Les Heures Musicales de l'Abbaye

2025 Edition — Boléro, The Ravel Mystery

For its fifth edition, the festival delved into the fascinating world of Maurice Ravel with the theme “Boléro — The Ravel Mystery”. From Thursday, September 5 to Sunday, September 8, 2025, four days of music resonated in the abbeys of Ligugé, Fontaine-le-Comte, Saint-Benoît, and Nouaillé-Maupertuis.

The opening concert “Éternel Ravel” was entrusted to the Orchestre de Chambre Nouvelle-Aquitaine under the direction of Jean-François Heisser, who also played the piano. A chamber music evening titled “Résonances” brought together the Yule String Quartet and its guests around Ravel's chamber works. The closing concert combined choral works by Ravel, Fauré, Debussy, and Duparc in a program of great vocal finesse.

The program also included the screening of the film Boléro followed by a discussion with the film's team, two musicological conferences, a festive opening performance by the 4D Saxophone Ensemble, and the traditional morning heritage walks connecting the abbeys.