La Cité de la Voix
La Cité de la Voix is a French public establishment serving as a national center for vocal art in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, hosting artist residencies, festivals, professional training, and artistic education programs for singers, choral groups, educators, schools, and general audiences from three regional sites.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersVézelay, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What La Cité de la Voix does
La Cité de la Voix is a French public cultural establishment (établissement public) headquartered in Vézelay, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, operating as a Centre national d'art vocal under the authority of the Région Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Founded in its current form in 2015 through the merger of Arsys Bourgogne, the Rencontres musicales de Vézelay, and earlier Cité de la Voix activities, it now operates from three sites (Vézelay, Dijon, Besançon) with 16 staff. Its mission centers on vocal arts: hosting artist residencies (300+ artists annually), organizing festivals (Rencontres musicales de Vézelay, Chants Libres, Les Quotidiennes, Elles chantent, Gainsbourg et cætera), delivering professional and amateur training (136 trainees in 2024/2025, 99% satisfaction), and supporting artistic education in schools and healthcare settings.
The organization's core assets include the CDAC (Centre de Documentation pour l'Art Choral), a 60,000+ document research library on choral music, and the La Marelle digital platform for children's choir facilitation. It also operates Le Studio #CDLV, a multimedia content hub. Its revenue model is hybrid: public subsidies from the Region, Ministry of Culture (DRAC), and departmental councils form the institutional backbone, supplemented by ticket sales, professional training fees (€180–€800), private donations (starting at €50/year with tax benefits), and sponsorship (Caisse des Dépôts, Fondation Bettencourt Schueller). The organization serves professional singers, amateur choirs (500+ catalogued), music educators, schools, healthcare facilities, and general cultural audiences (10,000+ festival attendees annually), anchored by its association with the professional ensemble Les Métaboles and the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Vézelay basilica.
La Cité de la Voix firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- La Cité de la Voix
- Legal name
- Cité de la Voix Vézelay / Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
- Website
- https://lacitedelavoix.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- La Cité de la Voix is a French public establishment serving as a national center for vocal art in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, hosting artist residencies, festivals, professional training, and artistic education programs for singers, choral groups, educators, schools, and general audiences from three regional sites.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
La Cité de la Voix industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cultural Arts and Vocal Music Services
- NAICS
- Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC), Session Musicians & Vocalists (MPAIAHAC)
Keywords
Where La Cité de la Voix is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vézelay
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
La Cité de la Voix business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Public Subsidies and Institutional Funding: La Cité de la Voix is a public establishment (établissement public) funded by regional authorities including the Région Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, the Ministry of Culture (DRAC), and departmental councils (Yonne, Doubs). This constitutes the primary funding source.
- Ticket Sales and Concert Revenue: Revenue from the public season, festivals (Rencontres musicales de Vézelay, Chants Libres, Quotidiennes, Elles chantent), and other public performances through ticket sales across multiple venues.
- Donations and Patronage: Donor programs offering tax reduction benefits (66% of donation amount, up to 20% of taxable income). Donors receive advantages such as early access to festival tickets and discounts on full-price concerts.
- Training Fees: Professional training courses and workshops generate revenue, with fees ranging from free (for public sector employees) to €800 for professional tracks. Financed through OPCO/AFDAS for employees and intermittents.
- Space Rental: Rental of facilities including the auditorium (92 seats), rehearsal rooms, and six studios with six bedrooms for events, colloquia, and performances at the Vézelay site.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Festival concert series pricing (Series I, II, III) |
| Subscription | Annual | Donor subscription (mécénat/donateur) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pass Culture |
| Subscription | One time/ perpetual license | Professional training fees |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Cahier de vacances (activity book) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
La Cité de la Voix product offering
Product offeringCore offering
La Cité de la Voix is a public national vocal arts center (Centre national d'art vocal) headquartered in Vézelay, France, that delivers a season of public concerts and festivals (Rencontres musicales de Vézelay, Chants Libres, Elles chantent, Les Quotidiennes), hosts artistic residencies for professional vocal ensembles, runs professional training for singers and choral directors, supports amateur choir practice across the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, and operates the CDAC documentation center housing over 60,000 choral music resources. It also deploys artistic education programs in schools, healthcare settings, and vocational lycées through dedicated partnerships.
Product overview
La Cité de la Voix operates as a public national vocal arts center (Centre national d'art vocal) with a multi-product portfolio organized around five core pillars: (1) the CDAC documentation center offering over 60,000 choral music resources, (2) artistic creation and diffusion through public seasons and festivals including Rencontres musicales de Vézelay, Chants Libres, and Les Quotidiennes, (3) professional and amateur training programs, (4) educational initiatives including 100% Chorale school programs and CLEA local contracts, and (5) La Marelle digital platform for children's choir facilitation. The organization also provides artistic residencies hosting over 300 artists annually, and operates Le Studio multimedia hub for content distribution. The ensemble Les Métaboles has been associated with the establishment since January 2023.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CDAC - Centre de Documentation pour l'Art Choral: Documentation center integrated into La Cité de la Voix in 2020, housing over 60,000 documents dedicated to choral music across centuries.
- Les Quotidiennes
- Rencontres musicales de Vézelay
- Elles chantent, composent, dirigent
- Chants Libres
- La Marelle
Products and services
- Saison Publique (Public Concert Season) Year-round public programming featuring concerts, festival events, artist residency encounters, and seasonal highlights for individual concert-goers, music lovers, and cultural tourists.
- Résidences Artistiques (Artistic Residencies) Residency program hosting over 300 artists annually, providing rehearsal rooms, an auditorium, six studio accommodations with bedrooms, technical staff, and equipment for professional and amateur vocal ensembles.
- Formation Professionnelle (Professional Training) Continuing education programs for singers, choral conductors, and music educators covering choral conducting, vocal coaching, repertoire, digital tools for choir direction, and inclusion training.
- Stages et Ateliers Amateurs (Amateur Workshops) Vocal practice workshops for amateur singers including Arabo-Andalusian chant stages, vocal technique workshops, and chorale stages linked to seasonal programming.
- Centre de Documentation pour l'Art Choral (CDAC) Specialized choral music documentation center with over 60,000 documents (52,000 scores, 1,500 books, 2,500 periodical issues, 3,300 recordings) offering computerized online catalog access and personalized repertoire research support to researchers, performers, and choral directors.
- Festival Chants Libres Biannual choral festival featuring 80+ concerts across 6 French regions, showcasing amateur and professional choirs, co-organized with the Fondation Bettencourt Schueller.
- Les Quotidiennes Summer festival featuring four young musical ensembles performing daily free-admission concerts in the basilica and garden of Vézelay, supported by the Caisse des Dépôts as principal patron.
- Rencontres musicales de Vézelay Four-day August music festival with 20+ concerts in the UNESCO World Heritage basilica of Vézelay and surrounding village churches, attracting nearly 10,000 attendees annually and featuring Europe's vocal ensembles.
- Elles Chantent
Quantifiable outcome
- 300+ artists hosted annually in residences, with over 10,000 festival attendees per year
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use La Cité de la Voix
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
La Cité de la Voix technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
La Cité de la Voix partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Fondation Bettencourt SchuellerflagshipThe Fondation Bettencourt Schueller co-organizes the annual Chants Libres choral festival with La Cité de la Voix. The 6th edition in June 2026 featured over 80 concerts across 6 regions of France, with the foundation providing long-term support for choral singing and artistic programming.
- Les MétabolescoreThe ensemble Les Métaboles, directed by Léo Warynski and created in 2010, has been officially associated with the establishment since January 2023. The ensemble participates in creation, diffusion, training, professional insertion, and cultural education activities.
- Fondation Artistes à l'HôpitalcorePartnership to implement the 'Notes de Choeur' program in EHPAD facilities in the Yonne department (L'Isle-sur-Serein, Noyers-sur-Serein, Thizy, Saint-Julien-du-Sault). Artists conduct music workshops for isolated or hospitalized individuals.
- Orchestre de la Garde Républicaineminor120-musician orchestra under Lt-Colonel Bastien Stil, invited to perform at the Chants Libres 2026 festival. The orchestra has performed at prestigious venues including Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.
- Ensemble ObsidienneminorVocal and instrumental ensemble directed by Emmanuel Bonnardot, specializing in Medieval and Renaissance repertoire with historically informed performances, performing at Chants Libres 2026.
- Singall (Dijon)minorOne of the largest choirs in Bourgogne with nearly 150 chorists, celebrating 30 years of Afro-American music (traditional gospel to soul). Performs at the Chants Libres festival with live musicians.
- À Cœur JoiecoreNational association defending and promoting amateur and professional choral singing. À Cœur Joie represents 300 choirs (children, youth, adult) representing more than 10,000 choristers. Co-organizes training courses and publishes choral repertoire.
- IFAC – Institut Français d'Art ChoralcoreNon-profit association creating a space for exchange to valorize choral diversity. Partners with La Cité de la Voix on choral conducting training programs (e.g., the Besançon formation track).
- AFC-Europa CantatminorEuropean choral federation founded by César Geoffray and Gottfried Wolters (1960-1963), organizing triennial international choral encounters. La Cité de la Voix participates in this European choral network.
- CMF – Confédération Musicale de FranceminorOnly federation in France uniting music education and amateur practice, representing 112 departmental/regional delegations, over 1,000 music schools, and 4,000 ensembles with 300,000 members.
- JMF – Jeunesses Musicales de FranceminorOver 70 years of action for music access for all children and youth, prioritizing underserved territories. Network of professional musical outreach.
- MESH – Musique et situations de handicapminorNational resource center for Music & Disability working toward inclusion of people with disabilities in music education and practice. Co-organizes webinars on inclusion in amateur ensembles.
- INECC Mission Voix LorraineminorResource center for choral and vocal practices in Lorraine. Co-developer of the certification 'Encadrer un groupe de pratiques vocales en musiques actuelles' and partner in the Le Tour de la Question webinar series.
- FCFC – Fédération des Chorales de Franche-ComtéminorFederation aiming to unite all amateur choirs of Franche-Comté for visibility in the regional cultural landscape.
- Réseau CanopéminorEducational network contributing to the La Marelle project development as a funding and co-production partner, supporting digital resources for children's choir education.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
La Cité de la Voix competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Opéra National de Lyon: Major French opera house with a national remit for production, residencies, and education. Comparable as a French public cultural institution with a season, educational initiatives, and a documentation/library function, but with a much larger scale and a focus on opera rather than choral music.
- Philharmonie de Paris — Cité de la Musique: France's flagship music institution combining concert venues, a museum, educational programs, and an extensive documentation center. Comparable to La Cité de la Voix in offering concerts, training, education, and documentation, but on a much larger scale and with broader music-genre coverage rather than specialization in vocal arts.
Direct peers
- Fondation Royaumont (Abbaye de Royaumont): Renowned cultural center housed in a historic abbey offering artist residencies, training programs, festivals, and a music research center. Operates as a comparable performing arts center with residencies, training, and festival programming, targeting similar professional and amateur vocal/music communities.
- Ensemble Aedes: Leading French vocal ensemble that partners with La Cité de la Voix on the 100% Chorale school program. Directly comparable as a professional vocal ensemble combining concert activity, education, and outreach, often working with the same audiences and territories.
- Les Arts Florissants: Internationally renowned French vocal and instrumental ensemble founded by William Christie, with a parallel academy for training young singers and conductors. Operates a comparable ensemble-driven model combining performance, training, and educational outreach in the vocal arts field.
- Centre de musique baroque de Versailles: National center dedicated to researching, performing, and disseminating French Baroque music, with a documentation center, training programs, and concert production. Operates a similar hub-and-spoke model combining documentation, training, and performance that is closely comparable to La Cité de la Voix's CDAC-plus-festival structure.
- Centre national d'art vocal d'Aix-en-Provence: Sister Centre national d'art vocal within the same Ministry of Culture network initiated in 2020. Operates with the same national designation, similar choral residency and training mission, and competes for the same pool of national vocal arts funding and artists.
Emerging players
- Festival d'Aix-en-Provence: Major international opera and music festival held annually in Provence, with an academy for young artists and significant educational programming. Comparable as a French festival ecosystem with strong residencies, training, and a multi-site regional footprint, but with a broader opera focus rather than choral specialization.
Others
- Pôle Supérieur d'Enseignement Artistique Paris Boulogne-Billancourt (PSPBB): Higher education institution for music and dance offering professional training and certification. Directly comparable to La Cité de la Voix's training arm (choral conducting, vocal coaching) but in a degree-granting academic setting rather than a continuing-education residency model.
- Fondation de France — Culture & Music Programs: Major French philanthropic foundation that funds cultural and music projects nationwide, including partnership programs with vocal arts institutions. Is a peer not as a competitor but as a comparable ecosystem actor: a major funding intermediary for choral and music initiatives in France.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
La Cité de la Voix social profiles
Digital presenceLa Cité de la Voix compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
La Cité de la Voix financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
La Cité de la Voix leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
La Cité de la Voix subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
La Cité de la Voix funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
La Cité de la Voix M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about La Cité de la Voix
What does La Cité de la Voix do?
La Cité de la Voix is a public national vocal arts center (Centre national d'art vocal) headquartered in Vézelay, France, that delivers a season of public concerts and festivals (Rencontres musicales de Vézelay, Chants Libres, Elles chantent, Les Quotidiennes), hosts artistic residencies for professional vocal ensembles, runs professional training for singers and choral directors, supports amateur choir practice across the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, and operates the CDAC documentation center housing over 60,000 choral music resources. It also deploys artistic education programs in schools, healthcare settings, and vocational lycées through dedicated partnerships.
Is La Cité de la Voix a public or private company?
La Cité de la Voix is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was La Cité de la Voix founded?
La Cité de la Voix was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is La Cité de la Voix based?
La Cité de la Voix is headquartered in Vézelay, France, in the Europe region.
How does La Cité de la Voix make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Public Subsidies and Institutional Funding is the primary driver. The others are ticket Sales and Concert Revenue, donations and Patronage, training Fees and space Rental.
Who are La Cité de la Voix's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Opéra National de Lyon and Philharmonie de Paris — Cité de la Musique. Direct peers are Fondation Royaumont (Abbaye de Royaumont), Ensemble Aedes, Les Arts Florissants, Centre de musique baroque de Versailles and Centre national d'art vocal d'Aix-en-Provence. Festival d'Aix-en-Provence is listed as an emerging player. Others are Pôle Supérieur d'Enseignement Artistique Paris Boulogne-Billancourt (PSPBB) and Fondation de France — Culture & Music Programs.
Does La Cité de la Voix have an API?
No public API is recorded for La Cité de la Voix.
What industry is La Cité de la Voix in?
La Cité de la Voix's product category is Cultural Arts and Vocal Music Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAM, Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking), with a secondary code of BPAGAHAB, Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music). Its NAICS code is 711130.