Variations Classiques

A classical music festival in the heart of Annecy

Born in 2017 on the initiative of the association Arts en Lac, founded by Marianne Gaussiat, Anne-Judith Wiener, and Jean-Marie Guilloux, the Variations Classiques festival has established itself as the major classical music event in Annecy. Supported from the outset by the City of Annecy, the festival offers an original program each winter centered around an invited artist who shares their musical passions with the public.

A unique concept: artistic carte blanche

The founding principle of Variations Classiques is simple and bold: to offer a carte blanche to a personality from the artistic world on the theme of classical music, whether authentic or revisited. This format allows for a renewed approach each year and creates bridges between classical music and other disciplines—contemporary dance, cinema, theater, visual arts.

For the first edition in 2017, actress Catherine Frot accepted to become the festival's patron, with a 75% attendance rate from this inaugural edition. In 2024, choreographer Mourad Merzouki, also choreographer for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, brought contemporary dance into harmony with classical music in collaboration with the Orchestre de Genève. In 2025, composer and conductor Alexandre Gasparov presented a film concert combining cinema and live orchestra.

Bonlieu Scène nationale, the festival's setting

The festival primarily takes place at Bonlieu Scène nationale, an emblematic performance venue in Annecy located by the lake in the city center. The Grande salle de Bonlieu hosts the main concerts and performances, while other heritage sites in Annecy—churches, chapels, salons—may host more intimate chamber concerts and recitals.

The program generally runs from January to March, offering classical music lovers a quality cultural event during the winter season, a period when Annecy's cultural life is in full swing.

A constantly evolving festival

Since its creation, Variations Classiques has continuously reinvented itself. The festival has successfully broadened its audience by offering diverse formats—intimate recitals, grand symphonic concerts, film concerts, transdisciplinary performances—while maintaining high artistic standards. The festival's archives, available on the official website, attest to the richness of the programming since 2017.