Rencontres Musicales de Vézelay

25th Edition — Musical Odyssey

For its twenty-fifth anniversary, the Rencontres Musicales de Vézelay aimed high. From August 21 to 24, 2025, around thirty events offered the 10,000 expected spectators a musical journey to the four corners of the world — 'From Armenia to Bolivia, from Africa to the Antilles,' in the words of artistic director François Delagoutte — while remaining true to the vocal excellence that defines the festival.

Main Concerts

• Vincent Dumestre and Le Poème harmonique — Monteverdi's Selva morale (opening concert, August 21)
• Paulin Bündgen and Ensemble Céladon — Alessandro Scarlatti's Il trionfo della grazia
• Les Cris de Paris, dir. Geoffroy Jourdain — grand a cappella chamber choir (Brahms, Wolf, Schoenberg)
• Les Métaboles, dir. Léo Warynski — Philip Glass's Another Look at Harmony (staged)
• Les Métaboles, dir. Léo Warynski — Mozart's Requiem (closing, August 24)
• Eva Zaïcik — Mayrig Project, a journey into traditional Armenian music
• Mariana Delgadillo Espinoza — Afro-Venezuelan and Brazilian music
• Difé Kako — Percussion and songs from the Antilles

A Rich Anniversary Edition

Beyond the evening concerts in the basilica, the 2025 edition featured parades, popular dances, fado performances, singing workshops for amateurs, and numerous free events, true to the festival's open philosophy. Les Métaboles, the associated ensemble since 2023, played a central role throughout the four days, embodying the vision of vocal music that is both rooted in tradition and resolutely focused on creation.