A long line of young people, some in jeans and sneakers, others in evening dress, stretched, on Thursday, November 7, more than 200 meters from the Place de la Comédie, in the heart of Montpellier. Enough to intrigue passersby, some of whom approach them for questioning. “It is a free classical music concert for students”we answer them, pointing to the façade of the Opera-Comédie that faces the square. That night, works by Wolfang Amadeus Mozart and Felix Mendelssohn are exhibited.
Before the doors of the establishment, Emma (who did not want to give her name) and Saskia Castelain, 23, were among the first to arrive. Having already arrived in 2023, they were at the back of the line and had to settle for a spot with limited visibility. So this time they arrived three hours before the concert to make sure they were properly positioned. The two friends, in their last year of master’s degrees in languages, came immediately after classes, with the idea of taking advantage of the last advantages of student life. “I liked it a lot, last year it was a beautiful and unusual outing”says Emma, who discovered the event through a classmate.
“We already have a small group of young people who come regularly to the concert, but they are mainly conservatory students, medical students, explains Valérie Chevalier, director of the Montpellier National Opera Orchestra. We organize this evening to expand our community of young spectators. And it bit, beyond our expectations. Word of mouth is working well and there is now a real expectation among students for this concert. »
An operation renewed every year
This operation, renewed every year, allows students to establish a first contact with the opera, which could encourage them to return. “Walking into an opera house, for some, is still terrifying, not having the right codes… We try to break all that down so that everyone feels welcome.” explains Valérie Chevalier.
As soon as you enter this Italian theater from the late 19th centurymy century, many feel a “wow” effect. According to the management, three quarters of the 1,200 spectators discover the Opera-Comédie for the first time and half attend their first classical music concert. In the dressing rooms, some take photos while waiting for the Montpellier Occitanie National Orchestra to take the stage, conducted by Samy Rachid, a 31-year-old conductor and assistant conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, as well as soprano Marie Lombard. 25 years.
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