Lucien Durosoir Festival
Chamber music at Château de Monbet in the Pays d'Orthe
About Lucien Durosoir
Lucien Durosoir Festival: Chamber Music at the Heart of the Landes
The Lucien Durosoir Festival, also known as the Lucien Durosoir Musical May, celebrates the musical legacy of an extraordinary composer each year. Lucien Durosoir, born December 5, 1878, in Boulogne-sur-Seine, was an internationally renowned virtuoso violinist before World War I brutally interrupted his career. After five years at the front, he retired in 1924 to Bélus, a small village in the Pays d'Orthe in the Landes region, where he composed some forty deeply profound works in silence and solitude, many of which remained unpublished for a long time.
An Exceptional Heritage Setting
The festival takes place at the Château de Monbet, in Saint-Lon-les-Mines, in an intimate and historic setting that enhances the musical emotion and recalls Durosoir's deep connection to the Landes. This heritage site offers remarkable acoustics and an atmosphere conducive to contemplation, perfectly suited for chamber music.
A Tribute Carried by Family and Artists
Founded by Luc Durosoir, the composer's son and a doctor, the festival is artistically directed by baritone Mario Hacquard. It perpetuates the wish that Lucien Durosoir expressed on his deathbed to his mother: "Take care of the young musicians." Thus, the festival makes it a point of honor to invite talented young performers alongside recognized ensembles.
A Sensitive and Demanding Program
Each edition features themed evenings combining string quartets, readings of war correspondence, travelogues, and Durosoir's works juxtaposed with the great classics of Janáček, Ravel, Satie, or Debussy. The Quatuor Diotima, a reference ensemble, is regularly invited to bring the composer's scores to life.
Rediscovering a Forgotten Genius
Lucien Durosoir's work, long overshadowed, has been the subject of a complete discography since the 2000s and growing recognition from the musicological community. The festival actively contributes to this rediscovery by offering premieres and first performances. In May 2019, a monument was erected in his honor, marking the composer's memory in the landscape of the Landes.
Lucien Durosoir — edition 2026
The 3rd edition of the Lucien Durosoir Festival (Lucien Durosoir Musical May) was held from Friday, May 1st to Sunday, May 3rd, 2026 at the Château de Monbet in Saint-Lon-les-Mines, under the artistic direction of baritone Mario Hacquard. Three thematic evenings featured the Diotima Quartet and several guest performers, blending works by Durosoir, Janáček, Ravel, Satie, and Ligeti with readings of correspondences and travel narratives.
3rd Edition — May 2026
The Lucien Durosoir Festival celebrated its 3rd edition from May 1st to 3rd, 2026 at Château de Monbet, in the intimate setting of the Pays d'Orthe. Three thematic concerts juxtaposed the work of the Landes composer with pieces by Janáček, Ravel, Satie, and Ligeti, accompanied by readings of war correspondences and travel narratives.
Three Thematic Evenings
On Friday, May 1st at 6:30 PM, the opening concert « Intimate Letters » featured a dialogue between Janáček's and Durosoir's String Quartets No. 2 with the intimate correspondences of the two composers (Janáček's letters to Kamila Stösslova, Durosoir's letters to his mother from the Front), performed by the Diotima Quartet (Yun-Peng Zhao, Léo Marillier, Franck Chevalier, Alexis Descharmes) and the voice of Mario Hacquard.
On Saturday, May 2nd at 6:30 PM, the concert « Ambulance Drivers of 14-18 » juxtaposed war correspondences and musical pieces by Ravel, Durosoir, Kreisler, and Churchill, with excerpts from Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. Performers: François Pineau-Benois (violin), Lorène de Ratuld (piano), Mario Hacquard (narrator). A convivial moment of feasting followed the concert.
On Sunday, May 3rd at 5:00 PM, the evening « Sports and Entertainments » blended bicycle travel narratives (Benoît Guerre's solo journey, 1,600 km on a penny-farthing in two weeks), evocations of the Durosoir family, and pieces for piano and cello by Satie, Ligeti, and Durosoir. Performers: Anaël Bonnet (piano) and Pierre Charles (cello, narrator). A demonstration and closing reception followed.
A Family-Friendly and Demanding Festival
Organized by the association Chemins de Ronde, founded by Luc Durosoir (the composer's son) and artistically directed by baritone Mario Hacquard, the festival in 2026 brought together renowned ensembles (Diotima Quartet) and talented young performers, true to Lucien Durosoir's wish: « Take care of young musicians. »
Programme Lucien Durosoir 2026
Friday, May 1st, 2026 — 6:30 PM
« Intimate Letters » (Janáček – Durosoir)
- Leoš Janáček: String Quartet No. 2 « Intimate Letters »
- Lucien Durosoir: String Quartet No. 2
- Readings between movements: Janáček's correspondence with Kamila Stösslova and Lucien Durosoir's letters to his mother from the Front
Performers: Diotima Quartet (Yun-Peng Zhao and Léo Marillier, violins · Franck Chevalier, viola · Alexis Descharmes, cello) · Mario Hacquard, narrator.
Saturday, May 2nd, 2026 — 6:30 PM
« Ambulance Drivers of 14-18 »
- Works by Maurice Ravel, Lucien Durosoir, Fritz Kreisler, Winston Churchill
- Readings of war correspondences and excerpts from Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms
Performers: François Pineau-Benois (violin) · Lorène de Ratuld (piano) · Mario Hacquard (narrator).
Evening extended by a convivial meal after the concert (registration ten days in advance).
Sunday, May 3rd, 2026 — 5:00 PM
« Sports and Entertainments »
- Works for piano and cello by Erik Satie, György Ligeti, and Lucien Durosoir
- Narrative of Benoît Guerre's penny-farthing journey (1,600 km in two weeks, solo)
- Evocations of the Durosoir family's bicycle outings in the Bois de Boulogne around 1890
Performers: Anaël Bonnet (piano) · Pierre Charles (cello, narrator).
Demonstration and closing reception after the concert.
Highlights Lucien Durosoir 2026
- 3rd edition of the Lucien Durosoir Musical May at Château de Monbet in Saint-Lon-les-Mines
- Presence of the Diotima Quartet, an internationally renowned ensemble, opening the festival on May 1st
- Three thematic evenings blending chamber music, war correspondences, and travel narratives
- Rare works by Lucien Durosoir juxtaposed with Janáček, Ravel, Satie, Ligeti, and Kreisler
- Free for under 18s · 3-concert pass for 40 €
- Intimate setting of Château de Monbet (17th-century bridgehead) in the Pays d'Orthe
Prices Lucien Durosoir 2026
Practical information — Lucien Durosoir
Practical Information
Access
The Château de Monbet is located in Saint-Lon-les-Mines, in the Pays d'Orthe, about 20 km west of Dax.
- From Dax: approximately 25 minutes via D33 and D29
- From Bayonne: approximately 40 minutes via A64 exit Peyrehorade
- From Mont-de-Marsan: approximately 1 hour via D824 then D33
Parking is available near the château. Access is via winding departmental roads; allow sufficient travel time.
Usual Dates
The festival is held annually in early May, over a three-day weekend (Friday to Sunday).
Prices
Prices are affordable for a chamber music festival. Booking recommended on the official website due to the limited capacity of the venue.
Contact
- Website: www.festival-luciendurosoir.fr
- Organizer: Association Chemins de Ronde
Accommodation
The Tourist Office of the Pays d'Orthe et Arrigans provides information on accommodation, gîtes, and bed and breakfasts in the region. The town of Peyrehorade, 10 km away, offers a wider choice of accommodation.
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Where does it take place — Lucien Durosoir
Château de Monbet
Château de Monbet, 40300 Saint-Lon-les-Mines, 40300 Saint-Lon-les-Mines