Festival Résonance 2026 in Monaco: Eight Classical Music Concerts from 24 November to 10 December

The Principality of Monaco is preparing to launch a new celebration of classical music with the first edition of Festival Résonance 2026, taking place from 24 November to 10 December. The event brings together the International Organ Festival and the Baroque music concert series in a single programme, offering eight performances that explore almost four centuries of musical history.

Under the artistic direction of organist Olivier Vernet, the festival will transform five places of worship across Monaco into venues for music, art and architecture. Monaco Cathedral, Saint-Charles Church, Sainte-Dévote Church, the Sacred Heart Church and the Chapel of Mercy will host concerts and performances designed to showcase the Principality’s organ heritage and offer audiences a variety of musical experiences.

The programme ranges from Corsican and English polyphony to German Baroque compositions, including concerts that bring together the organ, violin and trumpet. Alongside the great names of classical music, the festival also features original performances, storytelling events and activities for families.

A new festival celebrating Baroque music and Monaco’s organ heritage

The launch of Festival Résonance marks an important addition to the Principality’s cultural calendar. By bringing together two established musical events, the festival creates a programme that explores closely connected musical traditions while taking audiences on a journey through different periods and styles.

The organ takes centre stage, but it is not the only instrument featured. Vocal and instrumental performances will create encounters between different repertoires and musical traditions, while the acoustics and architectural character of each church will contribute to the identity of every concert.

One of the highlights will be a tribute to Marie-Claire Alain, the celebrated French organist whose birth centenary is being commemorated. The programme will also showcase musical creativity through distinctive formats, including a musical reading inspired by the Stations of the Cross, a family performance based on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and a concert in which a violinist accompanies her own playing using an organ pedalboard.

Festival Résonance 2026: the programme of eight concerts

24 November: Corsican polyphony opens the festival at Monaco Cathedral

Festival Résonance will open on Tuesday 24 November at 8 pm at Monaco Cathedral with Alternatim. The Corsican polyphonic ensemble Tavagna will perform alongside organist Viviane Loriaut-Damiani.

The concert will bring traditional Corsican singing into dialogue with the sound of the organ, with a repertoire that also includes Italian-Spanish works from the 17th century. This opening performance captures the spirit of the festival, creating a musical encounter between cultures, traditions and styles.

25 November: music and storytelling with Ecco l’uomo

On Wednesday 25 November at 8 pm, the Sacred Heart Church will host Ecco l’uomo, a musical reading based on the text by Jean-Pierre Nortel.

Actress Pauline Choplin will perform the text, accompanied by organ improvisations from Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin. The programme follows the fourteen Stations of the Cross, combining spoken word and music in a performance of spiritual and narrative depth.

27 November: a tribute to Marie-Claire Alain on her birth centenary

One of the festival’s central events will take place on Friday 27 November at 8 pm at Monaco Cathedral. The concert will celebrate Marie-Claire Alain, an internationally renowned figure in the world of organ music, on the centenary of her birth.

Three distinguished organists will take part: Liesbeth Schlumberger, Bruno Mathieu and Thierry Mechler. The programme will focus particularly on works by Johann Sebastian Bach and Jehan Alain.

The evening will also feature contributions from Aurélie Decourt-Alain, the organist’s daughter and an art historian, who will provide further insight into the artistic and musical significance of the tribute.

1 December: Stylus Phantasticus and the virtuosity of German Baroque music

On Tuesday 1 December at 8 pm, Sainte-Dévote Church will host Stylus Phantasticus, a concert dedicated to the expressive freedom and virtuosity of German Baroque music.

Organist Emmanuel Arakélian and violinist Ugo Gianotti will guide audiences through works by Heinrich Biber, Matthias Weckmann and Georg Muffat. The programme will highlight the distinctive features of the Stylus Phantasticus, a musical style known for its expressive richness, improvisation and dramatic contrasts.

2 December: the voices of English polyphony at Saint-Charles Church

On Wednesday 2 December at 8 pm, Saint-Charles Church will host Ascolta la voce – Lacrime di Londra, performed by the Jacques Moderne vocal ensemble under the direction of Joël Suhubiette.

The concert will explore the great tradition of English polyphony from the 16th and early 17th centuries. The programme includes music by Robert White, William Byrd, Orlando Gibbons, John Wilbye and John Dowland, composers who helped shape one of the most significant periods in European vocal music.

4 December: organ and trumpet in tribute to Marie-Claire Alain

Saint-Charles Church will host another concert on Friday 4 December at 8 pm, this time bringing together the organ and trumpet.

The performers will be organist Jean-Baptiste Robin and trumpeter Robin Paillet. Their programme pays tribute to the musical partnership between Marie-Claire Alain and the renowned trumpeter Maurice André.

Works by Alessandro Marcello and Henri Tomasi will feature alongside a sonata by Giovanni Bonaventura Viviani and a composition by Jean-Baptiste Robin himself. The concert will explore the expressive possibilities of combining two instruments with very different sounds.

9 December: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a concert for the whole family

Festival Résonance will also make room for younger audiences and families. On Wednesday 9 December at 5 pm, the Sacred Heart Church will host a musical performance inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll’s famous story.

Organist and composer Guy-Baptiste Jaccottet and narrator Isabelle Marchand will take audiences into Alice’s fantasy world through texts by Noémie Pétremand and illustrations by Jenay Loetscher.

Combining storytelling, images and music, this event offers children an engaging introduction to the world of the organ and classical music.

10 December: the festival closes with Ovni Baroque – Cantata a 2

The first edition of Festival Résonance will conclude on Thursday 10 December at 8 pm at the Chapel of Mercy with Ovni Baroque – Cantata a 2.

The performers will be violinist Emmanuelle Dauvin and soprano Heather Newhouse, presenting a programme dedicated to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.

The performance will feature an unusual musical arrangement: violinist Emmanuelle Dauvin will use an organ pedalboard to accompany her own violin playing. This original approach promises to make the concert one of the most distinctive moments of the festival.

Festival Résonance in Monaco: free admission and practical information

Admission to all eight Festival Résonance 2026 concerts is free, subject to availability. The event offers residents and visitors alike the opportunity to enjoy a new cultural initiative in the Principality and discover some of Monaco’s places of worship through music.

For further information about the programme and performances, visit the official website www.festivalresonance.com, call +377 98 98 83 03 or email infodac@gouv.mc. The full schedule is also available in the festival’s official brochure.

With eight concerts taking place over just over two weeks, the first edition of Résonance aims to become a new cultural highlight for classical music, organ and Baroque enthusiasts, as well as for anyone wishing to discover Monaco’s cultural and architectural heritage through accessible and original musical experiences.