Festival Ravel

What Festival Ravel does

Festival Ravel (legal entity: Académie Internationale de musique Maurice Ravel) is a French non-profit cultural association (association loi 1901, SIRET 300 155 322 000 54) headquartered at Villa Harriet Baita in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Formed in 2020 from the merger of Musique en Côte Basque (founded 1960) and Académie Ravel (founded 1967), the organization operates a portfolio of five core products: an annual international classical music festival (the next edition runs August 18 to September 5, 2026, in Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Ciboure), a summer music academy training young musicians with renowned artist-pedagogues, a year-round concert series (En Saison) co-produced with regional festivals across Nouvelle-Aquitaine, an off-season free concert initiative at inland Basque heritage sites (Festival OFF, launched 2025), and educational outreach programs in schools (Action Culturelle).

The business model is a hybrid of earned and contributed revenue. Earned revenue comes from ticket sales through the Mapado ticketing platform, individual concert admissions, and multi-concert Festival Passes. Contributed revenue comprises institutional grants from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region, Pyrénées-Atlantiques departmental council, and the municipalities of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Ciboure, and Bayonne; corporate philanthropy from Caisse des Dépôts (primary sponsor of the Académie), Société Générale Foundation, Crédit Agricole Pyrénées Gascogne Foundation, and individual patrons including Maja Hoffmann and the Renaissance Family Trust; and small-dollar donations through the HelloAsso platform, advised by philanthropy consultant Marie de Merlis. The organization maintains no proprietary technology platform, relying on standard web infrastructure, Mapado for ticketing, and HelloAsso for donations.

Governance rests on a board of directors chaired by Artistic Director Bertrand Chamayou, an internationally recognized pianist and former Académie Ravel student (1998-2000), with Alice Nissim as Managing Director. Operational staff comprises nine core members supplemented by seasonal and volunteer labor. The organization serves four primary customer segments: classical music enthusiasts and cultural tourists, young musicians and composers attending the academy, students and schools participating in educational programs, and local Basque Country communities attending free events. Distribution occurs through online ticketing, on-site box office, institutional co-productions, Pass Culture youth access, and free community concerts. Festival Ravel is a member of professional networks Profedim and ARVIVA – Arts vivants, Arts Durables.

Name

Festival Ravel

Legal name

Académie Internationale de musique Maurice Ravel

Website

https://festivalravel.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Festival Ravel is a French non-profit cultural association operating an annual classical music festival, summer academy for young musicians, and year-round concerts in Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Ciboure, serving audiences, students, and Basque Country communities through ticketing, institutional grants, and philanthropy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Classical Music Festival & Academy

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Fine Arts Schools (611610), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Festival Organizers & Promoters (MPAGAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG), Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG), Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA)

Keywords

• Classical music festival
• Music academy training
• Cultural outreach programs
• Concert season programming
• Non-profit performing arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-Jean-de-Luz

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Concert and Festival Revenue: Ticket sales for festival concerts, academy masterclasses, and year-round performances throughout Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Revenue from concert admissions and festival passes.
2. Institutional Funding and Sponsorship: The festival receives support from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region, departmental council, municipal governments, and private foundations including Caisse des Dépôts (primary sponsor of Académie Ravel) and Société Générale Foundation. Additional support from Cercle des amis du Festival, individual patrons, and membership organizations.
3. Philanthropy and Donations: Donations accepted through HelloAsso platform for supporting the Festival and Académie Ravel. Individual philanthropy consulting through Marie de Merlis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Festival Ravel operates an annual international classical music festival and summer music academy in Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Ciboure (Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France), celebrating the legacy of composer Maurice Ravel. The organization produces concerts, masterclasses, year-round concerts by young academy talents throughout Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and cultural outreach programs in schools and communities.

Product overview

Festival Ravel is a classical music festival organization based in Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Ciboure, France, founded in 2020 through the merger of Musique en Côte Basque and the Académie Ravel. The organization operates two core products: the annual Festival Ravel (late August to early September) presenting internationally renowned artists and young talents, and the Académie Ravel (summer music academy training young musicians). Supplementary offerings include Festival Ravel OFF (off-season concerts in inland Basque Country), En Saison (year-round concerts throughout Nouvelle-Aquitaine), and Action Culturelle (educational outreach programs). The organization perpetuates Maurice Ravel's musical and humanistic spirit while promoting French music and cultural exchange.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Académie Ravel has nurtured generations of young musicians now at the top of their careers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, major, core and minor.

• Pass CulturesupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Pass Culture partnership to provide youth access to festival tickets and cultural offerings.
• France MusiquemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFrance Musique is a media partner of Festival Ravel, providing broadcast coverage and promotional support for the festival's concerts and programming.
• Nouvelle-Aquitaine RegioncoreOthersThe Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region is a primary public supporter of Festival Ravel and the Académie Ravel. Provides project funding and co-production support for concerts throughout the region.
• ProfedimminorOthersFestival Ravel is a member of Profedim, a professional network for music and performing arts organizations.
• ARVIVA – Arts vivants, Arts DurablesminorOthersFestival Ravel is a member of ARVIVA - Arts vivants, Arts Durables, a network promoting sustainable arts practices.
• Opéra National de BordeauxmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpéra National de Bordeaux partnered with Festival Ravel for the 'L'Enfant et les Sortilèges' educational project, providing expertise and student access to performances.
• Ville de Saint-Jean-de-LuzcoreOthersThe municipality of Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a key partner, providing venue access and municipal support for festival operations.
• Ville de CibourecoreOthersThe municipality of Ciboure (Ravel's birthplace) partners with the festival for venues and educational projects.
• Ville de BayonnesupportingOthersBayonne municipal partnership for concerts and the Prix du Musée Bonnat-Helleu.
• Département des Pyrénées-AtlantiquesmajorOthersDepartmental council supporting the festival through cultural development programs.
• KiLiKA CompanysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerKiLiKA Company partnered with Festival Ravel for educational and artistic projects including 'Mille et un... Boléro' school project and 'Parade' giant puppet performance.
• Les Concerts de PochesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Les Concerts de Poche for classical music accessibility programs.
• Mélomanes Côte SudsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner for concerts featuring young talents from Académie Ravel along the southern coast.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rencontres Musicales d'Évian: French summer chamber music festival combining established artists with young soloists in a regional town. Strong functional comparable given scale, French regional setting, and academy-style programming.
• Festival International de Piano de La Roque d'Anthéron: Major French summer piano and classical music festival featuring young talent and international soloists. Most direct comparable given its academy-adjacent programming, similar regional French setting, and public/private funding mix.
• Festival de Pâques d'Aix-en-Provence: Spring classical music festival in Provence pairing established international soloists with emerging talents via masterclasses. Comparable in festival-plus-education structure and French public sponsorship model.
• Festival de Saint-Denis: Paris-region classical music festival held in heritage sites, mixing established orchestras with educational programming. Comparable in heritage-venue programming and French public/corporate sponsorship structure.
• Académie Musicale de Villecroze: French summer music academy for young classical instrumentalists and composers. Closely comparable to the Académie Ravel component in scale, mission, and pedagogy.

Broad incumbents

• Chorégies d'Orange: Historic French summer opera and classical music festival with significant public funding and a broad donor base. Comparable in event-driven revenue model and reliance on French regional and state subsidies.
• Festival d'Aix-en-Provence: One of Europe's leading opera and classical music festivals, also running a renowned academy (Académie du Festival d'Aix). Comparable in festival-plus-academy model, though considerably larger in budget and prestige.
• Verbier Festival: Swiss international classical music festival with an integrated Academy program for young soloists. Closely comparable in festival-plus-academy hybrid model and global artist network.
• BBC Proms: Iconic multi-week classical music festival and academy ecosystem with broad public broadcasting partnership. Comparable in year-round concert diffusion and educational outreach at scale.

Others

• Les Concerts de Poche: French non-profit bringing classical music to rural and underserved areas via free concerts. Directly comparable as Festival Ravel's outreach partner and as a peer in classical music accessibility programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/festival.ravel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/festival-ravel
• Instagraminstagram.com/festivalravel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Festival Ravel