The Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, one of Europe’s most prestigious summer events dedicated to opera and classical music, opens its 2025 edition this 4 July amid a profound sense of loss. Pierre Audi, who had served as General Director of the festival since 2018, died unexpectedly on 2 May at the age of 67, leaving behind a bold artistic legacy that helped define the festival’s international identity over the past seven years.
To ensure continuity and honour Audi’s vision, former director Bernard Foccroulle has been appointed as advisor to the 2025 edition, which is now being prepared as a tribute to Audi’s passion for opera, contemporary creation, and baroque revival.
Founded in 1948 by Countess Lily Pastré, the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence has evolved into a leading voice in European lyric programming. Over the decades, it has premiered landmark works, hosted major artists, and blended tradition with innovation. Performances take place across a variety of venues, from the Théâtre de l’Archevêché to the Grand Théâtre de Provence.
This year’s edition, which runs until 21 July, centres around the theme of transformation — from Cavalli’s La Calisto to Britten’s Billy Budd, revisited as The Story of Billy Budd, Sailor. As Audi noted in his final editorial for the festival, the 2025 program explores “the inexorable mutability of all things and the perpetual reinvention of the self.”
Among the main productions:
- Louise by Gustave Charpentier, a rarely staged French opera led by Elsa Dreisig in a staging by Christof Loy and conducted by Giacomo Sagripanti (5–13 July).
- Don Giovanni by Mozart, in its eighth appearance at the festival, under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, with a cast that includes Magdalena Kožená, Golda Schultz, and André Schuen (4–18 July).
- La Calisto by Francesco Cavalli, directed by Jetske Mijnssen with Sébastien Daucé leading Ensemble Correspondances (7–21 July).
- The world premiere of The Nine Jewelled Deer, a new work by Sivan Eldar and Ganavya Doraiswamy, with stage direction by Peter Sellars (6–16 July).
- A new take on Britten’s Billy Budd with The Story of Billy Budd, Sailor, reimagined by Ted Huffman and Oliver Leith (5–10 July).
Two operas will be presented in concert: Les pêcheurs de perles by Georges Bizet, with Pene Pati and Marc Minkowski (19 July), and La forza del destino by Giuseppe Verdi, featuring Anna Pirozzi, Brian Jagde, and conductor Daniele Rustioni (20 July).
The festival also features a broad spectrum of concerts and recitals. Notable names include Jonas Kaufmann, Diana Damrau, Ermonela Jaho, Jakub Józef Orliński, Stéphane Degout, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rattle in a program of Ligeti, Wagner, and Bruckner. Chamber music, jazz, and Mediterranean evenings further diversify the program, alongside final showcases from the Académie’s resident artists, guided this year by Unsuk Chin.
As Audi wrote in what has now become his farewell note: “When everything seems unstable and transitory, art remains as a reliable compass.” The 2025 edition of the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence seems determined to follow that compass — with courage, artistry, and vision.
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