Rencontres Arioso Faure 2023
©Frederic MENSE

2, 5, 8 and 12 August 2026 The Arioso Encounters in Thiers

The association Les Rencontres Arioso

Since 2013, a group of lovers of quartets and symphonies have been organising classical encounters in Thiers. The association Les Rencontres Arioso brings together people with a passion for classical music. Keen to add a different touch to the cultural scene in Thiers, it has since established itself as an essential part of the summer programme.

Thiers Classical Nights are a must in your diary.

Arioso Meetings set the pace

Les Rencontres Arioso has always dreamt of putting great music at the heart of the cultural scene in Thiers. For over 10 years, the association has been creating a classical score for the ears of festival-goers. It’s also a great way of sharing the fascinating world of classical music. It organises concerts and workshops around classical music, as well as jazz. Each event is an opportunity to listen to music, of course, but also to meet passionate musicians.

Each concert gives the audience a chance to chat with the artists. There are also workshops open to amateur musicians, led by guest professionals. Every year, a choral singing course brings together dozens of singers from all over France for almost a week.

The credo of a music festival with captivating notes

The Arioso Encounters are all about discovering rareworks, composers and instruments. The association breaks new ground and proposes new works. But its work is not confined to the festival organised in Thiers, the cutlery capital of France. Throughout the year, other classical and jazz events are on the bill in both Vichy and Thiers. These are even more intimate concerts, to bring the audience even closer to the artists.

Les Rencontres Arioso aims to reduce the distance between stage and seats. So that classical music is not just a temple with narrow doors. An intimidating mass. Their credo: to bring a whole musical culture to the widest possible audience. They see it as a way of helping to build “a more peaceful and generous world”.

The 2026 programme Arioso Meetings

Sunday 2 August The Silence of the Sea

Vercors’ masterpiece is reborn on stage in an adaptation by the Cappella Forensis and the Halte company, for one actor and three musicians (clarinet, cello, marimba), where resistance, love and humanism clash in the silence of a Cornelian drama.

Wednesday 5 August Belle époque

Belle époque by the Bergamasque septet
The all-female chamber music ensemble Bergamasque presents a programme dedicated to the early 20th-century composers Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.

Saturday 8 August Mozart's Requiem

Orchestre de Chambre Nouvelle Europe conducted by Nicolas Krauze
4 soloists: soprano, alto, tenor and bass and the 80 choir members of the Rencontres Arioso choral singing course.

Wednesday 12 August The Goldberg Variations

Transcription for string trio.

Parallel programming 2026

Sunday 7 June at 6pm Jean-François Zygel sets La Fontaine's Fables to music Espace de Thiers

Normal price: €25, €20 for members of Rencontres Arioso and Musiques Vivantes, €15 * for concessions (jobseekers, RSA recipients, disabled people, students, conservatoire students under 26 (on presentation of proof), free for under-18s accompanied by an adult.

Accommodation and restaurants in Thiers

To make the most of this exceptional weekend, find out more about the accommodation and restaurants around the town of Thiers.