Massat Music Mountain Festival
Choral singing workshop and concerts in the Ariège Pyrenees
About Massat Music Mountain
Forty years of choral music in the heart of the Pyrenees
Founded in 1983, the Massat Music Mountain festival is a unique musical and human adventure, born in the mountains of Couserans, in the heart of the Ariège Pyrenees. For over forty years, this festival has successfully combined two passions: high-level choral singing and mountain hiking. Every summer, about sixty choristers from all over France and beyond gather in Massat, a Pyrenean village nestled in the Salat valley, for an intensive two-week choral workshop combining demanding vocal work and discovery of mountain trails.
An excellent choral workshop led by Daniel Bargier
The choral workshop is the heart of the festival. For two weeks, participants practice choral singing 6 to 7 hours a day, in a high-level ensemble and musical interpretation. Historically led by Daniel Bargier, a renowned choirmaster and educator, the workshop has been taken over by Olivier Delafosse for the most recent editions. The repertoire includes the great works of the classical choral heritage: Requiem, Magnificat, Stabat Mater, oratorios and cantatas by the greatest composers – Verdi, Vivaldi, Rutter, Rheinberger, Bach, Mozart, and many others.
Concerts in exceptional architectural settings
The choral work culminates in public concerts held in venues of remarkable acoustic and architectural quality. The Saint-Lizier cathedral, a jewel of Romanesque art in Couserans, a UNESCO World Heritage site on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route, offers a sumptuous setting for great choral and orchestral works. The Biert church, nestled in the valley, complements the program with a second concert in a more intimate atmosphere. The Orchestre Mozart de Toulouse and professional soloists accompany the festival choir for these exceptional concerts.
Music and mountains: a unique alliance
What makes Massat Music Mountain original is the alliance between music and mountains. Between rehearsal sessions, participants go hiking on the trails of Couserans, discovering mountain pastures, high-altitude lakes, beech and fir forests, and the grandiose panoramas of the central Pyrenees. This combination of vocal and physical effort, of musical demand and immersion in nature, creates a unique human and artistic dynamic that brings participants back year after year.
Massat Music Mountain — edition 2026
44th edition of the Massat Musique Montagne festival, from July 18th to August 1st, 2026. Choral singing workshop in Massat (Couserans, Ariège) dedicated this year to an all-Mozart program, under the direction of conductor Alain Joutard, with the Orchestre Mozart de Toulouse. Concerts at Saint-Lizier Cathedral and Biert Church.
44th edition: an all-Mozart menu
The 44th edition of the Massat Musique Montagne festival will be held from July 18th to August 1st, 2026. Around sixty choristers gather in Massat, in the Couserans mountains, for two weeks of intensive choral workshop alternating demanding vocal work and mountain hikes.
The 2026 program is entirely dedicated to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: the Great Mass in C minor, the Ave Verum Corpus (K618), the Exultate Jubilate and the Laudate Dominum (KV339). The workshop is directed by conductor Alain Joutard and accompanied by the Orchestre Mozart de Toulouse and professional soloists.
The work of the workshop culminates in exceptional concerts at Saint-Lizier Cathedral and Biert Church. Chamber music concerts (Pergolesi, Vivaldi) complete the program.
Programme Massat Music Mountain 2026
Choral singing workshop
- July 18th → August 1st, 2026 — Choral workshop in Massat, Mozart program under the direction of Alain Joutard
Chamber music concerts
- July 27th and 28th — Chamber music concerts (works by Pergolesi, Vivaldi)
Grand concerts
- Thursday, July 30th — 9:00 PM — Concert at Saint-Lizier Cathedral: Great Mass in C minor, Ave Verum, Exultate Jubilate, Laudate Dominum (Mozart), with the Orchestre Mozart de Toulouse, the workshop choir and soloists, conducted by Alain Joutard
- Friday, July 31st — 9:00 PM — Concert at Biert Church (same Mozart program)
Highlights Massat Music Mountain 2026
- Program entirely dedicated to Mozart (Great Mass in C minor, Ave Verum, Exultate Jubilate, Laudate Dominum)
- Around sixty choristers in workshop, directed by Alain Joutard, Orchestre Mozart de Toulouse
- Concerts at Saint-Lizier Cathedral (July 30th) and Biert Church (July 31st)
- Exceptional setting of the Couserans mountains, combination of choral singing and hiking
Prices Massat Music Mountain 2026
Practical information — Massat Music Mountain
Access
- Workshop: Massat, 09320, Couserans valley
- Concerts: Saint-Lizier Cathedral (09190) and Biert Church (09320)
- By car: From Saint-Girons (15 km), take the D618. From Toulouse (110 km), A64 exit Boussens then D117 towards Saint-Girons.
Prices
- Concerts: Ticketed (prices available on the festival website)
- Choral workshop registration: Inquire with the association
Contact
- Organizer: Association Massat Musique Montagne
- Website: massatmusiquemontagne.fr
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Where does it take place — Massat Music Mountain
Cathédrale de Saint-Lizier et Église de Biert
Village de Massat, 09320 Massat