Vibre! The String Quartet Festival brings together artists from all over the world and, year after year, asserts an identity that is both demanding, inventive, and deeply vibrant.
Long regarded as the quintessential classical form, the string quartet is today one of the most creative playgrounds on the musical scene. A new generation of ensembles is embracing it with boldness, energy, and freedom. In May 2025, the 11th edition of the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition brought together these talents from across the globe, once again affirming Bordeaux’s status as a key hub for chamber music. With 6,700 spectators, an outstanding jury, and the unanimously acclaimed victory of the Opus13 Quartet, the Competition more than ever confirms its international influence.
Under the impetus of the Modigliani Quartet, Vibre! continues this momentum with an open and daring program: leading names from the international scene, rising young quartets, and concerts in both iconic and unexpected venues. Four of the most promising emerging ensembles are welcomed in residence, combining concerts, workshops, and public masterclasses in a renewed spirit of transmission. A true laboratory for professional development, Vibre! invites you to discover the great quartets of tomorrow: Ast Quartet (South Korea, Spain, Germany), Integra Quartet (Japan, Germany), Prometheus Quartet (United States), and Quatuor Métamorphoses (France).
Among the highlights: two exceptional events at the Auditorium of the Bordeaux Opera, featuring the Modigliani Quartet on May 26 and the final concert in France by the legendary Hagen Quartett on June 2, as part of their farewell tour. The Festival also celebrates the new generation with the return of the Opus13 Quartet, First Grand Prize 2025, for a concert at Château Cheval Blanc in Saint-Émilion.
The Hermès Quartet will close this edition at the Chapelle de Condat in Libourne, reinforcing the Festival’s presence across the wider region. Because Vibre! is also a laboratory, the Festival explores unprecedented artistic crossovers. The “Vibre! by Night” event, held in the courtyard of the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, will offer a festive and hybrid experience where chamber music and electronic music engage in dialogue. Embracing openness, Vibre! also develops an extensive outreach program and a pricing policy designed for all audiences, in order to share the richness of the string quartet repertoire with as many people as possible.
From May 26 to June 4: 15 concerts, 50 artists, and one shared promise—to make music resonate, and through music, to make Bordeaux, the Metropolis, and beyond resonate.
THE FESTIVAL TEAM
Julien Kieffer, Director
Le Quatuor Modigliani, Art Director
Vibre! When music builds a shared world
In these uncertain times of extreme geopolitical tensions, when democracy is under threat and debates are too often reduced to binary polarization that stifles thought, we urgently need to listen to artists and their creations, which have the power to open perspectives and build common ground.
With Vibre!: no cultural elitism, but a sincere appreciation of otherness—without hierarchy or categorization—a credo rooted in recognizing musical diversity and the multiplicity of artistic forms. With Vibre!: a stand against AI that attempts to shape what we see and hear, what captures our attention, creating an illusion of plurality while draining diversity of its substance. Here, the audience does not submit to algorithms that organize our choices. Through their artistic programming, our friends of the Modigliani Quartet restore the spectator as a citizen, free in their interpretive judgment.
So join us on May 26 to make the festival resonate as an ode to understanding the world.
Alain Rousset
President of the Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine
“Vibrating together to live together!”
A festival that brings string quartets from around the world to life at the heart of our communities through concerts, residencies, meetings, and outreach workshops naturally resonates with the human and territorial solidarities that the Department shares with artists and cultural actors.
At a time when we are all somewhat disoriented by a fast-moving, complex, polarized, and increasingly dematerialized world, a festival like Vibre! responds to a fundamental need of our democratic societies: the need for care, connection, support, international dialogue, and calm deliberation.
Offering the best of global quartets through local events, for audiences both young and old, with a commitment to inclusivity through accessible venues and pricing, means giving everyone in Gironde the opportunity to “with one eye observe the outside world, and with the other look deep within” (Modigliani).
This partnership firmly promotes solidarity as the foundation of a society, a country, and our Gironde.
Jean-Luc Gleyze
President of the Department of Gironde
Vibre! Music as a shared connection
Bordeaux Métropole supports the Vibre! festival and reaffirms its commitment to a rich, open, and accessible cultural life. In a constantly evolving world, culture fosters encounters, awakens curiosity, and enables shared experiences.
Through its support, the Metropolis encourages an ambitious artistic approach, carried by artists committed to creation, transmission, and dialogue with audiences. As a string quartet festival, Vibre! brings together ensembles from around the world and offers concerts throughout the region for all audiences.
Beyond the stage, the festival develops artist residencies and outreach initiatives that strengthen connections with residents and local stakeholders.
When music becomes a space for discovery and sharing: from May 26 to June 4, let us resonate to the sound of string quartets!
Bordeaux Métropole
President of Bordeaux Métropole
Dear residents of Bordeaux,
It is with great pride that our city once again partners with the Vibre! festival, an exceptional event where artistic excellence goes hand in hand with openness to all. This unique gathering, under the direction of the Modigliani Quartet, perfectly embodies the spirit of Bordeaux: a place where culture is lived, shared, and shines.
This year, Vibre! welcomes four young international quartets in residence, all with remarkable promise. Their presence reflects an essential commitment to transmission: through workshops and masterclasses, they offer valuable moments of exchange and learning, strengthening the bonds between artists and audiences.
The agility of string quartets also lies in their ability to transcend disciplinary boundaries and inhabit the emblematic heritage sites of our city. Once again, the festival demonstrates this by offering unprecedented musical experiences at the crossroads of repertoires and eras.
Among the highlights of this edition, the “Vibre! by Night” format, held in the renovated courtyard of the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, promises a captivating encounter between chamber music and electronic sounds—an invitation to experience culture differently.
Because art is for everyone, Vibre! also implements impactful outreach initiatives in schools, community centers, and hospitals. These actions, carried out with rigor and passion, reach diverse audiences close to their everyday lives.
I therefore invite you to fully enjoy this new edition, rich in emotions, discoveries, and human encounters. May this festival be for each and every one of you a source of wonder and inspiration.
A wonderful musical journey to all!
Thomas CAZENAVE
Mayor of Bordeaux
