Beaune Baroque Music Festival

Each July, as the warm sunlit hours linger into evening, the green and gold region of Burgundy celebrates summer with a month dedicated to Baroque opera. Over its many years the festival, hosted by the historical town of Beaune, has become well known for staging lively operatic revivals, many performed on original instruments.

One of the festival’s venues is the 15th century Hospices de Beaune, founded as a hospital for the poor during a period when Beaune’s population faced high levels of destitution. Its fairy-tale roofs shimmer with colourful glazed tiles above ornate half-timber galleries and dormer windows. Rogier van der Weyden’s Last Judgement, originally housed in the chapel, is now kept in the on-site museum. The town’s glorious 13th century basilica also plays host to festival performances.

Highlights of the 2021 festival will include a performance of Mozart’s beloved Die Zauberflöte, featuring the acclaimed Choeur de Namur and played on period instruments by the Orchestre le Cercle de l’Harmonie, whose founding Artistic Director, Jérémie Rhorer, will direct the performance. We also look forward to Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria, one of the earliest works of its kind and a fascinating reflection of the composer’s development as a creator of opera. The work is based on the second half of Homer’s Odyssey and relays the story of the Greek king’s return from the Trojan Wars to his faithful Penelope; this festival production features Italian-born tenor Valerio Contaldo in the title role and award-winning French mezzo-soprano Anthéa Pichanick as Penelope.

Our final evening in Beaune will see a recital of arias by Handel and Mozart – including ‘Da tempeste’ from Giulio Cesare, ‘Per pieta’ from Cosi fan tutte and ‘Deh, vieni, non tarder’ from Nozze di Figaro – performed by renowned Norwegian soprano Mari Eriksmoen.

This tour will also offer opportunities to learn about the wider history and culture of the region. The town of Autun – whose history stretches back into antiquity – is home to the charming historical and artistic collections of the Musée Rolin, and its cathedral offers a magnificent array of Romanesque architectural features.

Burgundy is of course renowned for its wine, and we look forward to a visit to the Clos du Vougeot, a beautiful wall-enclosed vineyard originally created by monks from the nearby Abbaye de Cîteaux. Burgundy’s mustard-growing heritage will also be explored at La Moutarderie Fallot, where we will visit the mill and enjoy a tasting.

We will stay at the four-star Hotel de la Poste in Beaune, an elegant establishment five minutes’ walk away from our performance venues.

This tour will be led by Ashley Solomon, FRCM, FRAM, HonRCM, Chair and Head of Historical Performance at the Royal College of Music and Director of the Baroque ensemble Florilegium. Ashley has been involved with Bolivian Baroque since 2002; in 2005 he formed Arakaendar Bolivia Choir and has since directed numerous concerts in Bolivia and Europe.