Australian Festival of Chamber Music

29/07/2026

🎼Thursday 30 July https://www.afcm.com.au/afcm-festival/2026-festival-program/

🎶10am AFCM Concert Conversations 4
CPAC Studio
Jack Liebeck with Interview Guests: Stefanie Farrands, Robin Tritschler, Emmanuel Cassimatis, Benjamin Roskams

🎶1pm AFCM Pathways International Public Masterclass 5 with Isang Enders Montana Quartet introduced by the Cedar Quartet
Bulmba-Ja Theatre
These sessions explore interpretation, technique and musical storytelling in real time.

🎶3pm AFCM Illuminates 4 - The HART Team on Healthy Ageing, with Dr Eddy Strivens AM
Bulmba-Ja Theatre
What does it really mean to age well? Dr Eddy Strivens introduces the work of the HART (Healthy Ageing Research Team), examining the science behind longevity, brain health and quality of life.

🎶5pm AFCM Ray Golding Sunset Series 4 - Usonia Dreams
CPAC Theatre
A magical journey to the USA using the medium of music composed on the other side of the Pacific. From Corigliano to Bernstein, via Ives, Elliott Carter and others, this program reminds us of that nation’s cultural impact on us all.

🎶6pm Foundation for Australian Literary Studies' Colin Roderick Memorial Lecture
Bulmba-Ja Theatre
Presented in partnership with James Cook University’s Foundation for Australian Literary Studies (FALS), the lecture engages audiences beyond music, in a broader discussion about ideas, language and culture in Australia.

🎶6:30pm AFCM Pathways Pop-Up 9 - Reuben Tsang and Hanuelle Lovell
Lagoon Plaza, The Esplanade
AFCM pop-up performances bring live music directly to the heart of Cairns on the Esplanade. Performance by Reuben Tsang (piano) and Hanuelle Lovell (violin), Sydney.

🎶7:30pm AFCM AFCM Evening Concert 4 - Baroque Bliss: Goldberg Variations
CPAC Theatre
Could you spend an hour listening to more glorious music than Bach's Goldberg Variations? We don’t think so! Here, performed in a special arrangement by Dimitry Sitkovetsky for string trio, you will be transported to musical heaven.
Alexander Sitkovetsky, Benjamin Roskams, Julian Smiles

Get Tickets 💳 https://www.ticketlink.com.au/ticketlinkEvents/afcm

📸 Andrew Rankin - Australian String Quartet AFCM 2025

29/07/2026

🎻The IncrediBows held a lovely performance at AFCM this afternoon.

They are the winners of the national Strike a Chord competition - Australia’s premier chamber music competition for school ensembles. Showcasing emerging talent during a formative stage, this performance celebrated the role of music education and mentorship. George Li (cello), Holly Shelton (violin), Haydn Li (viola), Eric Kim (violin), Brisbane

Presented in partnership with Musica Viva Australia and supported by the Di Jameson Family Foundation.

29/07/2026

🌟5 STAR REVIEW: AFCM Ray Golding Sunset Series 1 - Twilight's Embrace, Presented by Trinity Anglican School, Cairns
Limelight article by Elvis and Me, Gillian Wills

"At a prestigious chamber music festival such as the AFCM, there’s an expectation that the performances will be highly informed and skilful. Yet this concert ventured into such emotionally charged territory that the audience was stunned.

There were no throwaway moments offering the chance for thoughts to drift because the musical offering was compelling from the first piece to the last.

Those who were there can’t stop talking about it."

"Violinist Alexandra Raikhlina and pianist Kristian Chong - Pianist’s insightful, tender reading of Sutherland’s impressionistic Nocturne for Violin and Piano, which she wrote in 1944."

" Tritschler Tenor’s storytelling and silvery tenor voice revealed Berkeley’s songs to great advantage as he leaned into the imagery with authenticity. Karin Schaupp’s assured guitar accompaniment enhanced the dramatic content."

"When Julian Smiles introduced Arvo Pärt’s powerful Spiegel im Spiegel and spoke with heartfelt sincerity about the rapidly changing world and the need for the stillness Pärt’s music generates, the audience was in his thrall. Beginning with Kristian Chong - Pianist’s luminous piano accompaniment, he closed his eyes and bowed the cello with a wellspring of moving intensity. When the last note died away, there was a prolonged silence before the audience applauded."

"The Sitkovetsky Trio invested each of Bloch’s Three Nocturnes for piano, violin and cello with glorious tone, vivid colour, infectious energy and impeccable unity."

"An experienced Chopin interpreter, Piers Lane introduced the Nocturnes – the C minor, Op. 48 No. 1; the B major, Op. 62 No. 1; and the E-flat major, Op. 62 No. 2 – as if they were old friends. In his performance, he invested each one with poignant, confessional meaning and remarkable textural clarity."

📰https://limelight-arts.com.au/reviews/twilights-embrace-australian-festival-of-chamber-music/

29/07/2026

🎼Wednesday 29 July https://www.afcm.com.au/afcm-festival/2026-festival-program/

🎶10am AFCM Concert Conversations 3
CPAC Studio
Interview guests: Irina Morozova

🎶1pm AFCM Pathways International Public Masterclass 4 with .oirt introduced by
Bulmba-Ja Theatre
Open to the public, these sessions explore interpretation, technique and musical storytelling.

🎶3pm AFCM Illuminates 3 - Marine Conservation with Bekki Hull, Manager – Reef Educations & Biology at
Bulmba-Ja Theatre
Bekki Hull explores how science, tourism and environmental stewardship work together to safeguard the reef for future generations.

🎶5pm AFCM Ray Golding Sunset Series 3 - A Tale of Two
CPAC Theatre
is joined by AFCM’s previous Artistic Director, for a program featuring Elgar and Brahms. Dedicated to the memory of Violist and AFCM artist,

🎶5pm AFCM Pathways Outreach Concert - Mossman Shire Hall
Mossman Shire Hall
AFCM Fellowship Ensemble The performs in Mossman. With support from the Donald and Joan Wilson Foundation.

🎶6pm Strike a Chord – Featuring
Bulmba-Ja Theatre
Presented in partnership with and supported by the A performance by The IncrediBows George Li (cello), Holly Shelton (violin), Haydn Li (viola), Eric Kim (violin), Brisbane.

🎶6:30pm AFCM Pathways Pop-Up 8 - Quintet Evergreen
Lagoon Plaza, The Esplanade
AFCM pop-up performances bring live music directly to the heart of Cairns. Performance by .oirt (violin), (piano), (cello), Sydney.

🎶7:30pm AFCM Evening Concert 3 - Wonderful World with and his All-Star Orchestra
CPAC Theatre
In this humanistic ode to nature, French cellist Christian-Pierre La Marca presents a packed multimedia programme on the theme of saving the planet.

Get Tickets 💳 https://www.ticketlink.com.au/ticketlinkEvents/afcm

📸 Andrew Rankin - Christian-Pierre La Marca AFCM 2

29/07/2026

28/07/2026

Wonderful AFCM Friends function to celebrate the 2026 Festival and introduce all the AFCM Pathways participants to our amazing patrons.

28/07/2026

Thank you Mayor Amy Eden!

27/07/2026

🎼Schedule of events for Tuesday 28 July. Both events are SOLD OUT. See details and purchase tickets to our other events on our website https://www.afcm.com.au/afcm-festival/2026-festival-program/

🎶***Boarding at 11am for an 11.30am departure. Cruise duration 90 minutes.*** AFCM Special Event: Harbour Harmonies - Spirit of Cairns Lunch Cruise & Concert
Set sail on a relaxed afternoon of music, cuisine and tropical beauty aboard the Spirit of Cairns.

This 90-minute lunch cruise offers a uniquely Cairns experience, combining world-class chamber music with panoramic views of Trinity Inlet and the Coral Sea. As the city skyline gives way to mangroves and open water, enjoy intimate performances from AFCM Festival artists alongside emerging musicians from our Pathways and Fellowship ensembles.

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Suite No. 4 in E-flat major for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1010
Charlotte Miles

SAM WU
Along the Pacific Flyway
Kara Thorpe, Justin Wang, Gahyun Lee, Dylan Roberts, Jude Austen Kaupe

🎶***Boarding at 6pm for a 6.30pm departure. Cruise duration 2 1/2 hours.*** AFCM Special Event: Starlight Serenade - Spirit of Cairns Dinner Cruise & Concert

Experience an unforgettable evening where music meets the tropics on the waters of Cairns Harbour.

As the sun sets and the city lights shimmer across the inlet, join AFCM artists and Pathways ensembles aboard the Spirit of Cairns for a spectacular dinner cruise concert. This three-hour experience blends exceptional live performance with relaxed luxury, set against one of Tropical North Queensland’s most beautiful backdrops.

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Variations on Mozart's “La ci darem la mano” for Two Oboes and English Horn, WoO 28
Gahyun Lee, Justin Wang, Jackie Newcomb

SAM WU
Along the Pacific Flyway
Kara Thorpe, Justin Wang, Gahyun Lee, Dylan Roberts, Jude Austen Kaupe

Get Tickets to AFCM 2026 💳 https://www.ticketlink.com.au/ticketlinkEvents/afcm

📸 Spirit of Cairns

27/07/2026

Masterclass duo Haneulle Lovell and Reuben Tsang were featured alongside Stefan Dohr in Cairns Post ! Reuben is a local from Cairns and his family and friends have been delighted to see him perform with Haneulle in the Festival.

See all our fantastic students at the AFCM Pathways International Masterclasses Showcase 2pm Friday 31st July 🎫 https://www.ticketlink.com.au/ticketlinkEvents/afcm