Transhumance musicale du Haut-Jura

The Transhumance musicale: when music meets pastoralism

The Transhumance musicale du Haut-Jura is one of the flagship events of the Festival de Musique du Haut-Jura, an artistic event located in the Jura mountains. This unique musical hike invites participants to follow the transhumance trails through the high-altitude pastures of the Haut-Jura, accompanied by musicians who punctuate the route with open-air musical performances.

A route between farms and exceptional landscapes

The transhumance starts from the farm of Bastien Goudeseune, a farmer in Lajoux, in the heart of the Haut-Jura Regional Natural Park. The hiker-music lovers cross landscapes characteristic of the Jura mountains: combes, wooded meadows, forested pastures, and alpine pastures where herds graze. Throughout the route, musical stops allow for the discovery of an original repertoire mixing traditional music and contemporary creations.

Ensemble Artifices: an original musical ensemble

The transhumance is led by the Ensemble Artifices, a musical ensemble that brings together artists with diverse backgrounds:

• Alice Julien-Laferrière on violin and artistic direction
• Birgit Bornauw on bagpipes, hurdy-gurdy, violin, and dance
• Nicolas Flodrops on flutes and bagpipes

This ensemble uses instruments related to pastoral tradition – bagpipes, flutes, hurdy-gurdy – to create a dialogue between music and landscape, between tradition and modernity.

An event rooted in the territory

The Transhumance musicale is part of an initiative to promote pastoral practices and mountain farming in the Haut-Jura. The event is organized in partnership with the Haut-Jura Regional Natural Park, the Lajoux Popular Library, and local farmers. It celebrates the link between humans, animals, and the landscape, in a spirit of conviviality and sharing.

The Festival de Musique du Haut-Jura

The Festival de Musique du Haut-Jura offers a demanding musical program throughout the year in the villages and natural sites of the Haut-Jura. The musical transhumance is one of its highlights, illustrating the festival's commitment to fostering dialogue between music and rural and mountain regions. The festival is supported by the Haut-Jura Regional Natural Park and local authorities.