Chamber music is coming to Cairns later this year with a theme on horrible history and Schubert by the sea.
The nine-day Australian Festival of Chamber Music will run from July 24 to August 1 and features international artists that program organisers call ‘anything but polite’.
The theme of the festival will centre on the horrible fates of composers with works including a lost Holocaust-era work completed 80 years later.
It incorporates the Horrible Histories Composer Edition, which was inspired by the BBC series.
Artistic director and British violinist Jack Liebeck says the program is a balance between global excellence and powerful storytelling.
“The Australian Festival of Chamber Music is built on surprise, storytelling and extraordinary musicianship,” he says.
“From comic tales of composers’ untimely ends to deeply moving works of remembrance and environmental reflection, these concerts represent the breadth, imagination and emotional power at the heart of this year’s festival.”
International guests include Berlin Philharmonic Principal Horn Stefan Dohr, French cellist Christian-Pierre La Marca and Irish tenor Robin Tritschler with ensembles like the Sitkovetsky Piano Trio.
They will be joined by leading Australian musicians such as Piers Lane, Karin Schaupp, Lloyd Van’t Hoff and Charlotte Miles.
Audiences will hear new commissions including British composer Alex Turley’s new work for flute and string quartet.
LIEBECK’S TOP 5 CHAMBER PICKS
Horrible Histories, Composer Edition: Sunday July 26. This concert revives works from composers reported to have had dramatic deaths. These include Henry Purcell, Jean-Baptiste Lully, Isaac Nathan and Ernest Chausson.
A Tropical Winter’s Journey: Friday July 31. Schubert’s Winterreise in chamber arrangements, performed by Irish tenor Robin Tritschler.
Epoch Echoes: Friday July 31. Australian composer Lee Bradshaw completed a work begun 80 years ago by Gideon Klein in a Nazi concentration camp. Klein was killed on January 25, 1945, the date which titles this work which will be paired with Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio in C minor.
A Tale of Two: Wednesday July 29. Liebeck joins beloved former artistic director Piers Lane for a recital of Elgar and Brahms.
Wonderful World: Wednesday July 29. French cello star Christian-Pierre La Marca take part in a multimedia tribute to nature with cinematography from Yann Arthus-Bertrand and music from Faure to Philip Glass.
OTHER EVENTS
Cairns Colossal 150th – Monday July 27. A musical celebration of Cairns’ 150-year history from 1770 to cityhood.
Harbour Harmonies – Spirit of Cairns Lunch Cruise: A festival first, chamber music, fine dining and views of Trinity Inlet from the water.
AFCM Families’ Concert – Saturday August 1: An interactive introduction to classical music for the young.
To buy tickets, visit their website (see above) or else call Ticketlink on 1300 855 835.
OTHER MUSIC NEWS: Scottish icon comes to Brisbane
