Vincent Dumestre’s tenure as Artistic Director of the Misteria Paschalia Festival will continue

In the aftermath of the third instalment of Kraków’s early music festival curated by the French conductor and instrumentalist Vincent Dumestre, a decision was made to extend the partnership. The programme for next year’s festival, which is currently under development, will constitute part of the upcoming Poland-France Season announced by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage for 2027.

The Misteria Paschalia Festival is one of the key projects of the Krakow Festival Office, as well as a leading festival showcasing early music in this part of Europe. Starting with the very first instalments, the festival’s concept, which combines Kraków’s cultural heritage with a repertoire of Renaissance and Baroque music – has been open to participation from leading ensembles and artists specialising in early music.

Le Poème Harmonique, an ensemble founded by the conductor and instrumentalist Vincent Dumestre, has been a regular guest in Kraków for many years. The artist has been associated with the festival since 2007 and has performed in Kraków during nearly every single edition since then. In 2017, he became the festival’s Director-in-Residence, whose goal was to highlight the Francophone cultural heritage in the programme. He recalls this period as ‘a wonderful adventure – social, interpersonal and musical.’ Today, Dumestre looks back on the latest edition of the festival, which concluded in early April: ‘The festival enabled us to discover both Europe’s unique musical heritage and Kraków’s extraordinary architecture.’

The festival’s Artistic Director has already mentioned the key highlights of the upcoming edition of the event: ‘During next year’s Misteria Paschalia Festival, we will be celebrating the friendship between Poland and France by shining a spotlight on its musical aspects.’

The year 2027 will also hold special significance for cultural cooperation between Poland and France. The development of strategic relations between the two nations, which stems from the Treaty of Nancy signed last year, also involves cultural cooperation, which is intended to help strengthen the ties between our countries. The upcoming 2027 Poland–France Season is going to highlight the practical aspect of this commitment, with culture becoming a space where European values are not merely declared, but lived and co-created.

Carolina Pietyra, Director of the Krakow Festival Office, announces: ‘We keep an eye on international trends and are determined to bolster all of KBF’s projects through international networks. In the case of the Misteria Paschalia Festival, this kind of collaboration not only guarantees the best musical experiences for the audience, but also offers an opportunity for the festival to develop as a showcase for Kraków on the world stage.’