Key Facts:
Australian Festival of Chamber Music: 24 July – 1 August, 2026
www.afcm.com.au | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | #afcm
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.
The world is about to listen to Cairns:
Australian Festival of Chamber Music set to transform Tropical North Queensland, with the music set to bring the money
Forget everything you think you know about chamber music, because the Australian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM) is turning up the volume, and the world is listening.
Opening on Friday 24 July, the Festival launches with a spectacular Opening Night Concert featuring Artistic Director and acclaimed British violinist Jack Liebeck alongside an international ensemble of celebrated musicians, setting the tone for nine days of world-class performances, storytelling and unforgettable experiences.
From 24 July to 1 August, AFCM will enter an exciting new chapter, transforming Cairns-Gimuy into a global chamber music capital, where extraordinary performances unfold against the backdrop of two World Heritage-listed wonders – the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest – creating a rare fusion of cultural excellence and destination appeal.
Minister for the Environment and Tourism Andrew Powell said the festival was set to deliver strong economic benefits for Queensland, attracting visitors to Tropical North Queensland, contributing $3.1 million, and reinforcing the state’s position as the nation’s events capital. “These are the kinds of events that drive our Destination 2045 vision – encouraging visitors to stay longer, experience more and support communities across Queensland, while delivering a strong boost to the state’s economy.”
This year’s program is bold, cinematic and unafraid to take risks. From composers who met wildly dramatic ends in Interrupted Endings, to Schubert’s Winterreise reimagined for the tropics, a lost Holocaust-era work completed 80 years on, and a sweeping multimedia tribute to the natural world, this is chamber music with edge and serious emotional punch. 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.
Making their AFCM debut are the world-renowned and acclaimed Sitkovetsky Piano Trio and German virtuoso pianist Alexander Krichel, while audiences will also experience exciting new works from AFCM Pathways Emerging Composer in Residence Sam Wu, who has written two new works especially for the Festival.
Australia’s finest artists also take centre stage, including Perth violinist Emmalena Huning, Melbourne oboist Emmanuel Cassimatis, Sydney flautist Joshua Batty, cellist Julian Smiles, Brisbane guitarist Karin Schaupp, violist Stefanie Farrands, French horn player Ben Jacks, clarinettist Lloyd Van’t Hoff, double bassist Kees Boersma, lute and theorbo player Simon Martyn Ellis and actor-narrator Bethany Simons. 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.
Audiences will also hear powerful new works that connect history with contemporary voices. Australian composer Lee Bradshaw completes January 25, 1945, an unfinished work by Czech composer Gideon Klein, who was murdered during the Holocaust. British composer Alex Turley presents a new work for flute and string quartet, while Sam Wu’s fresh commissions showcase the next generation of Australian compositional talent.
The Festival will also celebrate its new northern home. As part of the Evening Concert Series, Cairns at 150 traces the city’s history through music spanning centuries, while Wonderful World, curated by French cellist Christian-Pierre La Marca, pairs breathtaking nature cinematography with music from Fauré to Philip Glass in a moving reflection on humanity and the planet.
Minister for the Arts John-Paul Langbroek said festival audiences would experience Cairns as a true cultural destination. “We’re counting down the days until the southern hemisphere’s largest celebration of chamber music arrives in its new home in the Tropical North,” Minister Langbroek said. “The move to Cairns represents an exciting new era for the festival, with local, national and international audiences set to experience sublime music in the most sensational settings – from the Cairns Performing Arts Centre and the historic Saint Monica’s Cathedral, to the crystal Coral Sea aboard the Spirit of Cairns. The Crisafulli Government is proud to support this festival, which continues to encourage arts participation in the regions, drive cultural tourism and grow Queensland’s reputation as creative powerhouse, aligned with our 10-year arts and culture strategy, Queensland’s Time to Shine.”
Mark Olsen, CEO of Tourism Tropical North Queensland said the Festival added to the depth of cultural tourism in the region. “Music lovers will enjoy joining First Nations guides for rainforest and Great Barrier Reef experiences, exploring our art galleries, and discovering Tropical North Queensland’s compelling food story at our restaurants and cafes,” he said. “We look forward to welcoming Chamber music enthusiasts to Cairns for an extended holiday in our internationally-renown dual World Heritage destination.”
Artistic Director Jack Liebeck said AFCM had always been about much more than music. “This Festival is about connection – between artists, audiences and place. We have extraordinary musicians from around the world gathering in one of the most beautiful locations on earth to create something truly unique. There is an intimacy and energy to AFCM that simply cannot be replicated anywhere else.”
This festival is where the world comes to listen.
Australian Festival of Chamber Music: 24 July – 1 August, 2026
www.afcm.com.au | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | #afcm
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.
