For many, Paris is the capital of cabaret and the arts, thanks to its impressive museums, exhibitions and countless cultural attractions. However, classical music is not to be outdone.
From the Opéra Garnier to the Philharmonie de Paris, not forgetting the famous festivals, many emblematic venues offer performances all year round to music lovers. If we’ve piqued your curiosity, so much the better, because we’ve compiled a list of the best classical music concerts in Paris in 2025, and where they’re taking place.
The Philharmonie de Paris
The Philharmonie offers around 500 concerts a year, but we’ll just mention a few of their highly anticipated shows:
🎵 Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Founded in 1868, the orchestra will leave its sumptuous Tonhalle in Zurich for a sensational performance conducted by maestro Paavo Järvi. With Víkingur Ólafsson at the piano, get ready to hear melodies from Le Concert românesc, Schumann’s Symphony No. 3 and many more.
📅 March 18
🎵 Le Petit Grand Festival
The festival created entirely for children returns to Paris with a new program, featuring classical performances, puppet shows and a children’s choir.
📅 March 29-30
🎵 Piano recitals
South Korean rising star Yunchan Lim takes over the Philharmonie de Paris on April 3, at the age of 20, after becoming the youngest person ever to win the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, reinterpreting pieces by Hanurij Lee and Bach. On April 4, another heavyweight of the classical world returns to Paris with an even bigger and bolder piano recital. World-renowned Chinese pianist Lang Lang will perform demanding compositions by Fauré, Schumann and Chopin for two hours of pure musical bliss.
📅 April 3, 5
🎵 Rising stars / Carlos Ferreira – Pedro Emanuel Pereira
If, on the other hand, you’re in the mood for chamber music, look no further than this captivating concert featuring Carlos Ferreira, principal clarinet of the Orchestre national de France, and Pedro Emanuel Pereira on piano. Expect to enjoy Debussy, Poulenc, Ding and Schumann.
📅 April 12
🎵 Johann Sebastian Bach’s Easter Oratorio
Celebrate Easter Monday with Bach’s Oratorio at the Philharmonie de Paris, where conductor Christophe Rousset will lead Les Talens Lyriques in a much-loved score.
📅 April 21
🎵 Arcadi Volodos, piano recital
Volodos has become a benchmark in classical music, and this year the celebrated Russian pianist will take to the stage at the Grande Salle Pierre Boulez to perform Schubert, Schumann and Liszt.
📅 May 19
Palais Garnier
🎵 Pascal Dusapin’s Dante Il Viaggio
Don’t miss Pascal Dusapin’s fascinating new opera production Il Viaggio, Dante. With six performances in total from March 21, the opera features an all-star ensemble with Claudio Colangelo, Dominique Visse, Danae Kontora, Jennifer France, David Leigh, Bo Skovhus and Christel Loetzsch. Conducted by the brilliant Kent Nagano, this masterpiece is an ode to the mystery and beauty of eternal salvation.
📅 March 21 – April 9
L’Opéra Bastille
🎵 Massenet’s Manon : Opéra national de Paris
Maestro Pierre Dumoussot takes the baton at the Opéra national de Paris headquarters to bring you a comic opera in five acts and six scenes, inspired by Abbé Prévost’s novel L’Histoire du chevalier Des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut. The performance features Nadine Sierra and Amina Edris in the title role of Manon, in May and June respectively, who is destined for the convent by her family.
📅 May 26 – June 20
The Royal Opera at the Château de Versailles
This summer, the exquisite Opéra Royal at the Château de Versailles welcomes the whimsical show Le Carnaval Baroque. From street theater to a manhunt through the alleyways of Baroque Rome, this carnival depicts indulgent pre-Lenten celebrations through gravity-defying acrobatics and famous 17th-century arias.
📅 June 19-22
The Chopin Festival
Organized for over 30 years, the famous Chopin Festival takes place in the bucolic gardens of Parc de Bagatelle. On the program: Chopin ‘s most emblematic works, as well as other original pieces written in the style of the Polish composer. For lovers of classical music, this is one of the best festivals in Europe.
📅 June – July 2025
European Young Talent Festival
Although dates have yet to be confirmed, the Festival Européen Jeunes Talents will take over Paris for the 25th time at the Archives Nationales, Hôtel de Soubise and other venues. This annual event showcases some of the finest young talent from various European conservatories, and this year will be no exception.
📅 July 2025
Candlelight Concerts
Held throughout the year in some of the city’s most beautiful venues, such as the Institut national des jeunes aveugles and the Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe, these tributes offer classical music in a warm atmosphere, thanks to thousands of flickering candles. From Mozart and Chopin to Vivaldi and Beethoven, as well as other musical genres reinterpreted in classical form, there’s something for everyone, even those unfamiliar with classical music.
This list of highly anticipated classical music concerts in Paris in 2025 highlights the diversity of Paris’ cultural offerings. Whether you’re a seasoned aficionado or looking to broaden your musical knowledge, don’t miss any of these performances.