sainte-Jeanne-Antide, Sancey-le-Long
- 10:30 AM — Solemn Mass in Gregorian chant · Lux Cantus (Paris) · Basilique Sainte-Jeanne-Antide, Sancey-le-Long
- 1:00 PM — Medieval banquet with music · Ensemble Par le Regart · 13th-century halls, Belvoir
- 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM — Alta Capella Concert · Ensemble Par le Regart · Château de Belvoir
- 5:00 PM — La Passion Napolitaine (encore performance) · Église Saint-Martin, Sancey-le-Long
Thursday, August 27 — Sunday, August 30, 2026 — Tzigane in Planoise
- Thursday, August 27 — Tzigane · musical show in partnership with the equestrian circus Pagnozoo · Planoise, Besançon
- Friday, August 28 — Tzigane · Pagnozoo · Planoise
- Saturday, August 29 — Tzigane · Pagnozoo · Planoise
- Sunday, August 30 — 11:00 AM — Tzigane (matinee) · Pagnozoo · Planoise
- Sunday, August 30 — 5:00 PM — Tzigane (closing) · Pagnozoo · Planoise
Program from the official 2026 brochure (festivallaviamusica.com), online ticketing (June ticketing and August ticketing) and the « Detailed Programs » page. Concerts by young performers (12:30 PM Chapelle de la Présentation) are free. Detailed prices for concerts available via online ticketing.
Highlights La Via Musica 2026
- Theme « Naples seen from Besançon » on the occasion of the bicentenary of Saint Jeanne-Antide Thouret
- More than 70 European musicians and about thirty concerts in Grand Besançon, Doubs, Orbe (Switzerland) and Planoise
- Creation of « La Passion Napolitaine » with the Winterthurer Streichquartett and the Ensemble Cristofori (Théâtre Ledoux, June 6)
- Three simultaneous concerts « Les Chemins d'Arcadie » with Jos van Immerseel, Miklós Spányi and Temenuschka Vesselinova (June 5)
- Complete performance of Domenico Scarlatti's 30 Essercizi on five keyboards (June 4)
- Show « Tzigane » in partnership with the Pagnozoo equestrian circus (5 performances in Planoise, August 27-30)
- Free concerts by young performers at 12:30 PM at the Chapelle de la Présentation
- Medieval banquet with music at the 13th-century halls of Belvoir
Prices La Via Musica 2026
Practical information — La Via Musica
Access to the festival
Concert venues
Concerts take place in several municipalities of Grand Besançon Métropole: Montfaucon, Besançon (Saint-Jean Cathedral), Serre-les-Sapins, Pin, Pirey. The exact locations will be announced with the program for each edition.
By car
From Besançon, the towns of Montfaucon, Serre-les-Sapins, Pin, and Pirey are accessible in a few minutes by departmental roads.
By public transport
Ginko network for concerts in Besançon. For peripheral towns, carpooling is recommended.
Prices
Prices vary depending on the concert. The festival offers reduced rates for students and job seekers. Some concerts are free.
Contact
Website: festivallaviamusica.com
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Where does it take place — La Via Musica
Églises et lieux patrimoniaux du Grand Besançon
11 chemin des Granges, 25660 Montfaucon, 25000 Besançon