Contact info
Address
Rue de l'Armée Grouchy 20
5000 Namur - Brussel
Belgium
http://www.festivaldewallonie.be
Info
Tel: +32 81 73 37 81
Fax: +32 81 74 25 03
info@festivaldewallonie.be
http://www.festivaldewallonie.be/
Rue de l'Armée Grouchy 20
BE-5000 Namur
Administration
Tel: 081/73 73 81
Fax: 081/74 25 03
info@festivaldewallonie.be
http://www.festivaldewallonie.be
Festival de Wallonie
Variety and decentralisation of musical culture are the main assets of the Festival of Wallonia and greatly contributes to its richness. Its concerts bring together thousands of music lovers in the most beautiful places of Wallonia : churches, castles, abbeys, cathedrals and other historic buildings. The Festival sees to it that everywhere the audience gets a warm welcome, that everywhere the festive character of the events is preserved, without which there would be no real festival ; everywhere a dialogue arises between the musicians, the audiences and the organizers.
This festival has been an EFA member since 1991.
Festival Programme
Each EFA member manages its own Calendar. In case there is no programme availabable for this year, please visit the festival's own website.
History
More than forty years ago, a new initiative was first experienced in Wallonia : musical evenings were organized outside of the usual concert season, in prestigious historic places. Before even using the word « festival », the meaning was to create a festive atmosphere, a musical event which would be exceptional because of its location, its programme and its interpreters.
These initiatives were soon imitated in other regions : the provinces of Hainaut, Namur and the Brabant wallon later joined Stavelot, Liege and Saint-Hubert and formed together an ensemble of summer and autumn concerts.
In 1971 they decided to join their forces within a majour festival of classical music which would cover the whole of Wallonia and Brussels. The Festival of Wallonia was born, and it was to become an image of the French-speaking Community of Belgium both in Belgium and abroad.
Each section of the Festival has its own character, its specification, and that gives the organizers the opportunity to propose in their own region a festival which is really adapted to the local needs : variety and abundance in Luxembourg, a preference for choral singing in Namur, chamber music in Stavelot, interest for contemporary music and creations coupled with an old tradition of early music in Liège, symphonic concerts and recitals, in close collaboration with the best ensembles in Brabant wallon and in the Hainaut, while Brussels, as a show window of Wallonia, combines a promotion of contemporary musical creation and prestigious concerts, encourages young Belgian and foreign performers.
Since its creation , the Festival of Wallonia is placed under the High Patronage of HM Queen Fabiola and is now one of the best achievements of cultural life in Wallonia.
