Forget everything you think you know about classical
music, because a whole new experience is taking place this
year. In July 2026, over nine glorious wintersun-filled days
from 24 July to 1 August, the
Australian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM)
begins an exhilarating new chapter in Cairns–Gimuy, where
world-class musicians, once-in-a-lifetime performances and
unforgettable experiences unfold against the backdrop of the
World Heritage–listed Daintree Rainforest and Great
Barrier Reef.
The 2026 program has been announced by
Artistic Director and acclaimed British violinist
Jack Liebeck with tickets on sale now to
AFCM Friends, and to the general public on Monday
March 2.
International musicians leading the
line-up include Berlin Philharmonic Principal Horn and
global soloist Stefan Dohr, much-loved
Australian pianist and former AFCM Artistic Director
Piers Lane, French cello star
Christian-Pierre La Marca, and Irish tenor
Robin Tritschler. They are joined by
artists from across Europe, Asia, the UK and Australia,
alongside exciting emerging musicians, creating a program
that balances global excellence with the Festival’s deep
commitment to artistic discovery, education pathways and
collaboration.
Australia’s finest take centre stage,
including Perth violinist Emmalena Huning,
Melbourne’s expressive oboist Emmanuel
Cassimatis, Sydney’s Joshua
Batty who dazzles on flute and Julian
Smiles on cello. Brisbane’s Karin
Schaupp brings guitar mastery, and Sydney-born
violist Stefanie Farrands adds her
exquisite sound. French Horn player Ben
Jacks (Sydney), clarinettist Lloyd Van’t
Hoff (Adelaide), double bassist Kees
Boersma (Sydney), lute and theorbo player
Simon Martyn Ellis (Hobart), and dynamic
narrator-actor Bethany Simons (Sydney) all
join.
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Melbourne-born cellist Charlotte
Miles, now based in Germany, is one of
Australia’s most exciting young classical exports,
recognised internationally for her expressive power and
technical command. She returns to the AFCM after making a
standout impression at the 2025 Festival.
“This season
we’re thrilled to welcome back Piers Lane and members of
the former Goldner String Quartet,
alongside first timers to AFCM such as the world-renowned
Sitkovetsky Piano Trio and German virtuoso
pianist Alexander Krichel,” said Artistic
Director Jack Liebeck. “We’re also
proud to present Gramophone award-winning tenor Robin
Tritschler and showcase fresh, daring works from our AFCM
Pathways Emerging Composer in Residence Sam Wu
who is writing two new works for the
Festival.”
“Importantly, audiences will hear new works
that connect us to powerful histories and contemporary
voices. Australian composer Lee Bradshaw
completes ‘January 27, 1945’, an unfinished work
by Czech composer Gideon Klein, who
tragically died in Auschwitz. Meanwhile, British composer
Alex Turley presents a new, as-yet-untitled
work for flute and string quartet, bringing fresh
perspectives to the chamber music repertoire.”
“As
part of the Evening Concerts series, we
celebrate our new northern home with Cairns at 150,
tracing the city’s history through music spanning
centuries, and Wonderful World, curated by French
cellist Christian-Pierre La Marca, pairs breathtaking nature
cinematography with music from Fauré to Glass for a moving
reflection on humanity and the
planet.”
Minister for the Arts John-Paul
Langbroek said the AFCM was an outstanding event on
Queensland’s cultural calendar, attracting music lovers
from across the state, interstate and overseas.
“The
Crisafulli Government’s investment in the Australian
Festival of Chamber Music enables it to showcase the finest
international and national musicians, engage audiences in
insightful and entertaining workshops and conversations, and
celebrate the natural beauty and heritage of Northern
Queensland,” Minister Langbroek said.
“The
Festival offers a uniquely Queensland arts experience,
delivering on the priorities of our Queensland’s Time
to Shine strategy including attracting audiences,
driving regional economic growth and enhancing our state’s
reputation as a premier cultural
destination.”
Queensland Minister for
Tourism and the Environment, Andrew Powell, said
the AFCM was a worldclass event, set to deliver around $3
million to the state’s economy. “Hosting the largest
chamber music festival in the southern hemisphere in the
idyllic new location of Cairns opens an exciting chapter for
the Festival,” Minister Powell said. “This event clearly
aligns with our Destination 2045 20-year tourism plan, as
audiences stay, spend locally and experience the reef,
rainforest and vibrant city
precincts.”
Cairns Mayor Amy Eden
said the 2026 program is a powerful reminder of what the
Australian Festival of Chamber Music will bring to
Cairns–Gimuy, with world-class musicians, compelling
stories and unforgettable cultural experiences. “Hosting
the Festival strengthens Cairns’ position as a vibrant
cultural destination, delivering lasting benefits for our
arts sector and local economy, while increasing visitor
appeal,” she said.
The Opening and Closing Night
Concerts bookend the Festival with style and celebration.
Cairns Crescendo marks AFCM’s debut in Cairns with
a sweeping program from Mozart to the world premiere of
composer Sam Wu’s work, a perfect way to introduce
audiences to the artists shaping the Festival’s bold new
chapter. The Governor’s Gala: Mozart – The Marriage
of Figaro offers a vibrant, narrated reimagining of the
opera with AFCM’s stellar ensemble. Finally, So Long,
Farewell, for now… closes the Festival joyfully with
music by Dvořák, Ravel, and Rodgers & Hammerstein,
celebrating shared experiences until the next gathering. The
famous AFCM Concert Conversations will
return, with six across the Festival; a much loved blend of
music, insights and more often than not, a wonderful dose of
humour
There are five concerts in this year’s
Ray Golding Sunset Series. Twilight’s
Embrace envelops listeners in evening reflections, with
works form Berkeley, Piazzolla, Bloch and Chopin. Baroque
Sunset restores balance and calm with centuries-old
music full of intricate beauty and rhythmic vitality. A
Tale of Two brings past and present together as Artistic
Directors Jack Liebeck and Australian piano legend Piers
Lane perform works by Elgar and Brahms. Usonia Dreams
explores the American musical landscape through Ives,
Carter, and Bernstein, and finally, Epoch Echoes
pairs Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio in C minor with Australian
composer Lee Bradshaw’s completion of Gideon Klein’s
unfinished work, January 25, 1945, a poignant act of
remembrance.
Two special events complete the program:
the first a stunning concert cruising aboard a luxury yacht
in the tropical waters off the Cairns coast, and the second
an intimate concert by the world-leading Sitkovetsky
Trio.
Australian Festival of Chamber Music: 24 July
– 1 August, 2026
MONDAY 2 FEBRUARY: tickets on sale
to AFCM Friends
MONDAY 2 MARCH: tickets on sale to the
general public.
www.afcm.com.au |
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AFCM is
supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and
Events Queensland and Arts Queensland; Cairns Regional
Council; the Ian Potter Foundation; and the Australian
Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia,
its principal arts investment and advisory
body.
