The Festival de la Vézère was born in 1981 as an initiative of Guy and Isabelle de Lasteyrie du Saillant and fourteen mayors of local authorities who met as part of the Intercommunal Development Union of Vézère. In the first year, five concerts were scheduled in five different locations, including the Chateau du Saillant. For the second festival, artists such as the violinist Patrice Fontanarosa and the cellist Roland Pidoux were invited to participate. Each subsequent edition of the festival has been marked by the presence of international artists who have developed the quality and reputation of the festival.

Since the festival’s inception, its influence in the region has grown. Currently, there are seventeen concerts with a total audience of more than 8,000 people in ten different cultural heritage sites. This rural cultural development is important, as almost 64% of the audience is made up of individuals who live in the Limousin region. The Salle de l’Auzelou became one of the festival’s multiple concert venues in 2013, after it was opened and inaugurated by French president Francois Hollande in January of this year.

The Camerata Chicago’s concert is the kick-off event for the 2013 Festival and is the first festival concert to take place in the brand-new hall.