Les Étoiles Symphoniques

More than 200 young musicians in concert in the jewels of Normandy's heritage

Les Étoiles Symphoniques is an international symphonic music festival of exceptional scale. Every summer in August, the association Petites Mains Symphoniques brings together more than 200 young musicians aged 6 to 24 from all over France and abroad for twelve days of free concerts around Verneuil d'Avre et d'Iton. This unique festival in France offers these young talents the opportunity to perform in exceptional heritage locations in the south of the Eure region: medieval churches, abbeys, castles, motte-and-bailey castles, and forest clearings.

More than 50 free concerts in 12 days

Each edition features more than 50 free concerts within a 50 km radius of Verneuil-sur-Avre. The repertoire is varied and accessible: symphonic music, chamber music, concertos, Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf performed in the forest, aperitif-concerts, and dinner-concerts. No concert lasts more than an hour, allowing families and novices to discover classical music in a friendly format. The festival also welcomes renowned guest artists and international orchestras, such as an orchestra from Mexico City.

A participatory festival open to all

Les Étoiles Symphoniques stands out for its participatory and inclusive dimension. The festival offers an ephemeral choir open to all ages and levels, with daily rehearsals from 11 am to 12:30 pm at the Moulin de Balines, culminating in a closing concert on the Place de la Madeleine in Verneuil d'Avre et d'Iton. Djembe percussion workshops also allow the public to participate actively. Admission is free and open to all for all concerts, in line with the association's mission to make symphonic music accessible to the greatest number.