Take in classical performances by world-class musicians at the Festival de Pâques, including pianists Mao Fujita and Yulianna Avdeeva, Le Concert des Nations, the Zurich Philharmonic and Choir, and tenor Joseph Calleja
Visit the beautiful village of Les Baux-de-Provence, home to the Carrières des Lumières, a breathtaking audio-visual arts show based in a former quarry
Attend a private lecture-recital given by our Tour Director in the 15th century Château de Lourmarin, set within the Luberon hills
“Emilie was absolutely outstanding: erudite, regarding music, of course, but also on art, history, local geography and literature; a brilliant pianist; excellent communicator; and absolutely tireless in her efforts to ensure everyone enjoyed the tour. A huge asset to ACE”
ACE customer on the 2025 Music & Art in Provence tour with Emilie Capulet
- Barber Violin Concerto, Op 14
- Brahms Symphony No 1 in C minor, Op 68
- Elsa Barraine Symphony No 2
- Mendelssohn Variations Sérieuses, Op 54
- Brahms Piano Sonata No 1, Op 1
- Beethoven Oratorio: Christus am Ölberge (Christ on the Mount of Olives), Op 85
- Haydn The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross, Hob XX/2
- Yulianna Avdeeva performs Bach, Liszt and Chopin
- Private recital with Emilie Capulet featuring works by French-Corsican composer Henri Thomasi in the 15th century Château de Lourmarin
The sunlit landscape of Provence has been a source of inspiration for many musicians, artists and writers over the centuries, including Paul Cézanne, Émile Zola, Darius Milhaud, Pablo Picasso, Albert Camus and Marcel Pagnol. Today, the region provides the perfect backdrop for Aix-en-Provence’s Easter music festival, which will form the musical heart of our tour, alongside a private recital in a beautiful location and a host of complementary artistic, literary and cultural visits.
“Aix-en-Provence in April is a magical place. Bringing together music, art, literature, architecture and wine, this tour brings the region’s rich cultural palette to life, and there is always something to talk about, to discover or rediscover at the Festival de Pâques. We will be based close to the centre of Aix, within walking distance of the many markets, museums and concert venues. I was born and grew up in Aix-en-Provence and look forward to showing you the many cultural gems this area has to offer.”
– Tour Director Emilie Capulet
The Festival de Pâques attracts worldwide attention with its full programme of performances by international orchestras, soloists and chamber ensembles and is particularly known for showcasing a diverse and stimulating repertoire. We will enjoy a festival concert each evening of our stay in Aix. Highlights range from Verdi’s monumental requiem mass, performed by the Zurich Philharmonic and Choir with soloists including soprano Marina Rebeka and tenor Joseph Calleja, to Brahms and Beethoven’s first piano sonatas, played by the award-winning Japanese pianist Mao Fujita.
Our opening concert with the Orchestre National de Lille and Renaud Capuçon will feature Barber’s violin concerto, Op 14, alongside Brahms’s Symphony No 1 in C minor, Op 68.
Stepping into the striking surroundings of the Darius Milhaud Conservatoire, we will hear Yulianna Avdeeva – winner of the 2010 Chopin Piano Competition – perform a riveting programme of J S Bach, Liszt and Chopin. The building’s extraordinary architecture is inspired by the art of Cézanne, Japanese origami, and classical music, and the acoustics are particularly exceptional.
We build to a spectacular finale with Jordi Savall’s famous period instrument orchestra, Le Concert des Nations, who will bring us sacred works by Haydn and Beethoven with soloists Ilker Arcayürek, Elionor Martínez and Yuriy Hadzetskyy.
Complementing the festival concerts, our tour includes a special private lecture-recital given by our Tour Director and award-winning pianist, Emilie Capulet, taking place in the 15th century Château de Lourmarin, set within a picturesque village in the Luberon hills. This recital will feature works by the 20th century French-Corsican composer, Henri Tomasi, whose music Emilie has recorded for a critically-acclaimed album. Lourmarin is famed for its olive groves and fruit trees, and here we will discover the place where French philosopher and writer Albert Camus spent the last two years of his life.
Art visits include Château La Coste where we will tour the site’s extensive collection of over 40 outdoor contemporary art installations, including works by Tadao Ando, Sophie Calle, Jean Nouvel, Louise Bourgeois and Yoko Ono. In Aix, we will visit the stunning 20th century collection of Jean Planque at the Musée Granet, a former priory of the Knights of Malta, which features works by Picasso, Braque, Léger and de Staël alongside Cézanne, Monet, Van Gogh and Degas; while time at the Vasarely Museum will introduce us to one of the city’s most fascinating architectural spaces and galleries.
Our tour encompasses the Caumont Centre d’Art, a beautifully restored 18th century period townhouse; and we will also journey along the ‘Route Cézanne’ to view one of the artist’s favourite motifs – the Sainte-Victoire mountain – and visit the Carrières de Bibémus, a dramatic and vividly-hued quarry famously depicted in his paintings.
New for 2026 is an excursion to the beautiful village of Les Baux-de-Provence, home to the Carrières des Lumières – a breathtaking audio-visual arts show based in a former quarry – complemented by lunch at award-winning Michelin-starred restaurant La Cabro d’Or at Beaumanière. Chef Michel Hulin will craft exquisite dishes using premium sourced ingredients from Alpilles and Camargue, served on the charming terrace shaded by mulberry trees.
We will stay throughout at the spacious and comfortable five-star Renaissance Aix-en-Provence Hotel, close to the centre of Aix-en-Provence and a five minute walk from the Grand Théâtre de Provence where most of our performances will take place.
Emilie Capulet
Tour Director Emilie Capulet is an award-winning concert pianist, lecturer and musicologist.
Tour Director Emilie Capulet, MA, MMus, PhD is an award-winning concert pianist, lecturer and musicologist. She performs worldwide in international music festivals and concert halls in Europe, the USA, Canada, Latin America and Asia. Emilie has recorded several CDs, including the first recording of the complete piano music of the French-Corsican composer Henri Tomasi (1901-1971), in a critically acclaimed double album on the Calliope label. She has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, Radio Canada, France Musique, Radio Télévision Suisse and Bayern Klassik. Emilie studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is the BMus (Hons) Programme Leader at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. She has published on many aspects of music history. She is the recipient of a prestigious Leverhulme Research Fellowship and was a Visiting Fellow at Keble College, University of Oxford, from 2024-2025.
7
£3895
MUAP-26
_Le_Joueur_de_guitare_-_d%27apr%C3%A8s_Mattia_Preti_-_Mus%C3%A9e_Granet_Aix-en-Provence.jpg){kind=link}