2026 Festival of Les Marteaux de Gellone
France / Montpellier and Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
The 9th edition of the Les Marteaux de Gellone festival invites you to rediscover the deep connection that linked music and the environment in the Middle Ages. Voices, instruments and rhythms were then part of a soundscape: music arose from an awareness of the seasons, the breath of the air and the resonance of places.
This memory reminds us that, in the past, culture and nature were not opposed to one another, but complemented each other. True to this spirit, the CIMM refuses to reduce early music to a static heritage. The aim is to bring it to life in all its ecological richness: timbres, modes and vocal gestures stem from a sensitive relationship between human societies and their environment. Rediscovering these songs means rediscovering a musical knowledge attuned to the body, to the vibrating air and to the resonating materials.
As a laboratory for research and creation, the CIMM fosters a dialogue between memory and invention. This year, the festival is also expanding to Montpellier and forms part of the ensemble-school’s pre-professional training programme, strengthening the link between transmission, training and performance.
As a laboratory for research and creation, the CIMM fosters a dialogue between memory and invention. This year, the festival is also expanding to Montpellier and forms part of the ensemble-school’s pre-professional training programme, strengthening the link between transmission, training and performance.
