A distinctive presence in the Val d’Oise and the Île-de-France region

For 45 years, the Festival’s teams have brought their energy to the same areas: the Sausseron valley (Auvers-sur-Oise), the Oise valley (L’Isle-Adam), the Communauté de Communes Sausseron Impressionnistes and the Cergy-Pontoise urban district (Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône, Cergy, Jouy-le-Moutier, Vauréal, Pontoise). In 45 years of existence, the Festival has won over new audiences while continuing its work on the ground.

The Festival OFF: bringing classical music to rural areas

The Festival d’Auvers-sur-Oise, often described as “the Festival of the territories”, has developed a touring programme across the Val d’Oise, and particularly in the villages of the Communauté de Communes Sausseron Impressionnistes. In 2021, for its 40th anniversary, the Festival’s management created a Festival OFF, entitled “Festival Sausseron Impressionnistes”, which runs through April and May every year to bring classical music to rural areas. All the Festival OFF concerts are free and given by young talents or ensembles discovered by the artistic direction.

Access to culture for all, a central goal

The Festival has always placed at the heart of its concerns the belief that culture must remain accessible to everyone. Some people think classical music is not for them; others take no interest in it because it seems an unreachable world, having never been introduced to it at school; others are kept at a distance because they live in rural areas; and some are excluded from it because of their personal circumstances (hospital stays, disability, imprisonment, etc.).

The Festival therefore has a duty to build audiences of every age. We devote substantial resources to outreach and training, for children (nursery, pre-school, primary, secondary and sixth form, university) as well as for any audience that asks for it.

The Festival’s initiatives

• L’Orgue Aux Enfants (the organ for children)
• The “DiscAuverS” mission and the “Discoveries” mission
• “Au bonheur des sons” at the René Dubos hospital in Pontoise, Hôpital NOVO
• The ESAT (sheltered workshop and support-through-work centre)
• The Val d’Oise remand prison and classical music
• Outreach in primary schools, secondary schools and universities
• The Festival in places where people live and work
• Arts and cultural education
• The Festival d’Auvers-sur-Oise and Cultures du Cœur
• Piano Campus, a partnership for young people