Summer Piano Festival in La Roque d’Anthéron

Every summer, the Luberon village of La Roque d’Anthéron greets visitors from around the world for the International Piano Festival. The month-long Festival starts in mid-July, and music lovers fill the stands at Château de Florans. For four decades, the acoustical stage, set under a leafy canopy of Plantanes (Plane Trees), is the focal point for the daily concerts. The annual program delivers a range of keyboard styles from classical to contemporary performed by renowned international musicians.

@Christophe Grémiot

In 1948, Paul Onoratini rented a large property in the Luberon. Some of the buildings on site dated from 1598. Read more about the history of Château de Florans here. After renovations and upgrades, he created a medical centre focused on nutrition. Eventually, he purchased the property, and the Clinique du Château de Florans remains in operation today.

Festival Past to Present

Passionate about music, Onoratini and his son Bernard established a music festival at the nearby Cistercian abbey – Musique à Silvacane, in 1971. Mutual respect for music and good fortune connected the Onoratini family with René Martin, whose vision was to establish a music festival near Aix-en-Provence.

@Christophe Grémiot

Martin’s project took flight in 1981 with the first Festival at Château de Florans, a modest program of 12 concerts. There were 9,000 spectators that year. Over the ensuing period, there have been numerous improvements; the stage has been expanded and improved, seating increased, stores and dining facilities added. Today, the popular Festival International de Piano runs for a full month and attendance exceeded 76,500 in 2019. The Onoratini family and René Martin remain intricately involved in the current and future success of the Festival.

@Renaud Alouche

Location and Details

Festival International de Piano (website)
Parc du Château de Florans
13640 La Roque d’Anthéron
Telephone: +33 (0)4 42 50 51 15
Tickets are normally sold two months in advance. The box office opens on June 25, 2020
The 40th edition of the Festival runs from August 1-21, 2020

Image credits: All images are from the Festival International de Piano photo gallery with photographer credits as marked.

Here is additional information on summer festivals in Provence and the Côte d’Azur.

Carolyne Kauser-Abbott

With her camera and laptop close at hand, Carolyne has traded in her business suits for the world of freelance writing and blogging. Her first airplane ride at six months of age was her introduction to the exciting world of travel.

While in Provence, Carolyne can be found hiking with friends, riding the hills around the Alpilles or tackling Mont Ventoux. Her attachment to the region resonates in Perfectly Provence this digital magazine that she launched in 2014. This website is an opportunity to explore the best of the Mediterranean lifestyle (food & wine, places to stay, expat stories, books on the region, travel tips, real estate tips and more), through our contributors' articles.

Carolyne writes a food and travel blog Ginger and Nutmeg. Carolyne’s freelance articles can be found in Global Living Magazine, Avenue Magazine and City Palate (Published Travel Articles).