Piano aux Jacobins
International Piano Festival, 47th edition at the Cloître des Jacobins in Toulouse
About Piano aux Jacobins
Piano aux Jacobins is one of the oldest and most prestigious piano festivals in France. Created in 1979 by Catherine d'Argoubet and Paul-Arnaud Péjouan, it takes place every year in September in the exceptional setting of the Cloître des Jacobins, in the heart of Toulouse (Haute-Garonne, Occitanie).
An unmissable event on the French and international music scene, the festival welcomes the greatest contemporary pianists and introduces young talents from the global piano scene. In 2026, it celebrates its 47th edition.
Piano aux Jacobins in Toulouse, France's oldest piano festival
Created in 1979 by Catherine d'Argoubet and Paul-Arnaud Péjouan, Piano aux Jacobins is the oldest French festival entirely dedicated to the piano. For over four decades, it has showcased classical, contemporary, and jazz piano repertoire in the unique setting of the Cloître des Jacobins, a jewel of Southern Gothic art in the heart of Toulouse.
An exceptional setting
The festival's concerts primarily take place in the Cloître des Jacobins, whose remarkable acoustics and intimate open-air atmosphere offer a unique musical experience. Some evenings feature original formats blending piano with other artistic disciplines (dance, visual arts, jazz) and take over other Toulouse venues such as the Auditorium Saint-Pierre-des-Cuisines.
A benchmark program
Each edition combines recitals of great repertoire works (Bach, Beethoven, Schumann, Liszt, Ravel), contemporary creations, improvisations, and forays into jazz. Over the years, the festival has welcomed most of the big names in international piano as well as young virtuosos making their French debuts: Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Javier Perianes, Jonathan Biss, Vadym Kholodenko, Jean-François Heisser, and many others.
An international dimension
Since 2005, Piano aux Jacobins has expanded internationally with tours in China (Beijing at the Forbidden City, Shanghai at the Oriental Art Center) in May/June. More than 110 concerts and 40 pianists have been presented to the Asian public. The festival is supported by the Fondation BNP Paribas, its main partner.
An unmissable Toulouse event
Integrated into the heart of Toulouse's cultural life and the Occitanie region, Piano aux Jacobins annually opens the musical season of the Pink City and attracts music lovers from all over France and abroad.
Piano aux Jacobins — edition 2026
The 47th edition of the Piano aux Jacobins festival will take place from September 8 to 30, 2026 at the Cloître des Jacobins in Toulouse. 15 concerts bring together the greatest pianists from around the world: Javier Perianes, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Jonathan Biss, Vadym Kholodenko, Jean-François Heisser, as well as a young generation of international virtuosos. Classical, jazz, and contemporary creations programming.
47th edition of Piano aux Jacobins — September 8 to 30, 2026
The 47th edition of the Piano aux Jacobins Festival takes place from September 8 to 30, 2026, mainly at the Cloître des Jacobins in Toulouse, with some events at the Auditorium Saint-Pierre-des-Cuisines.
A program between tradition and discoveries
The 2026 edition blends grand recitals from the classical repertoire (Bach, Beethoven, Schumann, Liszt, Ravel, Kurtág), contemporary creations, improvisations, and openings to jazz. The festival notably celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of composer György Kurtág (1926), whose piano works will be intertwined with those of Bach under the fingers of Pierre-Laurent Aimard.
Fifteen pianists from around the world
The festival welcomes 15 pianists representing the diversity of the international scene: established big names (Javier Perianes, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Jonathan Biss, Vadym Kholodenko, Jean-François Heisser, Nicolas Stavy), rising young talents (Magdalene Ho, Nabeel Hayek, İlyun Bürkev, Ignasi Cambra), and a jazz carte blanche with Paul Lay and Karla Martínez. Female composers are honored in a recital by Canadian Élisabeth Pion, in collaboration with the Palazzetto Bru Zane.
An associated visual artist
New York visual artist Andra Samelson is the associated guest of the 2026 festival: her universe dialogues with music throughout the edition.
Transversal shows
Some evenings offer original formats blending piano with dance, visual arts, or hip-hop, such as the "Pianip-Pianop" show at the Auditorium Saint-Pierre-des-Cuisines on September 22.
Programme Piano aux Jacobins 2026
Tuesday, September 8, 2026
- 9:00 PM — Javier Perianes (Spain) — Cloître des Jacobins — Works by Manuel de Falla, Chopin, Albéniz
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
- 9:00 PM — Magdalene Ho (Malaysia) — Cloître des Jacobins — Works by Handel, Satie, Liszt, Beethoven, Schumann
Thursday, September 10, 2026
- 9:00 PM — İlyun Bürkev (Turkey) — Cloître des Jacobins — Works by Bach, Beethoven, Saygun, Debussy, Schumann, Liszt, Ginastera
Friday, September 11, 2026
- 9:00 PM — Vadym Kholodenko (Van Cliburn Gold Medalist) — Cloître des Jacobins — Works by Beethoven, Liatochinsky, Liszt
Monday, September 14, 2026
- 9:00 PM — Paul Lay — Cloître des Jacobins — Jazz carte blanche
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
- 9:00 PM — Pierre-Laurent Aimard — Cloître des Jacobins — Works by Kurtág and Bach (Kurtág centenary)
Thursday, September 17, 2026
- 9:00 PM — Anna Petrova-Forster — Cloître des Jacobins — Works by Voříšek, Schubert
Friday, September 18, 2026
- 9:00 PM — Élisabeth Pion (Canada) — Cloître des Jacobins — Female composers: de Montgeroult, Chopin, Farrenc, Chaminade, Boulanger, Bonis, Ravel (in collaboration with Palazzetto Bru Zane)
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
- 9:00 PM — Pianip-Pianop — Auditorium Saint-Pierre-des-Cuisines — Hip-hop and piano show — Works by Górecki, Ginastera, Ravel, Granados, Jaëll, de Falla
Thursday, September 24, 2026
- 9:00 PM — Ignasi Cambra (Spain) — Cloître des Jacobins — Works by Mozart, Grieg, Schubert
Friday, September 25, 2026
- 9:00 PM — Nicolas Stavy — Cloître des Jacobins — Works by Liszt, Schnittke, Bach/Brahms
Saturday, September 26, 2026
- 9:00 PM — Karla Martínez — Cloître des Jacobins — Cuban jazz carte blanche — Works by Villa-Lobos, de Falla, Guastavino, Lecuona, Montsalvatge, Leon, Caluff, Vitier, Oliva, Gavilan, Mompou
Monday, September 28, 2026
- 9:00 PM — Nabeel Hayek — Cloître des Jacobins — Works by Brahms/Busoni, Beethoven, Scriabine, Liszt, Messiaen, Albéniz
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
- 9:00 PM — Jonathan Biss — Cloître des Jacobins — Works by Mendelssohn, Janáček, Kurtág, Kirsten, Schumann
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
- 9:00 PM — Jean-François Heisser — Cloître des Jacobins — Works by Schumann, Messiaen, Liszt, Chabrier, Roussel, Ravel, Takemitsu, Sibelius
Highlights Piano aux Jacobins 2026
- 47th edition of France's oldest piano festival
- 15 concerts from September 8 to 30, 2026 at the Cloître des Jacobins
- Headliners: Javier Perianes, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Jonathan Biss, Vadym Kholodenko, Jean-François Heisser
- György Kurtág centenary celebrated by Pierre-Laurent Aimard
- Tribute to female composers with Élisabeth Pion and the Palazzetto Bru Zane
- Jazz carte blanche: Paul Lay and Karla Martínez
- Multidisciplinary show "Pianip-Pianop" (piano and hip-hop) at the Auditorium Saint-Pierre-des-Cuisines
- Associated visual artist: Andra Samelson (New York)
- Festival presented by the BNP Paribas Foundation
Prices Piano aux Jacobins 2026
Practical information — Piano aux Jacobins
Practical Information
Main Venue
Cloître des Jacobins, Place des Jacobins, 31000 Toulouse (Haute-Garonne, Occitanie).
Secondary Venue: Auditorium Saint-Pierre-des-Cuisines, Toulouse.
Festival Office
Festival Piano aux Jacobins, 56 rue Léon Gambetta, 31000 Toulouse.
Open Monday to Friday from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM and from 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM.
Access
The Cloître des Jacobins is located in the historic center of Toulouse, near Place du Capitole. Recommended access by metro (line A, Capitole station) or on foot from the city center. Public parking nearby (Capitole, Esquirol, Saint-Étienne).
Ticketing
Online reservations at billetterie.festik.net/pianojacobins, by phone at 05 61 22 40 05, at Fnac and usual points of sale (Système U, Intermarché), or directly on site from 7:15 PM on concert evenings.
Contact
Phone: 05 61 22 40 05
Email: [email protected]
Official website: www.pianojacobins.com
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Where does it take place — Piano aux Jacobins
Cloître des Jacobins
Cloître des Jacobins, Place des Jacobins, 31000 Toulouse, 31549 Toulouse