What is La Folle Journée au Japon?

La Folle Journée (literally “The Crazy Day”) started in 1995 as a classical music festival in the northwestern port city of Nantes, France. The festival invites artists from all over the world to give top-class performances lasting about 45 minutes each from morning until night at affordable prices.
In Japan, La Folle Journée has been held every year since 2005 during the Golden Week holidays. There are about 350 concerts held during 3 days, as well as other kinds of events―such as programs for children, master classes, lectures ―filling the streets with music and designed for the enjoyment of the old and the young.

  • *Some programs require a numbered ticket handed out in advance.

René Martin

Artistic Director René Martin

Main Features of La Folle Journée 2017

La Danse

The theme for LFJ 2017 is “La Danse” (Dance).
The festival features some of the greatest masterpieces of classical music related to the theme of dance.

Dance is the most primitive form of expression, and since ancient times, dance has always been intertwined with rhythm and music.
This year’s La Folle Journée traces the intimate connection between music and dance over the span of more than 600 years from the Renaissance to the present day. The performances promise to electrify the concert halls with dynamism and infectious energy.

Pick-up Artists

Nelson Goerner
Nelson Goerner
Simone Rubino
Simone Rubino
Richard Galliano
Richard Galliano
  • A colorful selection of pianists only LFJ can gather: Nelson Goerner, Abdel Rahman El Bacha, Boris Berezovsky, Anne Queffélec, Makoto Ozone, François-Frédéric Guy, Marc Laforet, Luis Fernando Perez, Alexei Volodine, Michie Koyama, Tedi Papavrami, Olivier Charlier, the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, the Orchestre d’Auvergne, the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra and Sinfonia Varsovia.
  • Eitetsu Hayashi, the world renowned taiko performer, will perform again this year with rising star percussionist Simone Rubino.
  • The genre-defying Shibusa Shirazu Orchestra will again take the stage for a fantastic performance.
  • Richard Galliano, the king of bandoneon, will also come to surprise us with a colorful and varied program.

Program highlights

Works inspired by folk dances Brahms: Hungarian Dances; Dvořák: Slavonic Dances; Bartók: Romanian Folk Dances; Granados: Spanish Dances; Falla: El amor brujo; Akira Ifukube: Japanese Suite, etc
Works from the world of ballet Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake, Nutcracker Suite; Stravinsky: The Firebird, the Rite of Spring; Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé, Boléro; Shostakovich: The Golden Age, etc
Works influenced by folk dance styles from the Renaissance to Romanticism J.S. Bach: Suite for Solo Cello, Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin; Beethoven: Symphony No. 7, Symphony No. 9, Violin Concerto, Triple Concerto; Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1, Mazurkas, Polonaises, etc
Works from the 20th century inspired by world music Ravel: La Valse; Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances; Glass: Concert Fantasy for Two Timpanists and Orchestra; Bartók: Dance Suite; Stravinsky: Circus Polka; Piazzolla: Histoire du Tango, Oblivion; Márquez: Danzón No. 2, etc
  • *Programs and performing artists are subject to change.