Agde, France is set to become a vibrant cultural hub with a unique partnership between the city and the Paris Philharmonie. The collaboration will bring music workshops, exhibitions, and high-quality concerts to the Château Laurens, a stunning Art Nouveau landmark, and beyond. This initiative marks a first for France, extending the Philharmonie’s reach and offering fresh cultural experiences to both residents and tourists.
The partnership kicked off with a mesmerizing performance of Ravel’s Boléro, a piece celebrated for its depiction of the intimate cycle of rhythm and orchestration. The city of Agde is mirroring this musicality with a program that draws inspiration from its three waterways: the Mediterranean Sea, the Canal du Midi, and the Hérault River, all surrounding the enchanting Château Laurens.
“Develop our sectors: art of living, sport, business tourism, tourism and heritage,” explains Hugo Martinez, director of the Agde tourism office. This collaboration is part of a broader strategy to establish Agde as a year-round destination, moving beyond its reputation as a beach resort.
“Develop our sectors: arts de vivre, sport, tourisme d’affaires, tourisme et patrimoine”
Hugo Martinez, directeur de l’office du tourisme d’Agde
The five-year agreement with the Philharmonie aims to expand the institution’s regional activity while providing Agde with unique cultural content. “The Philharmonie had a desire to develop its activity and its influence in the region, our desire was to develop a program around music and that it be linked to the heritage of the castle or within a unique event programming,” says Gaëlle Cap Jedikian, curator of Château Laurens.
Martinez emphasizes the importance of offering a diverse range of attractions throughout the year. “Our belief, shared with the municipality and the agglomeration, is that tourism is an economy of supply. If we want to offer it all year round, we need to offer new facilities, unique events, and renew the image of the destination,” he elaborates. “People absolutely associate Cap d’Agde with the beach, not with its immense territory rich with wine tourism, culture, heritage, and sport—but the beach ‘overwhelms’ everything in terms of image.”
“Vacations are times more open to culture”
The Château Laurens, a fantastical Art Nouveau masterpiece inaugurated in June 2023, as Dis-Leur previously reported, proved to be the ideal setting for this collaboration. Rather than developing programs independently, Agde sought partnerships with major institutions to amplify their impact. “Rather than doing something ourselves with our small arms, we thought why not partner with major institutions; it allows them to amortize their exhibitions and gives us unique content,” Martinez explained. “The delegation from the Philharmonie, who came before the signing of the partnership, immediately understood the potential.”
The first phase of the partnership focuses on “La Philharmonie des Enfants,” offering music awareness workshops for children. While initial workshops were delayed due to inclement weather and the castle’s temporary closure (reopening February 21), plans are underway to expand the program to other locations, such as Pézenas.
The Philharmonie has developed a recognized pedagogical expertise. Workshops are free with registration and will be held on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with sessions scheduled during the winter school holidays through March 8. A percussionist will lead groups of around fifteen children.
Thousands of Works Available for Free
In the second phase of the partnership, the Paris Philharmonie has opened its entire bank of sounds and videos to residents of the agglomeration, accessible for free through local libraries. This includes concerts, recordings, and performances by international artists. The initiative also includes rebroadcasts of live concerts featuring major international artists.
High-Level Exhibitions
The third component of the partnership will feature exhibitions, beginning with a showcase on Ravel, set to open on February 21, featuring the composer’s actual piano! Future exhibitions may explore the disco era, a significant cultural force on the Île des Loisirs. “We wanted to create a meeting around a repertoire that we chose as part of an exhibition aimed at families on Maurice Ravel,” programmed from February 21 to June 21, coinciding with World Music Day. The exhibition particularly focuses on the composer’s 1928 work, Boléro. “This is a very key date for Château Laurens, which underwent its last major decorative campaign that year and references the professions of the stage with Russian ballets and a whole set of musical decorations found in the castle. It was interesting for us to highlight all of this.”
Looking ahead, this already rich collaboration could evolve into joint productions within the region. The sounds of innovation are in the air…!
Olivier SCHLAMA
Concerts, Music, and Festivals…
Productions and events at the castle… “We are also developing, as part of this partnership, a music festival on certain evenings, lasting fifteen days, from February 23 to March 8, during the school holidays. We will welcome eight paying concerts with talented musicians and artists from the territory. The guiding idea is to bring the Belle Époque to life in music and to make Art Nouveau resonate in the ears as well… It’s a unique project.” This is a first in France, taking place in a location perfectly suited for it.
Meeting Ravel’s Boléro
In our festive region, sharing good cheer is a priority. This will be the case here as well. “On the first weekend of June, we are hosting a festival called ‘A la Rencontre,’ a large gypsy festival,” says Gaëlle Cap Jedikian, curator of Château Laurens. “It aims to meet the inhabitants of the territory by promoting gypsy culture through Catalan rumba, flamenco, etc. We have invited them to meet Ravel’s Boléro. We are co-developing a demonstrate with them featuring dancers and musicians for a reinterpretation of the Boléro with a tradition of gypsy dance and music. We will therefore have a very unique and specific expression of our territory, as Agde includes a very important gypsy community.” The evening promises to be magical, with Ravel, of Catalan origin, and this gypsy community whose rhythm of the Boléro is very familiar.
That’s not all. Within this partnership, You’ll see other events planned. From April 7 to 12, Château Laurens will host an exhibition on the crafts of wood and lutherie as part of European Crafts Days, continuing the musical theme. Luthiers, cabinetmakers, and art restorers will be present to discuss the wooden instruments and decorative objects found in the castle, accompanied by a show featuring dance and music.
Olivier SCHLAMA
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The exhibition “Ravel-Boléro” by the Paris Philharmonie will have its opening on Saturday, February 21 at 11:30 AM at Château Laurens in Agde, followed by a visit to the exhibition which will run until June 21, 2026. Access is only through the Belle Isle park, Avenue Raymond Pitet. From 3:30 PM, a concert-show produced by Compagnie de l’Instant Donné will be followed by a variation on the Boléro performed by the Agde City School of Music to conclude the opening day.
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Also, the music festival “Les Belles Ondes – Art Nouveau in music” will capture place at Château Laurens from February 23 to March 8, featuring a special concert by Adelaïde Ferrière on February 28. A laureate at the Victoires de la Musique Classique in 2017, this internationally renowned artist is nominated again this year.
