From June 22 to July 2, the Sainte-Rรฉparate Cathedral will host a new edition of the Nice Sacred Music Festival. Presented by the Nice Opera, the event offers a series of concerts blending ancient works and more recent creations, in an emblematic venue of the city.
Each summer, the Sainte-Rรฉparate Cathedral becomes the stage for a musical meeting rooted in the city’s history. The Sacred Music Festival, revived in 2023, returns for its 2025 edition. It will open on Sunday, June 22 at 11 a.m. with a solemn Mass of thanksgiving. It will be celebrated without reservation and with free access. Father Bernard Navarre will be accompanied by two organists, Stรฉphane Eliot and Catherine Hyvert, as well as the Cathedral’s choir and the Philharmonic Choir of Nice, under the direction of Giulio Magnanini.
On the same day at 6 p.m., the public can discover Alessandro Stradella’s Santa Editta. The work will be performed by several soloists, including Marco Angioloni, who is also the conductor of the ensemble Il Groviglio. This concert is supported by PhilBarok Production with assistance from private patrons.
On Tuesday, June 24 at 8 p.m., the ensemble L’Engrenage will present Ploravit in Nocte. This program is also produced by PhilBarok Production, with support from Philโtransactions.
A Musical Journey Through the Centuries
On Sunday, June 29 at 6 p.m., the festival will offer a concert built around a varied repertoire. From Corelli to Saint-Saรซns, including Bach, Brahms, and Haydn, the selected works highlight different musical periods. Violinist Violaine Darmon, also responsible for several transcriptions, will share the stage with Mislava Mikeliฤ Bensaid and the Nice Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra.
Finally, on Wednesday, July 2 at 8 p.m., the festival will close with two works: Olivier Dos Santos’s Missa Brevis, followed by Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria. Soloists Ilenia Tosatto, Cristina Greco, Suhuan Jin, and Florent Chamard, along with the Nice Cรดte dโAzur Opera Choir and the Nice Philharmonic Orchestra, will be conducted once again by Giulio Magnanini.
This festival invites the public to discover or rediscover sacred repertoire in a strong heritage setting. It appeals to both lovers of ancient music and those curious about more contemporary forms. The concerts offered, sometimes rare, are part of a desire for transmission and dialogue between eras.
