Rencontres Musicales ProQuartet en Seine-et-Marne
Free chamber music in the heritage sites of southern Seine-et-Marne
2026
About Rencontres ProQuartet
Rencontres ProQuartet — edition 2026
The 27th edition of the Rencontres musicales ProQuartet in Seine-et-Marne will take place over two weekends: September 18, 19, and 20, followed by September 25, 26, and 27, 2026. Enjoy nine free chamber music concerts performed by the Galilée, Citadelle, Dahlia, Våren, Kairi, and Hana quartets, hosted in churches, halls, and parks across the southern part of the department, from the Château de Rosa Bonheur in Thomery to the Clos St-Père park in Bois-le-Roi.
ProQuartet Musical Encounters 2026 — 27th Edition
ProQuartet — European Centre for Chamber Music is hosting its 27th edition over two weekends in September 2026: the 18th, 19th, and 20th, and the 25th, 26th, and 27th. The festival features nine performances, six quartets, and seven towns in southern Seine-et-Marne. The opening weekend coincides with the European Heritage Days, with four of the concerts being part of the official program.
Six Guest Quartets
The Quatuor Galilée, founded in 2012 in Maghar, Galilee, features three brothers and a sister who perform both Western classical music and Eastern Arabic music. The Quatuor Citadelle will perform in the Orangerie of the Château de Rosa Bonheur in Thomery. The Quatuor Dahlia will provide the music for the two concerts during the cycling tour on September 20. Other performers include the Quatuor Våren, from the CNSMD in Paris, performing in Villecerf; the Quatuor Kairi, based in Salzburg, at the Protestant Temple in Fontainebleau; and the Quartett Hana, visiting from Germany, in Bois-le-Roi.
Cycling and Botany
Two events take the music out of the concert halls. On September 20, a roughly 21 km cycling tour will connect Bourron-Marlotte, Recloses, Grez-sur-Loing, and La Genevraye, featuring two concerts, a guided heritage tour, and a picnic (bring your own). The event is limited to 40 participants (ages 8 and up) with a €10 contribution fee. On September 27, a new feature for this season: two botanical walks led by the Petite Pimprenelle association will accompany the open-air concert at the Clos St-Père park.
Free Admission
All concerts are free to attend, subject to availability. The festival is funded by the Île-de-France Region, and the concerts are supported by Spedidam. As of mid-August 2026, bookings for the Thomery concert, the cycling tour, and the botanical walks are not yet open.
Highlights Rencontres ProQuartet 2026
- 27th edition over two weekends: September 18, 19, 20 and 25, 26, 27, 2026, with nine events and six quartets
- Quatuor Citadelle at the Orangerie of the Château de Rosa Bonheur, Thomery, on September 19
- 21 km cycling tour on September 20, featuring two concerts by the Quatuor Dahlia in Recloses and La Genevraye, and a guided tour in Grez-sur-Loing
- New for 2026: botanical walks on September 27 in Bois-le-Roi, surrounding the open-air concert by the Quartett Hana
- Quatuor Galilée in Livry-sur-Seine featuring two 2026 works by Gandhi Saad and Mostafa Saad
- All concerts are free to attend
Programme Rencontres ProQuartet 2026
Friday, September 18, 2026
- 7:00 PM — Quatuor Galilée · St-Étienne Church, Livry-sur-Seine · Mozart, String Quartet No. 14 in G Major K.387 "Spring" (1782); Anton Webern, Five Movements for String Quartet op.5 (1909); Gandhi Saad, Zukhrufaa (2026); Mostafa Saad, Conflict (2026). Free admission subject to availability. Concert in partnership with the Fédération des Foyers Ruraux de Seine-et-Marne.
Saturday, September 19, 2026
- 6:30 PM — Quatuor Citadelle · Orangerie of the Château de Rosa Bonheur, Thomery · Amy Beach, String Quartet op.89 (1929); Felix Mendelssohn, String Quartet No. 2 in A minor op.13 (1827); Béla Bartók, String Quartet No. 4 in C Major Sz.91 (1928). European Heritage Days concert, in partnership with the Château de Rosa Bonheur. Booking opening soon.
Sunday, September 20, 2026
Musical cycling tour with the Quatuor Dahlia, from 10:30 AM to 6:00 PM, part of the European Heritage Days: approximately 21 km route, ages 8 and up, 40 participants maximum, registration for the full route only, €10 contribution fee per person. Booking opening soon; bike rentals available at 01 44 61 83 50 or via [email protected]. In case of bad weather, the tour is cancelled but the concerts will still take place.
- 10:30 AM — Meeting point for departure · Bourron-Marlotte - Grez train station
- 11:45 AM — Quatuor Dahlia concert · St-Martin Church, Recloses · Mieczyslaw Weinberg, String Quartet No. 5 op.27 (1945); Henry Purcell, Chaconne in G minor (1680); Franz Schubert, String Quartet No. 4 in C Major (1813), I. Adagio – Allegro con moto. Free admission subject to availability. In partnership with the Town of Recloses.
- Picnic (bring your own), then continue cycling
- Grez-sur-Loing — guided heritage tour with the Amis de Grez-sur-Loing, then continue cycling
- 4:30 PM — Quatuor Dahlia concert · St-Martin Church, La Genevraye · Joseph Haydn, String Quartet in F minor op.20 No. 5 Hob.III.35 (1772); Dmitri Shostakovich, String Quartet No. 7 op.108 (1960); Sofia Gubaidulina, Reflection on a BACH theme (2002). Free admission subject to availability. In partnership with the Town of La Genevraye.
- Farewell drink, then return by bike to Montigny-sur-Loing
Friday, September 25, 2026
- 7:00 PM — Quatuor Våren · Salle des Prés de la Forge, Villecerf · Joseph Haydn, String Quartet in C Major op.50 No. 2 (1787); Karol Szymanowski, String Quartet No. 1 op.37 (1917); Felix Mendelssohn, String Quartet No. 1 in E-flat Major op.12 (1829). Free admission subject to availability. Concert in partnership with the Fédération des Foyers Ruraux de Seine-et-Marne.
Saturday, September 26, 2026
- 7:00 PM — Quatuor Kairi · Protestant Temple, Fontainebleau · Franz Schubert, "Quartettsatz" (1820); Leoš Janáček, String Quartet No. 1 "Kreutzer Sonata" (1923); Ludwig van Beethoven, String Quartet No. 9 in C Major op.59 No. 3 "Razumovsky" (1806). Free admission subject to availability. In partnership with the Église Protestante Unie de Fontainebleau - Nemours - Montereau.
Sunday, September 27, 2026
Botanical and musical walks with the Petite Pimprenelle association, exploring edible and medicinal forest plants, paired with a concert by the Quartett Hana. Very limited spots, bookings opening soon. Two options available:
- Option 1 — 10:00 AM–12:00 PM: botanical walk, departing from Bois-le-Roi station; 12:30 PM: concert at Clos St-Père park, followed by a picnic (bring your own)
- Option 2 — 12:30 PM: concert at Clos St-Père park, followed by a picnic (bring your own); 3:00 PM–5:00 PM: botanical walk
- 12:30 PM — Open-air concert by the Quartett Hana · Clos St-Père park, Bois-le-Roi · Sofia Gubaidulina, String Quartet No. 3 (1987); Antonín Dvořák, String Quartet No. 13 in G Major op.106 B.192 (1895). Free admission subject to availability in case of indoor relocation. In partnership with the Town of Bois-le-Roi. In case of bad weather, the walks are cancelled, but the concert will proceed indoors at the Olivier Métra school.
Prices Rencontres ProQuartet 2026
Practical information — Rencontres ProQuartet
Access
Venues
Itinerant festival in southern Seine-et-Marne: Château de Fontainebleau, Basilique de Larchant, Manoir de Bel-Ébat (Avon), churches of Montcourt-Fromonville, Montigny-sur-Loing, Villiers-sous-Grez.
Dates
Two weekends in September.
Prices
All concerts are free and open to all.
Contact
- Website: proquartet.fr
- Address: ProQuartet-CEMC, 62 boulevard de Magenta, 75010 Paris
- Phone: 01 44 61 83 50
Chamber Music at the Heart of Heritage
The Rencontres Musicales ProQuartet en Seine-et-Marne were born over twenty-five years ago from the conviction that chamber music and architectural heritage mutually enhance each other. Organized by ProQuartet - European Centre for Chamber Music, a world-renowned institution based in Paris, this itinerant festival takes over the most beautiful sites in southern Seine-et-Marne every September for concerts of rare intimacy. The 26th edition in 2025 confirms the longevity and vitality of a festival that has retained a loyal audience of music lovers while attracting new listeners thanks to the complete freeness of its concerts.
Exceptional Venues as a Setting
One of the unique aspects of the Rencontres Musicales is the diversity and beauty of its concert venues. Over two September weekends, musicians perform in extraordinary settings: the Chapelle de la Trinité at the Château de Fontainebleau, a Renaissance masterpiece with ceilings painted by Fréminet; the Basilica of Larchant, a Gothic gem; the Manoir de Bel-Ébat in Avon; the churches of Montcourt-Fromonville, Montigny-sur-Loing, and Villiers-sous-Grez. Some concerts take the form of musical walks in the castle gardens or along the banks of the Loing river, creating unique experiences where music dialogues with nature and architecture.
The Young Talents of Tomorrow
The programming of the Rencontres Musicales highlights the young talents of the international chamber music scene, musicians whom ProQuartet supports through its training and residency programs. String quartets, trios, duos, and ensembles from all backgrounds perform an eclectic repertoire, from baroque to contemporary, including Viennese classicism and romanticism. The proximity to the performers — concerts are held in modest-sized spaces — creates a unique connection between the music and the audience, allowing every nuance, every breath, every vibration to be perceived.
A Free Festival Open to All
All concerts and musical walks of the Rencontres Musicales ProQuartet are offered free of charge and open to all. This pricing policy, made possible by the support of the Department of Seine-et-Marne, the Île-de-France Region, and the Ministry of Culture, reflects the desire to make chamber music accessible to the greatest number. Families are particularly welcome, with adapted formats — short concerts, musical walks, bike rides punctuated by music — that allow children to discover chamber music repertoire in ideal conditions. The festival thus contributes to cultural democratization in Seine-et-Marne, introducing both demanding musical heritage and little-known architectural heritage.
Where does it take place — Rencontres ProQuartet
Rencontres ProQuartet in brief
History of Rencontres ProQuartet
Edition 2025 Sep 2025Other festivals near Fontainebleau
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