The Canberra International Music Festival, from hip-hop to Iranian kamancheh and beyond!
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If you have always assumed the Canberra International Music Festival (CIMF) is for classical-music lovers only, then now is the time to take a better look.
This year’s program promises a rich diversity of thoughts, ideas, sounds and experiences.
From new music inspired by the thousands of letters written by the Australian public to asylum seekers that were never delivered and ‘returned to sender’, to The Bundian Way—a concert that honours the experience of walking an ancient Indigenous pathway from Mount Kosciuszko down to Twofold Bay in an immersive multimedia concert—the festival addresses themes of national significance.
Horomona Horo. Image supplied.
And yes, there will be no less than four string quartets, with Australia’s Alma Moodie Quartet playing Blue Poles, a newly commissioned piece composed by Brian Howard and inspired by the famous Jackson Pollock painting at the National Gallery of Australia. The world premiere of Blue Poles String Quartet no. 5 will be held at the NGA and will explore the beauty of the painting and the outrage that occurred when it was purchased.
CIMF artistic director Roland Peelman said the festival’s 2022 theme Pole to Pole, allowed him to explore and curate a program which champions diversity and which will genuinely appeal to new Canberra audiences.
Gelareh Pour. Image supplied.
“In order to be relevant as a festival, we need to relate to a lot of different people and relate to the world we live in. Pole to Pole is as much about the melting icecaps as it is about the routes, roads and tracks to connect people around the world. We no longer live in a mono-culture. We all experience music in different ways, so the festival offers a wide range of musical experiences, in different settings, and with artists as diverse as possible.
“We present the Flinders Quartet on the same day as our local hip hop artist Ike(from)Pluto. Or you can hear the Polish pianist Lucas Krupinski alongside Gelareh Pour, an Iranian artist playing kamancheh. Not to mention the many Australian Indigenous artists or Horomona Horo, the world’s great exponent of Māori music. I could go on…”
Roland Peelman and Andrew Goodwin performing at last year’s CIMF. Image by Peter Hislop.
He suggested locals who were unfamiliar with the length and breadth of the festival need only go look at the program to get a better idea of the riches that were in store for audiences.
“Have a good look at the website. And don’t forget to attend CIMF@Belco: a free event with music as diverse as you might imagine. Or come along to the event in the Australian National Botanic Gardens, or Nishi Up Close.”
Roland stridently denied having a favourite performance, saying this year’s festival would traverse “big, small, intimate, grand, out-there, in-here, outdoors, indoors, funny, entertaining, serious, politically engaged, immersive, probing and much more.
Flinders Quartet. Image by Pia Johnson.
“We try and make each event the best it can be—the best combination of artists, music, setting, context so that each event gives the audience a very special experience – and hopefully something that can’t be experienced otherwise.”
Given the hardship brought upon performers by COVID-19, he also stressed the need to back the live music industry.
“In the absence of much specific government support for the arts and artists, audience support is crucial to get our sector moving again. The Festival is taking every precaution with venues and artists, following advice from authorities. In May 2021, at a time when hardly anyone was vaccinated, CIMF ran smoothly without a single hiccup. We are looking forward to the real buzz returning with this festival. The buzz depends on audiences coming (in droves please!).”
The Essentials
What: Canberra International Music Festival
When: 29 April to 8 May.
Where: Various locations around Canberra, depending on the performance.
Website: cimf.org.au
