2018 Australian Festival of Chamber Music
- Written by Kath Rose
Announcing the North Queensland holiday that literally sounds spectacular!
North Queensland shines as host of the most prestigious chamber music event in the Southern Hemisphere. Oh, and there’s that famous Wintersun as well!
Three extraordinary holiday escapes starring the famous North Queensland wintersun and classical sounds have been announced by the 2018 Australian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM), which is set to welcome more than 35 internationally acclaimed musicians from across the globe to Townsville from July 27 to August 5.
Famed as the most prestigious chamber music event in the Southern Hemisphere, this year’s AFCM features six world and 16 Australian premieres and stunning concerts on both Orpheus and Magnetic Islands - in all, more than 25 concerts and 5 special events performed by the world’s best chamber musicians in churches, theatres and gardens throughout the North Queensland city. Twenty-one artists will make their AFCM debut, and six of these will perform in Australia for the very first time.
2018 AFCM holiday package customers can save up to 10% on concert ticket prices, and can choose from three exclusive packages:
- Opening Weekend Extravaganza, includes three nights’ accommodation and a ticket to three of the most popular festival concerts including Opening Night Lift Off! on Friday July 27, Concert Conversations 1 with Artistic Director Kathryn Stott on Saturday July 28, and the Governor’s Gala Exotic Excursions also on Saturday July 28. Prices start from AUD$466 per person twin share, or AUD$444 for AFCM members.
- Closing Weekend Indulgence, includes three nights’ accommodation and a ticket to the three final concerts including Evening Series Love Letters on Friday August 3, Concert Conversations 6 with Artistic Director Kathryn Stott on Saturday August 4, and the Festival Farewell Magical Connections also on Saturday August 4. Prices start from AUD$450 per person twin share, or AUD$430 for AFCM members.
- Sunset Spectacular, a mid-week music getaway from Wednesday August 1 to Friday August 3, offering the perfect introduction to chamber music with a ticket to 3 consecutive concerts in the Ray Golding Sunset Series, Bach by Candlelight 1, Spain versus Italy and Love Stories. Prices start from AUD$392 per person twin share or AUD$378 for AFCM Members.
The 28th AFCM will take place over 10 glorious days from Friday 27th July to Sunday 5th August. The program includes six morning Concert Conversations, five Sunset Series events, seven Evening Series concerts and Winterschool masterclasses and performances. New in 2018 are the Cleveland Bay Supper Club Lounge Concert, the AFCM Up Late event titled The World Comes to Flinders, the Dovetailing Barber concert which is set to be a wonderful event at Mary Mackillop Church, and the AFCM After Party which will be held on Magnetic Island.
Popular events include the Opening Night Concert titled Lift Off!, the Governor’s Gala on Saturday evening July 28 titled Exotic Excursions, the much-anticipated free Queens Garden Concert hosted by Mairi Nicholson as well as the Families Concert, the Festival Farewell and the extraordinary concert experience on Orpheus Island.
In a stunning coup, celebrated Chinese musician and master Sheng player Wu Tong will make his Australian debut. He is joined by Argentina’s JP Jofre (Bandoneon), Lars Anders Tomter (Viola) and Tine Thing Helseth (Trumpet) both from Norway, Katya Apekisheva (Piano) from the UK, and the famed Pavel Fischer (Violin) from the Czech Republic who will perform and direct the Festival’s Winterschool. The 2018 Composer-in-Residence is Melbourne-based Julian Yu, with Artistic Director Kathryn Stott predicting that his Passacaglia performed by Philadelphia-based violinist Grace Clifford, who at just 20 years of age will be the youngest artist to ever attend the AFCM, will be a festival highlight. Quartet-in-Residence is the much loved and musically sublime Goldner String Quartet.
Date and Ticket Details
Tickets, festival passes including the NEW Platinum Pass and holiday packages are on sale now.
Australian Festival of Chamber Music: 27 July – 5 August 2018 | Townsville, North Queensland
www.afcm.com.au | Facebook | Twitter | #afcm18
>AFCM principal partners include; Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and Arts Queensland, and Townsville City Council.
>The multi-award winning Australian Festival of Chamber Music is recognised as a major event on the Tourism and Events Queensland calendar.
>The Queensland Government is proud to support the Australian Festival of Chamber Music through Tourism and Events Queensland as part of the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar. Queensland, just the place to experience Australia’s best live events.
