The following
information is from the Paris Tourist Office:
Free concerts galore
Between
September 13 until about June 19, 2008, every Thursday, except November 1
and May 8, free concerts will be held in the auditorium of the Petit
Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris. Exceptionally, there
will be concerts on October 31 and November 7.
You can collect
ticket 30 minutes before the start. No start times have yet been posted on
the website.
Petit Palais
Avenue
Winston-Churchill 75008
Telephone: 01 53
43 40 00
Paris has more than its fair share of free concerts and cheap gigs. Here
are a few tips to help you choose wisely and well.
Radio station concerts are sought after as they often feature
international stars and reputed orchestras, so make
sure you arrive early. France Musique does classical, jazz, contemporary
and traditional music and you can book
your seat in advance on the Radio France website or at the FNAC stores
(with a service charge).
Radio
France’s “Déclic” concerts, FIP (Radio France) concerts, “Le Pont des
artistes” on France Inter, RFI’s “La Bande passante” and Radio
Nova’s “Les Nuits zébrées” are all good ways to listen to excellent
music without breaking the bank.
The Cité internationale des arts across from the Île Saint-Louis in
the heart of the Marais was set up to welcome
professional musicians from abroad wanting to pursue their work in France.
The auditorium and recording studios
at the Centre host classical music, jazz and electronic music concerts two
to four times a month.
These free
concerts start at 8.30pm. Seats are limited, so get there early.
“Showcase” concerts at music shops are also an excellent way to listen to
French and/or foreign musicians free of
cost.
The FNAC
organizes a number of musical events at all its shops in the capital
(except for the FNAC Digitale at
Odéon).
Virgin
Megastore has a similar system with mini-concerts held at nearly all
the chain’s Parisian shops (Louvre,
Grands Boulevards, La Défense, Barbès, Belle Épine, and of course the
Champs-Élysées).
These events are
free: no booking required. They usually start at about 6.30 p.m.
Churches provide a picturesque and spiritual setting – with
excellent acoustics – for a number of free concerts (you
may be asked to make a small contribution after the concert). Some of the
best-known are the very popular organ
concerts at the Saint-Eustache and the Notre-Dame cathedral,
the concerts at the Eglise Saint-Merry, the Val-de-Grâce
church (organ and piano), the chapel at the École militaire
(classical, jazz and organ music), the “musical Sundays”
at the Madeleine church, the organ and piano concerts at the
Eglise des Billettes and the very varied programme at
the Swedish church.
RADIO FRANCE
116 avenue du Président-Kennedy 75016
Telephone: 33 (0)1 56 40 15 16
RFI
RADIO NOVA
CITÉ INTERNATIONALE DES ARTS
18 rue de l’Hôtel-de-Ville 75004
Telephone: 33 (0)1 42 78 71 72
FNAC
VIRGIN MEGASTORE
ÉGLISE SAINT-EUSTACHE
2 impasse Saint-Eustache, Paris 1st
Telephone: 33 (0)1 42 36 31 05
Concerts Sundays and public holidays, 5.30 p.m.- 6 p.m.
Map for
access
CATHÉDRALE NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS
Île de la Cité 6 place du Parvis 75004
Telephone: 33 (0)1 44 41 49 99
ÉGLISE SAINT-MERRY
76 rue de la Verrerie 75004
Telephone: 33 (0)1 42 71 40 75
Concerts Sundays, 4 p.m.- 6 p.m. (except in August)
ÉGLISE DES BILLETTES
22 rue des Archives 75005
Telephone: 33 (0)1 42 72 37 08
ÉGLISE DU VAL-DE-GRÂCE
1 place Alphonse-Laveran 75005
Organ and piano concerts, first Saturday of the month at 7p.m.
CHAPELLE DE L’ÉCOLE MILITAIRE (for concerts)
13 place Joffre 75007
One Wednesday each month, 8 p.m.
Photos of the interior
ÉGLISE DE LA MADELEINE
14 rue de Surène 75008
ÉGLISE SUÉDOISE
9 rue Médéric 75017
Telephone: 33 (0)1 44 29 70 00
Schedule of concerts -
scroll down to Körer Konserter and click on Konserter
Jazz concerts in Paris
Many jazz clubs have free admission. Pick up a copy of
"l'officiel des spectacles" for 35 euro cents or "Pariscope" for 40
euro cents.
In side under the "Concerts" section, you will see
subdivisions, including Jazz. Look for the phrase "Ent. libre" which
means free admission.
Question:
We will travel to Paris soon, with three teens. We want to visit
Cafe' Universel , 267 rue Saint Jaques, in the 5th, since they
have jazz. Have you been here? Whad u think?
Are the teens allowed with their parents?
Is there a minimum age, like here in Los Angeles, for young people
to enter a club?
Response:
I called and there is no minimum age to enter and
listen to the music.
On the weekend it is best to be there by 9 p.m. and
during the week, 9:15 p.m.
When you come to Paris pick up a magazine called
l'officiel des spectacles. It costs 35 euro cents and will list
numerous jazz clubs.
If you would like free admission, look for the words
"Ent. libre".
|
May 2008
