Les Journées Ravel

Les Journées Ravel: Maurice Ravel's music in the intimacy of his homeland

Since 1996, Les Journées Ravel has perpetuated the memory of the most famous French composer of the 20th century in the enchanting setting of Montfort-l'Amaury, the small medieval town in the Yvelines where Maurice Ravel spent the last twenty years of his life. It was here, in his house Le Belvédère, that he composed many of his masterpieces, from the Boléro to the two piano concertos, lulled by the beauty of the Rambouillet forest landscapes.

A festival at the heart of the Yvelines heritage

The profound originality of Les Journées Ravel lies in the choice to let music resonate in the very places that nourished the composer's inspiration. Every autumn, about ten major heritage sites, public and private, open their doors around the Rambouillet forest: the majestic Château de Breteuil in Choisel, the Abbey of Port-Royal-des-Champs in Magny-les-Hameaux, the historic residences of Montfort-l'Amaury, and even the homes of local residents in Montfort who host the famous Prom's, intimate concerts in a domestic setting. This immersion in Ravel's territory creates a unique proximity between the audience, the artists, and the music.

A demanding and open program

The program of Les Journées Ravel revolves around the interpretation of Maurice Ravel's work, but also that of his masters—Couperin, Rameau, Mozart—and his contemporaries—Debussy, Fauré, Satie, Stravinsky. Each edition offers around twenty performances spread over two to three weekends, featuring both internationally renowned artists, such as pianist Alexandre Tharaud, and promising young performers whom the festival helps to discover. Piano recitals, chamber music, mélodies, string quartets, and lyrical programs make up a rich and varied palette, faithful to the spirit of excellence and refinement that characterized Ravel himself.

Thirty years of Ravelian fidelity

In thirty editions, Les Journées Ravel has established itself as a major event for music lovers from Île-de-France and beyond. The festival benefits from the support of prestigious partners—the Île-de-France Region, the Department of Yvelines, the Dassault group, Guerlain, Rothschild Martin Maurel—testifying to its cultural influence. In 2025, the 29th edition celebrated the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel's birth, confirming the vitality of a festival that continues to keep alive the legacy of a universal composer in the intimacy of his creative spaces.