In Puy-de-Dôme, the Les Cordées festival is set to rock Rochefort-Montagne from Friday June 19 to Sunday June 21. This avant-garde music festival aims to break down the barriers between classical music and make it accessible to all, in the heart of rural areas.
A brand new music festival is born in Puy-de-Dôme. It will be held in Rochefort-Montagne, from Friday June 19 to Sunday June 21. No less than eight concerts are scheduled, six of which are open to the public. Its name, Les Cordées, was not chosen at random. As Blandine Gaillard, administrator of the organizing association, explains, the term evokes mountaineering, where the rope team is “all the people who are connected to move forward together towards a goal†. The festival is based on this desire to create “link between artists, inhabitants, between generations, between music and heritage†. The idea was born from a deep desire to export culture outside conventional theaters. Blandine Gaillard underlines: “There was the desire to be able to take music outside the city, in order to settle in rural areas to try to create bridges†.
If culture is already present in Rochefort-Montagne via its media library and bookstore-café, the arrival of classical music is something new. Delphine Molle and Jean-Eric Torres, municipal councilors of the town, recognize that they are moving forward with curiosity. They confide: “This is the first time we’ve done this in Rochefort-Montagne. We’re going a little into the unknown†. For Blandine Gaillard, it is about breaking down the intimidation linked to the classic genre: “In rural areas, people say a lot that classical music is not for them but it is so universal†. The goal is to invite residents to simply be curious. Blandine Gaillard insists: “You are not initiated into music, you do not know how it works but that does not matter. Come get what you can get†.
The theme of this first edition, “Mosaic†, reflects the desire to make the program more attractive. It offers six concerts open to the public. Among the highlights, we note a “Baroque folk†concert, combining baroque music and Scandinavian folklore to make the repertoire “wider and less airtight†. The festival ventures into original formats to surprise the public. Jean-Eric Torres explains: â€We want to amaze them, surprise them†. One of the highlights will be the hiking concert: a hike where the public will accompany mezzo-soprano Nathalie Perez.
The festival is also a showcase for local heritage. The concerts will take place in places such as the market hall or the Romanesque churches, which are often closed. Jean-Eric Torres insists: “We are opening the churches to allow the concert to be held†. Delphine Molle adds: “It is also an opportunity to discover our built heritage, our wash houses, the landscapes of the Chaine des puys†.
The municipality provides essential logistical support for this initiative. For Delphine Molle, the ambition is clear: “If everyone is motivated, I think we will try to think about a second edition†. In the meantime, this first meeting promises to be a lovely moment in the heart of a beautiful setting. The entire program is accessible online.
