Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Choregies of Orange originated in the Roman Festivals of 1869, launched with opera Joseph by Stephen Nicolas Méhul in the ancient theatre restored since 1825. This pioneer festival, among the first to rehabilitate outdoor shows in France, blended from the beginning of theatre and music. In 1894 he took the name Choregies (from the Greek choreos, "the choirs"), with reference to the exceptional acoustics of the place, marked by the 37-metre Roman stage wall. Figures such as Sarah Bernhardt (Phèdre, 1903) or Renaud-Barrault (Numance, 1965) produced there, while the Paris Opera and the Comédie-Française dominated its programming until the Second World War.

In 1971, the Nouvelles Chorégies re-focus the festival on lyrical art under the leadership of Minister Jacques Duhamel, with six annual evenings (two operas, two concerts). The festival acquires an international dimension, welcoming renowned singers and ambitious productions like Aida or Carmen. His business model, based on 85% self-financing (ticketing, partnerships), distinguishes him from other French festivals. In 1999, a multi-year convention saved its existence after a political conflict linked to the election of the far-right mayor Jacques Bompard, who was excluded from the festival's traditional presidency.

The ancient theatre, built in the first century and able to accommodate 8,600 spectators, imposes weather constraints (cancellations for thunderstorms) but offers a unique scene, exploited by decorators for monumental staging. Choregies also innovate through Mediterranean co-productions (Massada in 2011) and exports to the Gulf (Qatar, Abu Dhabi). The 2020 edition, cancelled due to a pandemic, recalls the vulnerability of this century-old event, despite its cultural anchor and public success (9,000 spectators per normal performance).

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