Vivendi is a longstanding partner of the Festival International d’Art Lyrique d’Aix-en-Provence (Aix-en-Provence International Opera Festival), one of the world’s leading music festivals. A must-experience event for music lovers from around the world, the festival strives to achieve the highest musical standards while enlarging the scope of audiences attending the event.

Vivendi has sponsored the festival since 1998 and will make its presence felt in various ways at this year’s event.

The CulturesWithVivendi website was created as part of Vivendi’s policy on corporate social responsibility. Its mission is to illustrate, via concrete examples, the role played by cultural and creative industries in fuelling economic growth, strengthening social cohesion and promoting innovation. Currently on the website are interviews with Bernard Foccroulle, the festival’s director, and Emilie Delorme, director of the festival’s European Academy of Music, which is devoted to training, exchanges of ideas and career development for up-and-coming musicians.

Vivendi’s web radio station, Vivoice, also features a very recent interview with Bernard Foccroulle (in french) on the festival’s economic, social and cultural impact.

The Vivendi Create Joy program supports the festival via solidarity efforts involving underprivileged communities and particularly this year the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra which will participate under the baton of the brilliant young French conductor Alain Altinoglu.

Launched by Vivendi in 2013, TheMediaShaker.com is a discussion forum devoted to the digital issues affecting the cultural industries. It is a natural fit to participate at this year’s Aix festival as part of CultureNum, a day of discussion launched by the festival that draws on the contributions of academics, cultural experts and digital professionals in a series of four round tables on Thursday, July 3. The round tables will also feature contributions from various artists, including William Kentridge, who will be directing Schubert’s Winterreise at this year’s festival, as well as the presentation of certain innovative projects. TheMediaShaker.com will publish a detailed report on the day’s proceedings and will interview several participants.

This year’s Aix Festival runs from July 2 to 24.