The Reconciliation Festival is a young festival based in the Stavanger region of Norway. Our vision is guided by the United Nations Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals. We believe and want to demonstrate that art and science together can help build a more beautiful world and create a stronger social bond. The festival gives priority to active participation, in particular by seeking to involve children and young people, as they are the citizens of tomorrow. Over the course of a week of concerts, workshops and encounters with artists, the public is invited to share in the artistic experience as a force for reconciliation with nature and a transformative force in society.

The theme of the^3rd edition in 2025 is “Roots”. During the festival, we invite the public on a journey through time, culture and the personal stories of men and women artists and scientists. Each guest artist brings not only his or her own musical universe, but also the singular experience of his or her own cultural heritage. The guests will share their reflections on how this heritage is evolving in the contemporary context. We’re delighted to bring together leading artists from Norway, Europe and Africa to collaborate for a week and share with the public.

The festival pays tribute to French-Polish scientist Marie Curie, born Maria Sklodowska. The first woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics with her husband Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerel in 1903, she also received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911. Her exceptional career in a Europe beset by rising nationalism, before the conflagration of the First World War, reminds us how vital it still is to promote education, culture and equality between men and women. Beyond being a woman of science, Marie Curie was a loving mother, the mother of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Irène Joliot-Curie and journalist-writer Ève Curie Labouisse. Marie Curie loved to be close to nature and had a great artistic sensitivity. We are proud to contribute to the passion for science in the service of humanity by placing this exceptional woman at the heart of our festival.

Artists (nationality and country of residence)

• Jean-Guihen Queyras: cellist, French, Germany
• Ragnhild Hemsing: violinist, Norwegian, Norway
• Agata Szymczewska: violinist, Polish, Poland
• Anna-Liisa Eller: kannel, Estonian, Estonia
• André Lislevand: viola da gamba, French, Italy
• Frédéric Vaysse-Knitter: pianist and artistic advisor to the festival, French, France
• Lidia Ksizkiewicz: pianist, Polish, France
• Ilmari Hopkins: cellist and festival artistic advisor, Finnish-Norwegian-American, Norway
• Frida Siegrist Oliver: violist, Norwegian, Swiss (young talent)
• Thierry Escaich: organist, composer, French, France
• Nils Henrik Asheim: organist, composer, Norwegian, Norway
• Senny Camara: kora (African harp), Senegalese, France
• Sarah Camille Osmundsen: slam-poetry, Norwegian, Norway
• Sidiki Camara: musician with Sarah Camille, n’goni (African percussion), Malian, Norway
• Jørn Erik Ahlsen Alkanger: musician with Sarah Camille, guitar, Norwegian, Norway
• Marc Alexandre Oho Bambe: slam-poetry, Cameroonian, France

Scientists :

• Yves Quéré: physicist, festival patron, Académie des Sciences – Institut de France, French, France
• Aleksi Kurkela: physicist at CERN, Finnish, Norway
• Nadia Aarab: oceanographer, sustainability expert at Deep Ocean, co-founder of Clean Shores Global, Moroccan-Norwegian, Norway

Other participants :

• Nirina Haller: festival director, geophysicist, Franco-Norwegian, Norway
• Christian Hugonnet: President and Founder of La Semaine du Son
• Vanessa Livingston Andreassen: yoga, French-Canadian, Norway

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

• Opening concert: Sandnes – 7:30pm

A festive concert to launch UNESCO Sound Week, featuring most of the guest artists (in particular camel artists Capitaine Alexandre and Sarah Camille Osmundsen and their musicians), celebrating roots and diversity.

Thursday, August 21, 2025

• Concert at Sola Ruinkyrkje – at 7.30pm on the theme of cultural heritage from North and South.

Ragnhild Hemsing (hardingfele), Anna-Liisa Eller (kannel), Senny Camara (kora), André Lislevand (viola da gamba)

Saturday, August 23, 2025

• Concert at 2:00 pm: Stavanger. Carte Blanche with Jean-Guihen Queyras and guests
• Evening concert at 7.30pm: Sankt Petri Church. Concert: tribute to Marie Curie “L’enfance de Manya” – Polish music theme (piano-violin)

Sunday, August 24, 2025

• Concert at 2:00 pm: Stavanger Konserthus – Fartein Valen: Carte Blanche with Nils Henrik Asheim and Thierry Escaich.
• Closing concert at 7:30pm: Sankt Petri Church. Tribute to Marie Curie (with most of the guest artists)

Free UNESCO Sound Week and World Ocean Day 2025 events –

Workshops/meetings will be organized. The following 3 workshops are part of the Semaine du Son Unesco theme.

1. Discover traditional instruments from Norway and around the world.
2. Science workshop: “physics of music” and “nuclear physics” with the voluntary participation of Aleksi Kurkela (CERN) and Yves Quéré
3. Slam workshop with Sarah Camille Osmundsen and Marc Alexandre Oho Bambe