Thomas Hengelbrock and the Balthasar Neumann Ensembles continue their residency at the Château de Fontainebleau. Each season, this partnership unfolds through masterclasses and exceptional musical events, including rehearsals open to the public and concerts.
Concerts
The 2026–2027 season of Thomas Hengelbrock’s artistic residency returns this year under the theme of Marie-Antoinette!
Discover the Queen’s Concerts and Musical Promenades starting in October.
- From 9 to 11 octobre 2026 : The Queen’s Concerts
This new 2026–2027 season opens with a programme dedicated to Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI, marking the 240th anniversary of the sovereigns’ last stay at Fontainebleau.
Performers
Inés Lorans, soprano
Moritz Kallenberg, tenor
Balthasar Neumann Orchestra
Conducted by Thomas Hengelbrock
Programme
Antonio Salieri, Les Danaïdes
Overture
Aria
Allegro brillante
“Où suis-je?” – “Foudre céleste”
Joseph Haydn, Symphony in B-flat major, “The Queen”
Adagio – Vivace
Romance. Allegretto
Menuetto. Allegretto
Finale. Presto
Antonio Sacchini, Œdipe à Colone
Overture
“Œdipe et le Roi”
“Vous le savez”
“Dieux, ce n’est pas pour moi”
“En ma faveur”
Giovanni Battista Viotti, Violin Concerto in A minor – Moderato
Christoph Willibald Gluck, Iphigénie en Aulide
Recitative “En croirai-je mes yeux?”
Aria “Iphigénie, hélas!”
Recitative “S’il était vrai”
Aria “Cruelle”
Recitative “Mon trouble”
Duet “Ne doutez jamais de ma flamme”
Christoph Willibald Gluck, Iphigénie en Aulide – Chaconne
Friday, October 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 11 at 3 p.m.
Ballroom
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Duration : 70 minutes, no interval
Price : €27
Reduced price : €20
- October 17–18, 2026: Marie-Antoinette’s Musical Promenades
The residency returns in October 2026 with a new concert format: a musical journey through the château’s iconic spaces, featuring a series of 20-minute concerts showcasing music cherished by Marie-Antoinette.
A musical journey through the François I Gallery, the Saint Louis Rooms, the Ballroom and the Columns Room.
Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18 at 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
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Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes
Price: €27
Reduced price: €20
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Programme
Franz Sparry, Parthia ex C
Ferdinand Ries, Quintet, Op. 183
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Quintet, K. 581
Ignaz Pleyel, Duo, Op. 23 No. 6 (Saturday)
or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Quintet, K. 581 (Sunday)
Giovanni Battista Viotti, Quartet, Op. 3 No. 1 (Saturday)
or François-André Danican Philidor, L’Art de la modulation: Quartet No. 2 in F major (Sunday)
François-André Danican Philidor, L’Art de la modulation: Quartet No. 2 in F major (Saturday)
or Ludwig van Beethoven, Serenade, Op. 25 (Sunday)
Ludwig van Beethoven, Septet, Op. 20
Artists
Members of the Balthasar NOVA Academy
(musicians from 20 European countries)
- December 11–13, 2026: Christmas at the Château
Vespro della Beata Vergine — Monteverdi’s Vespers
Balthasar Neumann Ensemble
Balthasar Neumann Choir
Conducted by Lionel Sow
Friday, December 11 and Saturday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 13 at 3 p.m.
Ballroom
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Duration: 80 minutes, no interval
Price: €27
Reduced price: €20
- Du 19 au 21 mars 2027 : Passerelles – L’Europe musicale
En mars, la résidence revient avec la création d’un nouvel orchestre de jeunesse franco-allemand !
Haendel, Vivaldi, Telemann et Rameau.
Avec l’académie Balthasar Neumann.
Vendredi 19 et samedi 20 mars à 19h30
Dimanche 21 mars à 15h
Salle de Bal
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Durée : 70 minutes, sans entracte
Tarif : 27 €
Tarif réduit : 20 €
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Étudiants du Conservatoire national supérieur de Paris et du Conservatoire au Rayonnement Régional de Paris
Étudiants du Hochschule für Musik, Hambourg
Soliste
Sous la direction de Thomas Hengelbrock
- May 28–30, 2027: Purcell’s theatrical masterpiece, Dido and Aeneas
Following the success of the Festa Teatrale in May 2026, the spring residency will now become a regular event featuring a fully staged production. In 2027, the spotlight will be on Purcell’s theatrical masterpiece, Dido and Aeneas. The shores of Carthage and Aeneas’s destiny, shaped by journeys, tides and divine winds, echo the theme of water at the heart of the 2027 programme.
With an exceptional production directed by Vincent Huguet.
Friday, May 28 and Saturday, May 29 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 30 at 3 p.m.
Ballroom
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Duration: 70 minutes, no interval
Price: €27
Reduced price: €20
Price including château admission: €27 to €44
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Artists
Dido: Eva Zaïcik
Aeneas: Tomáš Král
Belinda: Agnes Kovács
Sorceress: Madeleine Bazola-Minori
Balthasar Neumann Orchestra
Balthasar Neumann Choir
Conducted by Thomas Hengelbrock
Directed by Vincent Huguet
Price including château admission: €27 to €44
If you have purchased a château admission ticket, it is valid on the day of the concert from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last admission at 4:15 p.m.). If you have a ticket that includes both the château visit and the concert, we recommend visiting the château before the concert.
Access to the Ballroom involves stairs. Visitors with reduced mobility are asked to contact us in advance so that we can facilitate access, including parking and use of the lift.
Château Admission & Practical Information
- Château Access: Your concert ticket is valid for a visit to the Château on the day of the performance from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm (last entry at 4:15 pm).
- Visitor Tip: We highly recommend visiting the Château before the concert if your ticket includes both.
- Accessibility: Access to the Salle de Bal (Ballroom) involves stairs. Guests with reduced mobility are kindly asked to contact us in advance to facilitate access (including parking and elevator assistance).
The Thomas Hengelbrock residency is also about..
▪ At the Château de Fontainebleau
- Open Rehearsals: Included with your visit to the Château. In the weeks leading up to the concerts, come and enjoy these rehearsals for an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience with talented musicians.
- Educational Exchange: Programs designed for students of all levels.
- Special Projects: Collaborative educational initiatives with the Orchestre à l’École association and the Fontainebleau Conservatory of Music.
- A High School Partnership: For the first time this year, students from the Lycée François Ier will perform in the March concerts alongside the Balthasar Neumann Ensembles. Through numerous workshops and rehearsals held throughout the year, these students train with passionate professionals, culminating in an exceptional concert in a truly magnificent setting!
▪ Outreach Programs (Off-site)
- Concerts in specialized centers for people with disabilities.
- Concerts in hospitals and social care facilities, such as the Nelly Kopp nursing home (EHPAD) or the Villa Baucis Alzheimer’s Center in Fontainebleau.
Thomas Hengelbrock, an internationally renowned conductor
Thomas Hengelbrock is among the most sought-after conductors on the international stage today. A regular guest of prestigious orchestras such as the Vienna and Munich Philharmonics, he frequently works in France with the Orchestre National de France, the Orchestre de Paris, and the Paris Opera. Since September 2024, he has served as the Music Director of the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris.
The Balthasar Neumann Ensembles are a collective of visionary artists, bringing together Europe’s finest musicians specialized in period-instrument performance. Founded by Thomas Hengelbrock over 25 years ago, they share a deep passion for music, boundless curiosity, and exceptional artistic quality
