Octophonia — European Festival of Chants and Lights

A Festival Born from the Encounter Between Romanesque Heritage and Digital Creation

The Octophonia Festival was born from the desire to enhance the Ottmarsheim Abbey Church of Saints Peter and Paul, one of the most remarkable Romanesque buildings in Alsace. Built around the year 1000 on a plan unique in France, inspired by Charlemagne's Palatine Chapel in Aachen, this historic monument offers exceptional acoustics under its eight-sided dome. The festival utilizes this unique architecture to present a total spectacle, blending European choral music and high-level architectural video-mapping.

The Octagonal Dome as a Panoramic Screen

Octophonia's artistic signature lies in the use of the octagonal dome as a 360-degree panoramic screen. Video-mapping projections transform the columns, arches, and pilasters into an immersive visual theater: moving frescoes, light plays, and graphic animations dialogue in real-time with the choristers' voices. Each concert becomes an ephemeral and unique show, where the ancient architecture comes alive to the rhythm of sacred and secular polyphonies.

Excellence Choirs from All Over Europe

True to its European vocation, Octophonia annually invites prestigious vocal ensembles from various countries on the continent. Among the groups hosted over the years: the choir of Sankt Jakob Cathedral in Innsbruck (Austria), the Manécanterie de Saint-Jean de Colmar, the Comet Musicke ensemble specializing in early music, and the Gradus ad choir from Nancy. This dialogue between European vocal traditions—from Gregorian chant to contemporary polyphony—gives the festival a rare and precious intercultural dimension.

The Preludes: An Opening in Two Acts

The festival unfolds in several highlights spread between October and November. The Preludes, opening concerts scheduled for early October, allow audiences to discover early and baroque music ensembles in the intimate setting of the abbey church, without video-mapping, to appreciate the pure acoustics of the place. The grand immersive evenings, scheduled for late November, are the festival's climax with choral performances accompanied by light projections. Together, they form a coherent musical journey, from contemplation to wonder.

A European Cultural Route Rooted in Alsace

Recognized as a European Cultural Route, Octophonia benefits from the support of the municipality of Ottmarsheim, the Mulhouse Symphony Orchestra, and regional institutional partners. The festival contributes to the heritage and tourism influence of southern Alsace, attracting a loyal audience from France, Germany, and neighboring Switzerland. It is part of an initiative to enhance Romanesque heritage through contemporary artistic creation, making the Ottmarsheim abbey church a vibrant place of dialogue between centuries.