Rencontres Musicales de Noyers

A classical music festival in the heart of a medieval gem

Since 1990, the Rencontres Musicales de Noyers have transformed the village of Noyers-sur-Serein into the Burgundian capital of classical music every summer. Founded by Emmanuel de Malézieux, this festival combines the artistic excellence of the world's greatest stages with the unique atmosphere of a medieval village listed among the Most Beautiful Villages of France.

For three weeks in July, the Gothic church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption, built between 1491 and 1515, becomes an intimate concert hall with a capacity of around 400 seats, whose natural acoustics enhance chamber music. Concerts and public masterclasses follow one another in an architectural setting that has remained unchanged since the late Middle Ages.

An international summer academy of excellence

Beyond the concerts, the Rencontres Musicales de Noyers is one of Burgundy's most renowned summer academies. Advanced or professional musicians come to perfect their interpretation under the guidance of recognized masters in the following disciplines:

• Violin — led by Olivier Charlier, one of the most admired French violinists of his generation
• Cello — under the direction of Gary Hoffman, considered one of the greatest contemporary cellists
• Flute — with Juliette Hurel, the festival's artistic advisor and a world-renowned flutist
• Piano — coached by Anne Queffélec, the festival's honorary president, a legendary Franco-British pianist
• Opera singing — led by Melanie Jackson, an international soprano

The masterclasses, open to the public, welcome a maximum of twelve students per class. Students benefit from three hours of lessons spread over several sessions, assisted by an experienced accompanying pianist for solo instruments. The academy week concludes with 'Young Talents' concerts, free and open to all, where students showcase the results of their work.

Programming from baroque to contemporary

The programming of the Rencontres Musicales de Noyers covers a vast spectrum of the Western repertoire, from the baroque period to contemporary creations. Evening concerts, usually at 8:30 PM, feature recitals by soloists or chamber ensembles highlighting major works: sonatas by Beethoven, Mozart, and Debussy for piano and violin, cello suites by Bach, works for flute and guitar by Piazzolla, Ravel, Albéniz, and Ibert, romantic pieces by Chopin, Liszt, and Fauré.

The festival opens each year with a concert for young audiences on the first Saturday at 4 PM, with free admission, designed to introduce younger children to classical music in a friendly atmosphere. Original ensembles such as wind quintets or Irish and Scottish traditional music groups diversify the offerings, reflecting the musical open-mindedness that has characterized this festival since its inception.

Artists loyal to Noyers

For over thirty years, the Rencontres Musicales de Noyers has hosted some 1,500 musicians and organized over 280 concerts. Leading artists return regularly: Anne Queffélec, the artistic soul of the festival; Olivier Charlier, whose violinistic elegance perfectly suits the intimacy of the venue; Gary Hoffman, whose velvety tone fills the Gothic nave; Juliette Hurel, whose crystalline timbre resonates under the medieval vaults. This core of loyal artists gives the festival a coherent musical identity and consistently high quality of performance.

The Grands Crus of Burgundy: when wine extends the music

Located at the gateway to Chablisien, within the cultural and geographical sphere of the great vineyards of Northern Burgundy, Noyers-sur-Serein naturally combines music and gastronomy. After each concert, local winemakers offer a tasting of their wines at the foot of the church's bell tower, in the village's cobbled streets.

This tradition makes the Rencontres Musicales de Noyers one of the stops on the constellation of the Festival Musical des Grands Crus de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, a network that has brought together several festivals combining classical music and the discovery of Burgundian wine terroirs for thirty years: De Bach à Bacchus in Meursault, Musique au Chambertin in Gevrey-Chambertin, du Chablisien à Chablis, and many others. The Rencontres Musicales de Noyers thus fit into a unique Burgundian tradition that blends the culture of the senses and the spirit.

Noyers-sur-Serein: a preserved medieval setting

Nestled in a bend of the Serein river, Noyers is one of the best-preserved villages in France. Its 78 buildings listed or registered as historical monuments, its 19 still partially standing medieval defense towers, and its half-timbered houses with jettied upper floors from the 15th and 16th centuries create a setting of rare architectural coherence. Spared by industrialization, wars, and commercial urban planning, Noyers has retained its intact village soul and ranks high among the Most Beautiful Villages of France. Coming to the Musicales means experiencing a double heritage: that of music performed by the best artists of their generation, and that of a late medieval village that seems suspended out of time.