Australian Festival of Chamber Music
The Australian Festival of Chamber Music is an unlikely combination of fine music and seductive tropical climate. Held annually in the North Queensland city of Townsville it has an enviable global reputation for the quality of its distinguished artists, and as a happy meeting place for Australian and overseas visitors who enjoy the opportunity to hear and meet international musicians in the warmly inviting tropical winter setting of Townsville and The Great Barrier Reef.
As a holiday destination it provides a wide range of environments, from beaches to rainforest, the outback and tablelands to Magnetic Island and The Great Barrier Reef. The average temperature in August is 24° with clear blue skies, sunny days and gentle breezes. Add to that the chance to rub shoulders with some of the famous names performing day and night and you have a winning combination.
Revered Australian-born pianist, Piers Lane AO, returns as Artistic Director to curate the comprehensive schedule for the Festival, which is now in its 24th year. World-class musicians will visit Townsville from countries such as the UK, USA, Holland and Germany, with a strong contingent from Australia and New Zealand, transforming the North Queensland town into a vibrant cultural hub.
In AFCM tradition, important composers with anniversaries this year have inspired the programme, from C.P.E Bach (1714 – 1788) to Richard Strauss (1864 – 1949) and Christoph Willibald von Gluck (1714 – 1787) to Andrzej Panufnik (1914 – 1991)…just to name a few.
Both well established and up-and-coming artists will impress concert-goers with their exceptional talent, including Dutch Music Prize recipient bassoonist, Bram van Sambeek (Holland), one of Britain’s finest cellists, Alexander Baillie (UK/Germany), pianist Martin Roscoe (UK), violinist Tasmin Little (UK), playing Four World Seasons, inspired by Vivaldi and written for her by Panufnik’s daughter and Dene Olding (Australia) conducting a cast of singers and musicians performing Maxwell Davies’ children’s opera Cinderella. Some fine voices are represented with American baritone Thomas Meglioranza, Australian soprano, Sara Macliver, and tenor, Andrew Goodwin, performing repertoire from Bach to Maxwell Davies.
Festival favourites representing Australia’s local talent will also return, such as William Barton, Kees Boersma, Daniel de Borah, Neal Peres da Costa, Camerata of St John’s and Diana Doherty. Among them is this year’s Composer-in-Residence, the charismatic Elena Kats-Chernin, and one of Australia’s most beloved pianists, Pamela Page, who will celebrate her eightieth birthday year in two short appearances.
An exciting addition to the 2014 programme is the internet-based hunt for the public’s favourite forgotten string quartet, which invites the community to vote online for their favourite, albeit obscure, string quartet. This unique and interactive feature of the festival allows festivalgoers the chance to be actively involved with the programming of a concert. During the Saturday afternoon Forgotten String Quartets concert, the Goldner String Quartet and New Zealand String Quartet will showcase a number of overlooked string quartet masterpieces, concluding their performance with a rendition of the forgotten string quartet piece that received the most online votes.
Also debuting in 2014 is the Concert Crawl, which, as the name suggests, gives visitors a fun way to see the sights of Townsville. There are three venues on the itinerary for the night and the audience will be divided into three groups: A (Art Gallery), B (Brewery) and C (Courthouse). Enjoy a half hour concert at each venue consisting of different music and musicians accompanied by a glass of wine and canapés.
AFCM is celebrating the newly constructed Palm Island jetty as part of its programme with a relaxing day trip to the spectacular Palm Island. Partnering with Sealink, guests will enjoy a cruise, hopefully accompanied by whales, arriving in time for lunch together before having the opportunity to get acquainted with the natural beauty and history of the island. In the afternoon, William Barton, Yousif Sheronick and Camerata of St John’s will perform a charming concert accompanied by Palm Island primary school children.