Musiques en Bugey - The Ceyzérieu Concerts

Musiques en Bugey: classical music in the heart of the Bugey Sud

Founded in 2017 by pianist Josquin Otal, artistic director since its inception, Musiques en Bugey - Les Concerts de Ceyzérieu is a chamber music festival that unfolds each summer in the Bugey Sud, in the heart of the Ain department. Based in Ceyzérieu, a rural commune nestled at the foot of the Grand Colombier, on the doorstep of Savoie and Haute-Savoie, the festival transforms community halls and churches into genuine concert venues.

A demanding yet accessible programme

The strength of the Ceyzérieu Concerts lies in the exceptional quality of its performers: each edition brings together around ten internationally acclaimed virtuoso musicians, laureates of the most prestigious competitions and Révélations des Victoires de la musique classique. The repertoire, eclectic and ambitious, ranges from Bach's baroque to arrangements of Gershwin and Bernstein, through Schubert quintets, Poulenc and Saint-Saëns melodies, Piazzolla tangos and Villa-Lobos works. Each edition also features original commissions created especially for the festival, musical shows for young audiences and a springboard for young talent.

A festival rooted in its territory

Concerts are held in five emblematic venues across the Bugey: the Salle Julien Richard in Ceyzérieu, the Salle Confluence in Artemare, the Salle Phaëton in Culoz, the cathedral of Belley and the church of Flaxieu. This touring format across the Bugey Sud communes allows the festival to reach a wide audience and showcase local architectural heritage.

A commitment to outreach

Beyond concerts, the Musiques en Bugey association conducts music education programmes in local schools through the Class'Orchestre initiative. In 2022, in collaboration with double bassist Léo Genet, it created Basses en Bugey, a double bass academy. The festival is supported by the DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the Ain Department, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, the Communauté de Communes Bugey Sud and the communes of Ceyzérieu, Artemare, Culoz-Béon and Belley.

Remarkable growth

Since its first concert in 2017 at the Théâtre de l'Arrosoir on a voluntary contribution basis, the festival has grown steadily. The Musiques en Bugey association was formally established in 2023, structuring an artistic project that has evolved from a single recital to a programme of eight concerts over five days across five different venues. Every edition now sells out, testament to the public's enthusiasm for this musical gathering that has become a fixture in the cultural landscape of Ain.