The much-anticipated inaugural Sunshine Coast Chamber Music Festival will be held from June 18 to 20 and promises to excite, soothe, connect, challenge and inspire music lovers of every age.
The program showcases dynamic Australian artists and will feature nine memorable live performances in the region’s most breath-taking spaces.
Artistic director Louise King said her vision for this festival was to curate events that resonated with the Sunshine Coast community and lifestyle and to build new audiences and appreciation for the diversity of the festival musicians.
“The festival’s theme is Distance and Intimacy, Hope and Regeneration to reflect the timeless journey of chamber music to today’s unforeseen challenges for artists,” Ms King said.
“For many, this festival is the first opportunity in 12 months to perform live, so it promises to be a poignant occasion for everyone.”
A major aim of the festival is to support the Australian arts community and every ticket sold will count towards reigniting the arts and supporting talented artists from throughout and beyond the Sunshine Coast.
Ms King has chosen both traditional and unexpected settings across the region for each unique concert to celebrate the Coast’s natural, ancient landscapes through artistic collaboration, cultural exchange and evocative music.
Sunshine Coast Chamber Music Festival will reach a crescendo on June 19 with a black-tie gala concert, Songs of Sky, Bush and Moon.
The festival’s theme will be especially highlighted in a night of glamour and sophistication featuring three headline artists excited to command the main stage of the Caloundra Events Centre’s Kings Theatre.
Every song, their order and performing artist to feature in this concert is the result of a long-held dream of the festival’s artistic director, Ms King.
“There are three zones on the stage, and each will share a journey through space, time and creative endeavour, representing 40,000 years of history, music and storytelling from Indigenous works to contemporary.
“We have 11 incredibly talented artists playing, including three headliners, supported by upcoming stars and also layers of clever professionals contributing their skills in AV and lighting to weave together an experience for the ears and the eyes.
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“It will be a spectacle.”
Famous works and little-known gems by Australian composers are included.
Headline performer Eric Avery is a renowned First Nations artist and will share ancient chants and songs, followed by Opera Queensland soprano, Sofia Troncoso performing familiar works by Mozart, Puccini, Villa-Lobos and Piazzolla.
Internationally acclaimed classical guitarist Karin Schaupp will play works by Maximo Diego Pujol and a moving piece by emerging Queensland composer, Nava Ryan.
This concert will be the first time that Australian composer Ian Munro’s clarinet quintet, titled Songs from the Bush, will be performed in Queensland, by Irit Silver, who is Principal Clarinet for the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
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The festival’s own string quartet will also perform, and its members are gathered from the Australian World Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and many prestigious chamber music festivals across the country.
The two-hour gala will include an interval and close with the rousing work, Tarantelle, performed by Irit Silver on clarinet and Alison Mitchell on flute, accompanied on piano by Alex Raineri, the artistic director of the Brisbane Music Festival.
Other outstanding artists who will appear include Courtenay Cleary on violin, Sonia Wilson on violin, Raquel Bastos on viola, Louise King on cello and Caleb College providing percussion.
Tickets are selling fast for this one-of-a-kind concert.
Full program and tickets can be found at sccmf.com.au/songs-of-sky-bush-and-moon.
