History of Beauvais
This year, the city of Beauvais was granted the title "City of Art and History".
Its history goes back to the Gallo-Roman period, vestiges of which are still visible today.
The city was courageously defended by Jeanne Hachette in 1472, and her statue now stands opposite the Hotel de Ville.
The "Jeanne Hachette Festival" is celebrated every year near the end of June.
Beauvais is characterised by a rich architectural heritage, in particular by the St Pierre Cathedral - representative of gothic architecture and housing the tallest choir in the world; the Episcopal Palace (now a departmental museum); the Saint-Etienne church; the Saint-Lazare Maladrerie and its medieval gardens, and many other monuments.
The city further benefits from a history of craftsmanship in the textile, stained-glass, and ceramics industries.
Today, cultural life in Beauvais is active in all artistic domains, offering its inhabitants many fulfilling opportunities.
The proximity of Beauvais Airport has led to the arrival of more and more tourists who come to discover this city and its rich surroundings.
History of the Cello Festival
The Beauvais Cello Festival is a continuation of the Rencontres d'ensembles de violoncelles series (a cello ensemble festival in Beauvais) which ran between 1993-2008.
Since 2009, the Beauvais Cello Festival has been organised by the Association pour le rayonnement du violoncelle and headed by an artistic committee, directed from 2009-2011 by the Dutch cellist Pieter Wispelwey. This year, it has been handed over to one of our best French cellists, Emmanuelle Bertrand.
The 2012 Beauvais Cello Festival will run June 1st - 5th.
This year's festival celebrates the 150th anniversary of Claude Debussy's birth, and the great French musicians: G. Bizet, G. Fauré, E. Lalo, JB. Lully, O. Messiaen, JPh. Rameau, M. Ravel, C. Saint-Saëns, F. Schubert, and focusing on the composer Henri Dutilleux, who will be the honorary President.
www.festivaldevioloncelledebeauvais.com
