Surprises promised as weekend musical feast launches in 'all brie'

The eighth Albury Chamber Music Festival will be held from Friday, November 8, to Sunday, November 10, 2024.

The 10 concert program, launched in Albury on Saturday, May 4, takes place across St Matthew's Church, Adamshurst ballroom, The Albury Club and this year's new venue addition, Regent Cinemas.

Co-artistic director Mario Dobernig said the music festival was a distinctive concept.

"You can't explain the festival, because it's not a festival that is copied from somewhere else," he said.

"We don't have this group that tours around Australia and does the same thing in every place.

"Because we're producing, there's a lot of self produced stuff where you put good musicians that are also good people together, and try to create something really special that you can't find anywhere else."

The festival will be opened by the Australian String Trio with a performance of a Beethoven string quartet.

Dobernig said the audience would be challenged as to what they thought chamber music meant, with the program including a symphonic suite of West Side Story.

A harpist by candlelight, an organ recital by Anthony Halliday that is performed from audience requests and an emphasis on folk music are among the highlights of the program.

New Zealand singer Teddy Tahu Rhodes will also be joined by Konrad Olszewski on the piano, while another performer is guitarist Bruce Mathiske.

There are performers from about 20 countries, including Latvia, Bulgaria, Austria, Australia, Scotland and Venezuela.

This year's "living legend" Mairi Nicolson, of the ABC, will be interviewed by the artistic directors which is a "different aspect of a performance."

Dobernig said historically, the Border had been an important location for artists.

"Getting all those people that we really like working with and they're really good and inspiring and all those projects to Albury, then Albury becomes something else and I find that quite special because the people make the place and suddenly you can put Albury on a map," he said.

"I mean, it's nothing different than what Richard Wagner did when he created Bayreuth."

"So I would call it destination dining, maybe," Dobernig said.

"But to explain it for someone that hasn't been is very difficult.

"I mean, the only thing we can guarantee is that you don't go home bored and that you will not be bored at the festival, because there are surprises.

"We've got a gala evening where everything is possible."

Previous years have seen visits from alpacas, a performance from a saxophonist wearing lederhosen and a limerick competition.

An "all brie" food theme for the festival was inspired by a play on the host city's name.

Co-artistic director Sally-Anne Russell, said the event was a time for people to come together and enjoy the performances.

"It's very important for us that everyone goes home with a friend," Russell said.

"So if you can come on your own, don't feel that you're going to be left on your own because it's not that kind of festival.

"You have lots of opportunities to make new friends from all over the place because we have people who come from New Zealand.

"We've got people coming up from Coffs Harbour, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Tasmania, they're coming in from all over. They're all coming to Albury and uniting."

The festival pass includes access to 10 concerts and a three-course dinner at the gala performance.

Tickets can be purchased at trybooking.com.