The Choeur des Nuits Lyriques becomes
the Choeur Avant-Scène!
The Chœur Avant-Scène, the new identity of the Nuits Lyriques choir, is an artistic initiative by Marie-Claire Mestres, who now offers two distinct projects open to all, to bring choral music to life throughout the year.
The Chœur Avant-Scène has a dual mission: to promote opera as part of the Festival d’été, and to make choral music accessible to all residents, as part of an initiative to promote local development and social cohesion.
Touring concerts
Born of the desire to democratize access to choral singing, this project offers concerts based on the vocal repertoire, without staging or costumes.
This light format enables the Avant-Scène choir to move around easily, perform in different venues and meet local residents.
This initiative helps to revitalize local life, promoting the discovery and appreciation of vocal music in towns and villages that are sometimes far removed from major cultural centers.
These convivial moments enhance the value of our cultural heritage and make music accessible to all.
Participation in Summer Festival opera productions
For 37 years, the choir has been a major component of the Nuits Lyriques Summer Festival, offering all its members the opportunity to rub shoulders with renowned professional artists.
Open to all singing enthusiasts, this activity facilitates encounters and sharing around famous musical and vocal works.
Members from a variety of backgrounds come together to experience an artistic and human adventure, where everyone contributes to the magic of the show.
The Choir’s participatory approach, involving all those who love singing and opera, helps to make the Festival a major event in the cultural life of our region.
Marie-Claire MESTRES
Choir Conductor
A graduate of the superior piano class at the Conservatoire National de Région de Toulouse and holder of the CAPES diploma in Musical Education, she taught for 20 years in the music-oriented classes of Marmande’s middle and high schools.
After 17 years as director of the Val de Garonne Choir (winner of the 1989 Florilège Vocal de Tours), she was appointed director of the Maurice Ravel Vocal Ensemble at the Conservatoire Municipal (classical repertoire: Mozart and Duruflé Requiem, Mendelssohn Lauda Sion, Poulenc Stabat Mater, etc.).
Passionate about the vocal arts, since 1991 she has also directed the Chœur des Nuits Lyriques de Marmande, which participates in her productions. Her high musical standards and the quality of her artistic work enable Les Nuits Lyriques to benefit from a first-rate choral ensemble, essential to its artistic project.
"Once upon a time Opera"
CHOEUR AVANT-SCENE
June 24, 2025 at 8:30 p.m.
Eglise Notre-Dame
de Marmande
The Chœur Avant-Scène des Nuits Lyriques invites you to an exceptional concert on June 24, 2025 in the Église Notre-Dame de Marmande, “Il était une fois l’Opéra”.
This musical journey, designed to help you discover or rediscover the most beautiful pages of opera, will guide you through the ages, from Baroque works to bel canto masterpieces, via the Romantics and the great classics. In a magnificent setting, the Avant-Scène Chorus will perform a selection of emblematic extracts from the operatic repertoire, celebrating the richness and evolution of this fascinating art form.
An experience that blends history and emotion in an emblematic Marmande venue.
become a chorister...
Recruitment is by audition.
You don’t need to be able to read music to sing well!
Sign up now!
Contact us: contact@nuits-lyriques.fr