After a first weekend marked by sharing and peace, the Sion Festival continues from 25 August with a varied and ambitious programme. From a tribute to Stéphane Chapuis and a first carte blanche to Janine Jansen, to a world premiere by Nicola Campogrande and a revisited classic by the Janoska Ensemble, there will be something for everyone during this second week of the festival.

The 57th edition of the Sion Festival will continue until 4 September with a third week of concerts, including the final of the Tibor Junior International Violin Competition.

Thursday 25 August 2022, 8 pm, Church of Champlan: Le Souffle de l’espoir

Michel Godard has dedicated his musical tale Le Souffle de l’espoir, based on texts by Yves Gaudin, to “a friend who died too soon”, the Valaisan accordionist Stéphane Chapuis. A light of hope shines throughout this musical reflection on the loss of loved ones, carried by Michel Godard’s serpent, the voice of actor Roland Vouilloz, the accordion of Lionel Chapuis and the winds of La Fanfaribole du Conservatoire Cantonal under the direction of Pascal Emonet.

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Friday 26 August 2022, 8 pm, Théâtre de Valère: Danze immaginarie

Straddling three musical worlds, Nicola Campogrande brings together a baroque trio, a classic-romantic trio and a bass guitar in his Danze immaginarie, written for the Sion Festival. The Italian composer recreates a new ‘fantasy’ musical world, inspired by surrealist poetic images. Works by Corelli, Rachmaninov, Fauré and Françaix complete the programme of the concert, in which artistic director Pavel Vernikov on violin and Ophélie Gaillard on cello take part.

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Saturday 27 August 2022, 8 pm, Théâtre de Valère: Ensemble Janoska

With humour and lightness, the four musicians of the Janoska Ensemble revisit some of the “big B’s” of musical history in their own incomparable style, giving them a bohemian feel: Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Bartók, Bernstein. A sparkling concert without blinkers awaits the audience.

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Sunday 28 August 2022, 5 pm, Théâtre de Valère: 1^st Carte blanche to Janine Jansen

Back to a more ‘serious’ repertoire with Janine Jansen’s first ‘carte blanche’: the prelude to Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde and Schönberg’s Transfigured Night for string sextet, as well as E.W. Korngold’s Suite for two violins, cello and piano (left hand), push the limits of both tonality and chamber ensembles. The Dutch violinist will be accompanied by friends.

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