| For its 62nd edition, the Sion Festival returns with a sparkling programme that will sweep audiences up in a musical whirlwind across 28 concerts, 15 of which are free: From brass bands to symphonic music, from chamber music to jazz-pop, from folk to musical theatre, the town of Sion will resound with a myriad of sounds. From 21 August to 6 September, with a special concert on 29 June, renowned artists and up-and-coming talents will come together in the capital of Valais, which will also host a 24-hour musical marathon, 'Musique en fête', to open the festival, and a ‘Church Trail’ to bring the festival to a close – a new addition. A programme brimming with panache, co-curated by Pavel Vernikov and Janine Jansen. On June 29 at NODA BCVS, The Philharmonic Brass and the fabulous conductor Tugan Sokhiev will kick off the festival with a dazzling prologue featuring the best of brass music. The festival will officially start on 21 August at Sion Cathedral with a performance by the young and talented Camerata Chișinău, the swinging vocal sextet SLIXS, the brilliant violinists Pavel Vernikov and Svetlana Makarova, conducted by Valentin Uryupin, in an unexpected programme that reveals all the effervescent creativity of co-artistic director Pavel Vernikov, culminating in a ‘prayer of hope’. Immediately afterwards, the festival – with over 60 artists – will set off on its journey through Sion, a journey spanning multiple spaces as much as a stylistic exploration, reflecting the diverse collaborations, including two brand-new ones with Ouverture-Opéra and the Concerts du Cœur. 'Musique en fête' will draw to a close 24 hours later at the Pôle Musique with a tango evening by the Guttman Tango Ensemble. This action-packed weekend will come to a spectacular conclusion at NODA BCVS. Fanfaribole, the Fanfare du Losange and singer Neïma Naouri will kick things off with a jazz-pop concert aptly named: Wow. Simon Trpčeski and the Camerata Chișinău, conducted by Valentin Uryupin, will then perform stirring masterpieces by Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev. The second week will open up to theatre and acting, oscillating between drama and humour. In Una Madre, a pianist-performer (Alvise Sinivia) and two actresses (Vittoria Scognamiglio and Éloïse Vereecken) will bring to life, through performance and music, a mother’s poignant testimony, straddling the line between archaism and modernity (Pôle Musique). With the ensemble minui’s groundbreaking Wagner.Ring project, audiences at NODA BCVS will hear a condensed, streamlined and humorous version of The Ring of the Nibelung, in its French translation, narrated by the actress Julie Depardieu (adaptation of Loriot’s texts by Olivia Seigne). In the end, whimsy will take centre stage at the Playtoy Orchestra’s family concert, which will transport young and old alike into the fantastic world of toy instruments (Pôle Musique). The third week will focus on chamber music, taking the audience from one church to another as the festival concludes. Conceived by co-artistic director Janine Jansen, this ‘Church Trail’ invites the audience on a musical journey through three concerts: one focusing on Shostakovich’s late works, another offering an immersive journey into the heart of Baroque Europe with the dazzling Lucie Horsch alongside David Jansen, and the last centred on Schubert’s astonishing “Double Cello Quintet”. Joined by Boris Brovtsyn, Daniel Blendulf, Denis Kozhukhin, Amihai Grosz and Nikola Meeuwsen, Janine Jansen will present another evening steeped in romanticism as a prelude to the 'Church Trail'. Les Solistes Français and José-Daniel Castellon conducted by Paul Rouget will open this final week of the festival with another exploration of the virtuosity and expressiveness of the Baroque repertoire. In addition, a range of music mediation activities will be on offer: suitable for all audiences, including introductions to the concerts (the 'Préludes de Romane') and a workshop exploring violin-making ('L'âme du violon' with Atelier Schilbach), for children, featuring an interactive family concert and a "musical playschool" (introductory music workshop during the parents’ concert), and finally, for schools, workshops introducing musical instruments and music professions, as well as a school concert. | 
