Every year, when the students return to the benches of the amphitheaters, it is the same queue, barely believable, which crosses the main square, in Montpellier (Hérault). A crowd of young people crowd around after dark, all impatient to get to their folding seats… at the Opéra Comédie. “There is, every time, a queue to the tourist office! », rejoices Valérie Chevalier, the director of theOpera and the National Orchestra of Montpellier. In the fall, for years, the prestigious institution has organized a free concert for students. And it is, each time, a wild success.
For this great Italian-style theater, which does not allow any intermission to open itself to all spectators, this somewhat special symphonic show is a perfect way to rejuvenate its audience. Arthur was there last year. “It was the first time I went to this concert, and my first time at the opera,” confides this physics and chemistry student. I had simply gone there before to tour the building. I really enjoyed this concert, and I will go back with pleasure! The students played the game, and the feedback from my friends was very positive. » That evening, one of the spectators even had the honor of taking the place of the conductor, and leading the musicians for a few minutes. This sold-out concert made Arthur, like others, want to stick his nose into the opera program, to perhaps go see another show. Successful bet.
“We are working to break down the clichés anchored in the minds of young people”
“We try to break the somewhat outdated codes that young people may have about opera, we try to offer something more interactive,” confides Alyssa Leroy, a work-study student at the Montpellier Opera. This young recruit to the institution’s communications team knows this topic perfectly well: she wrote a dissertation on the means to be implemented to attract young people to the opera. “We are working to break down the clichés that are well anchored in the minds of young people, so that they can tell themselves that going to the opera is ultimately as good as going to the cinema,” continues -She. And, above all, convince them that there is no point in putting on a tuxedo as a tailcoat to enter the doors of the Opéra Comédie. “We always tell them: ‘Come as you are!’ », smiles Alyssa Leroy.
Going to the opera, “it’s a little intimidating, it’s less exciting than a concert at the Sud de France Arena or a football match at the Mosson,” Arthur admits. It’s not necessarily the place where we’re used to seeing young people! »And yet: at the Opéra Comédie, in Montpellier, the ranks are far from graying. The student concert, at each start of the school year, is not the only action that the institution puts in place to try to attract the youngest. Programming also contributes to this.
Rap, DJ and Halloween on the program this season
If the works of Mozart, Offenbach, Beethoven, Schubert and Puccini are there, this season, other dates are a little out of the ordinary. From October 21 to 31 (from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.), the Salle Molière will, for example, be the scene of an escape game, which will confront participants with strange events that occurred during the final preparations for an exhibition on the Italian composer Vincenzo Volta. On October 31, the Opéra Comédie will celebrate (totally!) Halloween, with macabre decoration and lots of creepy performances. On December 2 (8 p.m.), rapper Youssoupha will offer a performance on the opera stage mixing hip-hop, gospel and classical music. And on February 3, DJ Barbara Butch will transform the Grand foyer into a dance floor.
Not to mention the film concerts. Or the big return of the theater this year, which should also help to convince young people that going to the opera is a cultural outing that is not reserved for the elite. “Students mainly come to these kinds of shows, because at the beginning, it’s obviously a little more accessible, when you don’t know too much about opera,” explains Alyssa Leroy. But in general, when they discover this exceptional place, they want to come back. And besides, some come first for the magic of the site. Then, they come back, because they realize that there are lots of shows to discover, genres that they weren’t used to going to. »
Ultra-preferential rates for students
So of course, to convince students, you have to seek them out. Particularly on social networks, where the Opéra Comédie has been trying to distinguish itself for several months. “We surf on trends that work, and we adapt them to opera,” explains Alyssa Leroy. It’s not always easy, of course, because it’s a world of its own. For example, we developed a TikTok account this year. We really push it, with lots of videos, photos, stories… And we try to get the students involved as much as possible, by going to meet them, doing surveys, etc. »
This long-term work to attract young people would be in vain if it were not accompanied by significant efforts on prices. In Montpellier, going to the opera is really not expensive if you are a student. The Opéra Comédie is, of course, eligible for the Culture Pass and the Yoot du Crous, which allows you to buy seats at low prices for 9 euros. But with his Moon Pass (25 euros for three months, 40 euros for six months and 65 euros for one year), those under 30 can attend unlimited performances of the National Opera Orchestra. And they can invite a friend, who will only pay 10 euros. Finally, the opera, in Montpellier, when you are a student, is not more expensive than the cinema.