Festival de Beaulieu-sur-Mer

INTRODUCTION
With a reputation for excellence and thematic programming, the Festival de Beaulieu-sur-Mer has become one of the most dynamic classical music festivals in south-eastern France, presenting internationally renowned musicians, as well as promoting new and young talent.  Founded in 2003 by the British opera singer, John Fox, the week-long annual event is the only international music festival on the Côte d’Azur in September.

The Festival offers orchestral, chamber and choral concerts, exploiting imaginatively all the venues and spaces of the town: symphonic concerts in the open-air Théâtre de la Batterie, under star-lit skies, surrounded by sea and mountains; chamber concerts in the intimacy of the Grand Casino’s Salon Belle Epoque and at the enchanting, colonnaded Greek Villa Kérylos; sacred music, in concert and liturgical setting, at the Catholic and Anglican churches.

In 2006, under the artistic direction of John Fox, the Festival will present works by French and Welsh composers; Mozart and Shostakovich, in celebration of their birthday anniversaries; the Welsh composer Grace Williams, for the centenary of her birth; Schumann, in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of his death; and the Welsh composers, Mathias and Hoddinott.  Other events will include lectures by eminent musicologists and historians, an exhibition of leading Welsh painters, and a parade of French and Welsh military bands.  International French and British artists appearing include, amongst others: Cannes Orchestra, Band of the Welsh Guards, Bagad de Lann-Bihoué, Debussy Quartet, Serendipity Choir, Rebecca Evans, Marie-Josephe Jude, Thomas Carroll, Emily Beynon, Timothy Noon, etc …….

The Festival de Beaulieu-sur-Mer aims :
• to offer a classical music festival of the highest quality, presenting the finest talent from Wales and France
• to promote Welsh and French culture
• to encourage and facilitate the development of cultural exchange between south-eastern France and Wales

HERITAGE
Beaulieu-sur-Mer occupies a privileged position between Nice and Monaco, where the
Alpine Mountains swoop down to meet the Mediterranean Sea.  Its warm climate, beautiful gardens and fine architecture make for one of the most beautiful seaside resorts of the Côte d’Azur.

Formerly a playground for crowned heads, Beaulieu-sur-Mer has remained the Riviera's symbol of splendour and fantasy: beaches lined with palm trees, lush semi-tropical
vegetation, blue sea, intense light and lavish villas.  This charming town has two picturesque ports, lined with shops, bars and restaurants; two beaches, with breath-taking views of the mountains; clear blue seas for bathing; and sunshine year-round.  All water sports are available, as well as tennis and golf (Mont Agel).

Beaulieu-sur-Mer possesses an impressive artistic heritage, having been a haven for painters, musicians, composers and writers, amongst them Louis Abbiate, Sir Thomas Beecham, Berlioz, Chaliapin, Chekhov, Mary Garden and Tolstoy.  Igor Stravinsky finished his score of Petrushka while living in the town, and, before the First World War, Beaulieu could boast two symphony orchestras and numerous choirs. 

The town abounds in fine elegant Belle Epoque architecture, which rises up the hillside from the sea. A visit to the Villa Kerylos, an authentic recreation of a sumptuous ancient Greek home, or to the fabulous Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its seven magnificent gardens, is an unforgettable experience.

The historic towns of Villefranche-sur-Mer, St Jean and Eze Village are in close proximity, as are Nice and Monaco, where a wide selection of museums and galleries may be found.