The Purple Périgord Festival cultivates a mix of musical genres

From classical piano to electro ballet: this 37th edition, which will begin this Saturday evening, August 2 at the Château de Biron, will offer an eclectic program.

The Purple Périgord Festival will kick off on Saturday, August 2, at the Château de Biron, in the southern Dordogne region. Bordeaux tenor Stanislas de Barbeyrac and pianist Françoise Larrat will give a recital featuring songs by Duparc and Rimbaud's "Illuminations." The following day, audiences will be immersed in a different atmosphere. The duo formed by Parveen and Ilyas Khan will perform songs and music from North India.

“I’m targeting the general public, without sacrificing quality. […] For me, that’s what a summer festival is,” emphasizes Marc Chisson, director

Since its inception thirty-seven years ago, the festival's guiding principle has been eclecticism and a mix of genres. Classical and baroque music, jazz, dance, opera, and traditional music all blend together happily.

"I'm addressing the general public, without sacrificing quality. That's what meets my expectations as a musician. For me, that's what a summer festival is," emphasizes director Marc Chisson, who has stayed the course. A saxophonist who taught at the Bordeaux Conservatory, he remains deeply attached to the southern Dordogne region, where the festival, long called the "Été musical en Bergerac" (Musical Summer in Bergerac), is based.

This edition, which will continue until August 16, will offer events almost every day. The majority of shows and concerts will be held at the Château de Biron, where the main courtyard will be the main venue. The Salle des Maréchaux will be reserved for more intimate events. Always on the move, the festival will also visit the fortified town of Monpazier, the Château Saint-Germain in Gaugeac, and will make a stop in Lot-et-Garonne, in Villeréal.

"I love crossing cultures. It seems very important to me in the current era," adds Marc Chisson. Hence the program of traditional music. This will take on a particular dimension with groups like Le Mystère des Voix bulgares and, closing, the Haïdouti Orkestar, which blends gypsy, Turkish, and oriental influences. This concert will echo the arrival, on August 15, of the electro ballet "Rave Lucid" by the Mazelfreten company, which performed at the opening of the Paris Olympic Games.

We will discover unexpected associations. The ^150th anniversary of Ravel's birth will be marked by a four-handed performance by pianists Pia Bose and Antonio Pastor, accompanied by choreography by Julio Arozarena. The Opéra éclat will place Bizet's "Carmen" in its original Andalusia, at the crossroads of Mediterranean cultures, with artists from Morocco, Lebanon, and Romania.

Also worth noting is the recital by pianist Adam Laloum, and for jazz, the arrival of trumpeter Stefano Di Battista in a "Dolce Vita" repertoire, or even a tribute to Chet Baker. A concert with projections will evoke Russian ballets and music, an evening will be devoted to the Baroque, from Monteverdi to Charpentier. Transmission will not be forgotten with the presence of the Académie Espérus, directed by violinist Louise Chisson, Marc's daughter, and pianist Tamara Atschba,

Contact : 05 53 74 30 94 or www.festivalbergerac.com