The Arènes Lyriques festival is taking place in Montmartre in a “rather unusual” location

The festival continues until Saturday in the Arènes de Montmartre, at the foot of the Sacré-Cœur. “A place unknown to 90% of Parisians,” according to director Pierre Mollaret, who immediately liked this small open-air amphitheater.

The Arènes Lyriques festival takes place from Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 August, in the Arènes de Montmartre, in Paris. There are 19 musicians, including 12 members of the Ostinato ensemble, who are participating in this 5th edition. A festival that offers a springboard to young artists. Most of them are under 30 years old. This is the case of the soprano Clara Barbier Serrano, one of the four soloists of this 2024 edition.It’s very important for young musicians to have these spaces to start, to experiment, to experience what it’s like to play together and to play in public.” she explains.

It was by chance that festival director Pierre Mollaret discovered the Arènes de Montmartre in 2018. He immediately wanted to organize concerts there.It is a rather unusual place and is unknown to 90% of Parisians. There are even people from Montmartre who do not know this place.assures Pierre Mollaret. In fact, it is a small open-air theater, 100 meters from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. We are completely in the atmosphere of Montmartre“.

The festival takes place in this 300-seat amphitheater, an intimate setting that has won over Swiss soprano Olivia Doutney.Having this fairly intimate proximity with an audience, in fact, allows us to really, almost establish a contact with people.she appreciates. And so it gives me a feeling of really sharing our music. In such a place, each member of the audience, I hope, will feel that what I sing is specifically for him or her.“.

The concert program is varied, a plus according to violinist Noémi Gasparini who conducts the orchestra.It makes us work on a lot of different ways of playing.she explains. There are the strings, sometimes alone, who accompany me, for example, in the Tchaikovsky piece for violin. Afterwards, we have the whole ensemble when we play Wagner, the death of Isolde which is the most grandiose aria of this program. The idea is to be open to everyone, whether there are all kinds of people who come, music lovers or not.“. A festival over three evenings to enjoy these concerts under the skies of Montmartre.