Tune in and chill out to some of the best concerts from the Australian Festival of Chamber Music:
ABC Classic pays tribute to music made in the north
This is your official invitation to tune in, and chill out…
Tune in to ABC CLASSIC all week starting Monday August 3, and chill out as the station celebrates some of the best music from the internationally acclaimed Australian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM), which of course is the music event that calls Townsville in North Queensland home every winter.
But it won’t this year because of COVID19. Instead, organisers have thrilled music lovers with the creation of Festival Prelude, a three-day online festival from August 7 to 9. In the leadup to Festival Prelude, ABC Classic will pay tribute to chamber music created in Townsville by broadcasting eight concerts from the 2019, 2018 and 2017 festivals.
ABC Classic – Monday August 3 to Sunday August 9
Mon 3 Aug, 1pm AFCM 2019 Opening Night Concert – Creations
Tues 4 Aug, 1pm AFCM 2019 Sunset Series Concert – Czech It Out!
Wed 5 Aug, 1pm AFCM 2018 Evening Series – Life Force
Wed 5 Aug, 8pm AFCM 2017 Bach by Candlelight 1
Thurs 6 Aug, 1pm AFCM 2017 Evening Series – German Romantics
Thur 6 Aug, 8pm AFCM 2017 Bach by Candlelight 2
Sat 8 Aug, 1pm AFCM 2018 Governor’s Gala – Exotic Excursions
Sun 9 Aug, 1pm AFCM 2019 Evening Series – A Tale of Two Cites: Moscow/Paris
The AFCM was scheduled to be held from 31 July to 9 August in Townsville. It was to be the 30thanniversary of the annual musical extravaganza that attracts musicians and fans from all over the world, and the final under the artistic direction of acclaimed British pianist Kathryn Stott. It was postponed earlier this year due to COVID19, with the majority of the program and artists successfully rescheduled to the 2021 dates of 23 July to 01 August.
Festival Prelude is headlined by three feature concerts live-streamed to audiences, with thanks to a partnership with the Melbourne Digital Concert Hall. The feature concerts are supported by a program of digital content and specially recorded performances where Kathryn Stott plays with some of the biggest names in chamber music including violinist Jack Liebeck (incoming AFCM Artistic Director) and baritone Roderick Williams. Each day is hosted by Kathryn Stott and includes interviews, flashbacks, a daily Chamber Challenge, and a stunning celebration of Townsville and North Queensland!
The three headline concerts include:
DAY ONE: Friday 7 August, 7pm – Spring Sonata
Lloyd Van’t Hoff, one of Australia’s most vibrant young clarinettists with Kristian Chong, one of the country’s leading concert pianists in a 90-minute concert that includes a 30-minute Q&A, streamed live from the Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne.
Repertoire:
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN – Violin Sonata in F major, no. 5 Op. 24 “Spring Sonata” (arr. for clarinet)
Johannes BRAHMS – Sonata for Clarinet and Piano in F minor, op. 120 no. 1
Johannes BRAHMS – Three Intermezzi Op. 117, no. 1 (arr. for clarinet and piano, Paolo Gorini)
DAY TWO: Saturday 8 August, 7pm – Dream a little Dream
Ensemble Liaison in concert! This exciting trio includes internationally acclaimed musicians David Griffiths (clarinet), Svetlana Bogosavljevic (cello) and Timothy Young (piano) and is a favourite of AFCM audiences. The 90-minute concert includes a 30-minute Q&A, live streamed from the Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne. Audience members will have the opportunity to send in questions ahead of the concert.
Repertoire:
Timothy YOUNG – Fantasy Trio ‘Für ELise’
Johannes BRAHMS – Trio for Clarinet Cello and Piano in A minor, Op 114
Earl WILDE – Concert Etude n.3 ‘The Man I Love’
Igor FROLOV – Concert Fantasy on themes from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (arr. Ensemble Liaison)
DAY THREE: Sunday 9 August, 4pm – An American in Paris
Nexas Quartet in concert! At the forefront of dynamic chamber music, Nexas Quartet include Michael Duke (Soprano Saxophone), Andrew Smith (Alto Saxophone), Nathan Henshaw (Tenor Saxophone) and Jay Byrnes (Baritone Saxophone), with standing ovations from thrilled audiences par for their course. The 90-minute event includes a 30-minute Q&A, live from the UNSW in Sydney.
Repertoire:
Astor PIAZZOLLA – La Muerte del Ángel (arr. Byrnes)
George GERSHWIN – An American in Paris (arr. Byrnes)
Claude DEBUSSY – Clair de lune (arr. Byrnes)
Graciano DE LEONE – Reliquias portenas (arr. Gustavo Hunt)
Pierre-Max DUBOIS – Quatuor pour Saxophones
Jean RIVIER – Grave et Presto
Michael DUKE – Los Zapatos de Roberto
*Australian Festival of Chamber Music ONLINE – Festival Prelude August 7 to 9
Tickets on sale from Monday 13thJuly
FULL PROGRAM and tickets available at afcm.com.au and via melbournedigitalconcerthall.com
Digital ticket – single concert – $20 plus $4 admin fee)
Digital ticket – Festival pass (includes all 3 concerts) – $57 plus $8 admin fee
Note: $20 from each ticket sold goes directly back to the artists performing in each concert. AFCM isn’t receiving any revenue from ticket sales.
AFCM principal partners include: Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and Arts Queensland, and Townsville City Council. The Australian Festival of Chamber Music is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and features on the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar, worth $880m to the state’s economy in 2020.
