Think chamber and classical music is serious, stuffy and a little intimidating? Think again.
At this year’s Australian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM) in Cairns-Gimuy at the end of July, audiences are invited to laugh, gasp and marvel at the wildly bizarre lives – and deaths – of some of history’s greatest composers in one of the Festival’s most entertaining events, Horrible Histories, Composer Edition. Inspired by the hugely successful BBC series Horrible Histories, this delightfully irreverent concert takes audiences on a journey through centuries of extraordinary music and extraordinary misfortune, proving that behind every masterpiece is a very human story.
Did you know composer Henry Purcell allegedly froze to death after being locked out of his own home? Or that French composer Jean-Baptiste Lully accidentally stabbed himself in the foot with his conducting staff, leading to a fatal infection?
Australia’s own Isaac Nathan, often described as the father of Australian music, became the victim of Sydney’s first recorded fatal tram accident in 1864. And French composer Ernest Chausson tragically cycled headfirst into a wall.
The stories may be grim, but the music is glorious.
Presented on Sunday 26 July at the Cairns Performing Arts Centre, Horrible Histories, Composer Edition is exactly the kind of bold, playful programming that is redefining what a chamber music festival can be.
CAIRNS, THIS IS COMING TO YOUR BACK YARD: AFCM SET TO TRANSFORM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND INTO THE WORLD’S CHAMBER MUSIC CAPITAL
Forget everything you think you know about chamber music—because Cairns is about to turn the volume all the way up. The Australian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM) returns to Cairns-Gimuy from 24 July to 1 August 2026, transforming Tropical North Queensland into a global cultural hotspot, where world-leading musicians, bold programming and once-in-a-lifetime performances meet the reef, rainforest and a fiercely engaged local community.
Under the direction of acclaimed British violinist and Artistic Director Jack Liebeck, this year’s program balances global excellence with powerful storytelling and unforgettable experiences that invite new audiences to discover classical music in entirely unexpected ways.
“This concert is a wonderful reminder that composers weren’t distant historical figures; they were people with extraordinary lives, quirks and sometimes extraordinary bad luck,” said Liebeck. “Once you know their stories, the music becomes even more powerful because you connect with the humanity behind it. That’s what AFCM is all about – creating memorable experiences that bring audiences closer to the music.”
The event forms part of a Festival program that is bold, cinematic and unafraid to take risks, sitting alongside performances that reimagine Schubert’s Winterreise for tropical North Queensland, complete a Holocaust-era work left unfinished for 80 years, and celebrate humanity’s connection with the natural world through breathtaking music and film. Because at AFCM, even dead composers get a second act.
Horrible Histories, Composer Edition
Sunday 26 July | Cairns Performing Arts Centre
For tickets and program information visit www.afcm.com.au
Australian Festival of Chamber Music: 24 July – 1 August, 2026
Leading the international line-up is Berlin Philharmonic Principal Horn and global soloist Stefan Dohr, beloved Australian pianist and former AFCM Artistic Director Piers Lane, French cello star Christian-Pierre La Marca and Irish tenor and Gramophone Award winner Robin Tritschler. They are joined by artists from Germany, France, China, Ireland and the United Kingdom, alongside Australia’s finest musicians and emerging talent, creating a program that balances global excellence with artistic discovery and collaboration. Melbourne-born cellist Charlotte Miles, now based in Germany, returns to AFCM after making a standout impression at last year’s Festival. One of Australia’s most exciting classical exports, she has quickly established herself on the international stage for her expressive power and technical brilliance.
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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.
