Mackay Chamber Music Festival

22/07/2024

Thank you to all who came to the 6th Mackay Chamber Music Festival! We loved playing for you all, and hope to see you all again soon.

Many thanks to all our wonderful sponsors and supporters: Central Queensland Conservatorium Of Music, , AusGov Office for the Arts and Festivals Australia, Arts Queensland, Gambling Community Benefit Fund Queensland, Mackay Regional Council, Brian Wilson at Piano Care, FinePrint Music Printing and Typesetting, Mackay Music, donors through the Australian Cultural Fund, Australian Digital Concert Hall and RapidSpin, Conservatorium Friends Mackay Inc, and our wonderful committee of volunteers!

And a huge thank you to Camerata - Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra for this wonderful collaboration!

How great are these shots from Simon Pope?! What was your favourite moment?

22/07/2024

And what a concert it was!
Thank you to all who attended and please let us know your thoughts!

20/07/2024

Can’t wait to hear Camerata - Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra tonight! Tune in through the Australian Digital Concert Hall if you didn’t get your tickets for the live performance at Central Queensland Conservatorium Of Music

We’re in Mackay! On Thursday, 5 Camerata musicians flew to Mackay ahead of Mackay Chamber Music Festival. They gave strings workshops at Mackay North State High School and West Mackay Primary, and performed our beloved Camerata Caravan show at Glenella Care Centre.

This morning, Camerata’s remaining 15 musicians joined the quintet for tonight's performance of our smash hit concert Four Seasons Reimagined at Mackay Chamber Music Festival, featuring Vivaldi’s evocative masterpiece interwoven with works from some of the world’s contemporary composers.

This performance is sold out, though you can stream Four Seasons Reimagined on Australian Digital Concert Hall > https://bit.ly/4b61i4o

📆Sat 20 July, 7pm

20/07/2024

What a great opening night! Thank you to all who attended, and to Simon Pope for these amazing shots.
Congratulations to the recipient of the inaugural Anne Thompson Memorial Scholarship, Rory Franklin!
Be sure to secure your tickets for the rest of the weekend, with today kicking off at 3pm!

17/07/2024

Today Artistic Director Glenn Christensen worked with the Mackay City Strings - what a wonderful community group, and always a very enjoyable afternoon sharing music and ideas!

16/07/2024

Now our Festival Artists have arrived in Mackay, we’re in full swing for rehearsals! Today we held an open rehearsal and Q&A for local music students.

15/07/2024

{Attention Music Students of Mackay} You're invited to an open rehearsal for the Mackay Chamber Music Festival. Experience how professional musicians rehearse for a performance between 4-5pm tomorrow, Tuesday 16th July 2024. A great opportunity for budding musicians.

12/07/2024

THANK YOU so much to the following businesses and organisations who have displayed our posters and flyers this year to promote the fifth annual Mackay Chamber Music Festival.
We are so grateful for your generosity and support in assisting to promote the festival. Looking forward to seeing you on the weekend of the 19-21 July 2024 at the

Mackay West State School ; St Patrick's College Year 7-12 Mackay ; Catherine McAuley College Mackay ; Seaforth State School ; ;Eimeo Road State School ; Andergrove State School ; Slade Point State School ; Chelona State School ; ; ; Mackay Music ; ;The Coffee Club Wood Street Mackay ; Coco Cubano Mackay ; ; ; ; Avenue Cafe Mackay ; ; Palmview Village ; Eaglemount Retirement Resort; Bolton Clarke Breezes, Mackay ; ; Good Shepherd Lodge & Kerrisdale Gardens ; Jubilee Community Centre ; Mackay & District Senior Citizens Association Inc ; MECC ; ; ; ; ; MAP Pharmacy ; ; Sarina Community Art & Craft ; Andergrove Van Park ; Discovery Parks Harbour Road ; The Park Mackay; M'Lady's ; United Chemist Parkside

11/07/2024

Mingle with the musicians at the opening night of the 2024 Mackay Chamber Music Festival! Opening night tickets come with a complimentary drink kindly donated by the Conservatorium Friends Mackay Inc and a delicious individual platter. The Festival runs from the 19th July until the 21st July 2024. Buy tickets here: https://www.mackaycmf.com.au/tickets



📷 Cherrie Hughes Social Media & Photography

27/06/2024

Introducing this year's Festival Artists!
Join us in welcoming our extraordinary lineup of talented artists for this year's Mackay Chamber Music Festival!

Camerata - Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra is a two-time Helpmann Award nominated ensemble performing without a conductor.

Known for innovative and adventurous programming, Camerata thrives on collaborations with artists across a range of artforms, including Grammy-award nominated artist Tenzin Choegyal, AIR award-winning and ARIA-nominated Emily Wurramara, writer and actor Tama Matheson, The New York Times’ multi award-winning illustrator Peter Sis, and contemporary composer, Lembit Beecher.

As they perform without a conductor, Camerata’s Artistic Associates and guest artists take ownership of their music-making to form a refreshing and acclaimed voice that empowers artists, inspires audiences, and enriches communities through music. Under Artistic Director and Violinist Brendan Joyce, the group is Company-in-Residence at Queensland Performing Arts Centre and undertakes an annual regional Queensland tour and mainstage concert season in both Brisbane and Toowoomba.

As Artistic Associates, players contribute to the strategic direction of Camerata, are integral to the process of programming the season of works and provide performance and training opportunities for the next generation of Queensland artists through the Upbeat program.

Camerata employs over 130 artists across 50 concerts each year, reaching an annual audience of 52,000. In 2020 Camerata reached an online audience of over 1,000,000 through 5@5 with Camerata and other digital programs in response to COVID-19. Camerata is committed to enriching communities with its annual regional Queensland tour which includes the commissioning of a new Australian work, free public performances, education engagements and workshops with local schools and students and visits to residents in aged care facilities.

Mackay Festivals

20/06/2024

Introducing this year's Festival Artists!
Join us in welcoming our extraordinary lineup of talented artists for this year's Mackay Chamber Music Festival!

Founder and Artistic Director of the MCMF, violinist Glenn Christensen was born and raised in the regional Queensland town of Mackay, where he received his early music education through the Suzuki Method with local teacher Diane Powell. Glenn then studied with Michele Walsh at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University and graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Music, First Class Honours. He was also the first person ever to be awarded the three highest prizes – the Conservatorium Medal, the Music Medal and the University Medal.

Glenn is in demand as a soloist, chamber musician and guest principal musician in Australia and internationally. He currently holds the position of Deputy Concertmaster and Principal 2nd Violin with Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, prior to which he was a full-time member of the Australian Chamber Orchestra from 2014 to 2020, and Principal First Violin in the Queensland Symphony Orchestra from 2012 to 2014. He has recently appeared as guest concertmaster and director with Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Le Cercle de l’Harmonie, and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and his 2023/2024 season includes guest appearances as Principal 2nd Violin with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Associate Concertmaster of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Concertmaster of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

As a soloist, Glenn has performed with Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra on multiple occasions. He has had performance broadcast live on ABC Classic FM, was a finalist in the 2014 ABC Young Performer Awards, and in 2009 won every category in the prestigious Kendall National Violin Competition. Glenn is also the violinist in the Lyrebird Trio, which won both the audience choice prize and the Piano Trio prize in the 2013 Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition.

13/06/2024

Introducing this year's Festival Artists!
Join us in welcoming our extraordinary lineup of talented artists for this year's Mackay Chamber Music Festival!

Brilliant pianist, wonderful educator and great friend of the festival, Australian pianist Angela Turner enjoys a multifaceted career as pianist and lecturer. Broadcast on Australian radio as soloist and chamber musician, Angela has performed extensively throughout Australia, and the UK, Canada and Taiwan. In recent years, Angela has enjoyed a focus upon chamber music, most notably with the Lyrebird Trio, who were winners of all piano trio prizes at the quadrennial 2013 Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition. Angela’s engagements have included appearances at the 4MBS, Mackay, Port Fairy, Tyalgum and Australian Piano Duo Festivals; Melbourne Recital Centre, Sydney Opera House, Ukaria Centre, Kawai Keyboard Series, Mason and Hamlin Series, Queensland Symphony Orchestra Chamber Series and for Musica Viva. Lyrebird Trio were 2014 and 2015 Winter Musicians-in-Residence at Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada, and Ensemble-in-Residence at the Queensland Conservatorium.

Angela has been on staff at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University since 1998, lecturing across a range of practical and academic subjects at pre-tertiary, tertiary and post-graduate levels. She is currently head of the Intermediate Piano Program at the Young Conservatorium, and also teaches piano at the University of Queensland School of Music. Angela is an AMEB Keyboard Examiner and a Federal Keyboard Syllabus Consultant, completing a two-year review AMEB’s keyboard syllabi and publications in 2018. A sought-after adjudicator and presenter around Australia, Angela is the author of the popular “Exploring Piano” repertoire series for publishers Hal Leonard. Angela completed her Master of Music on exchange at the Royal College of Music, London, and is a graduate and Conservatorium medallist of the Queensland Conservatorium.

09/06/2024

There are only five days remaining to submit applications for the inaugural Anne Thompson Memorial Scholarship!
Details can be found here:

The 6th Mackay Chamber Music Festival takes place 19-21 July, 2024, featuring leading Australian classical musicians.

05/06/2024

Introducing this year's Festival Artists!
Join us in welcoming our extraordinary lineup of talented artists for this year's Mackay Chamber Music Festival! Joining us for an incredible performance of "The Four Seasons Reimagined" is Camerata - Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra, and its Artistic Director, violinist Brendan Joyce!

Brendan Joyce is the Artistic Director of Camerata - Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra. His leadership of Camerata was recently described by The Australian as "dynamic" and in Limelight as “indefatigable” and he frequently appears as soloist with the group, has led for milestones including its first recordings, tours, broadcasts, collaborations, and in acclaimed performances at the Brisbane Festival, Adelaide Festival, Tyalgum Festival, Darwin Festival, Qld Music Festival, Australian Festival of Chamber Music. Brendan curates Camerata's revered programming,and is an alumnus of the original version of Camerata that played to high critical acclaim 1987-1997.

In demand as a leader and concertmaster, Brendan has played and guest led for the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, including as soloist in the premiere on period instruments of Max Richter’s Vivaldi Four Seasons Recomposed. He has regularly led the Orchestra of the Antipodes in Sydney and during his youth orchestra days he led the Qld Youth Symphony and Australian Youth Orchestras. Brendan has played as a guest player with the ACO and America’s Smithsonian Chamber Orchestra, and during 2011-2013 he performed the complete cycle of Bartok's iconic String Quartets as a member of the Kurilpa String Quartet. He has appeared as a guest violinist with the Australian String Quartet.

Brendan attained a Doctor of Musical Arts in Violin Performance from The University of Maryland, USA, receiving awards there for his leadership of the Maryland Handel Festival Opera Orchestra, as well as for presentations and premieres of the music of twenty Australian composers.

05/06/2024

A little reminder that registrations are NOW OPEN for our education activities - Masterclasses and our inaugural Anne Thompson Memorial Scholarship!
Get your applications in today to avoid disappointment - places are strictly limited!!

All the details are on our website - www.mackaycmf.com.au

04/06/2024

Can't make it to one of our live performances? Check out the live-streaming options through the Australian Digital Concert Hall, with tickets now on sale for individual concerts as well as a whole weekend package!

Tickets on sale here: https://www.australiandigitalconcerthall.com/ #/item/124429

31/05/2024

Coming to you from Mackay, Artistic Director Glenn Christensen with an update about this year's festival, including information about the Australian Digital Concert Hall and all our education events!
Come and hear fantastic performances, including the "Four Seasons Reimagined" by Camerata - Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra, the Lyrebird Trio and our brilliant Festival Artists at the Central Queensland Conservatorium Of Music.

All the details are available on our website - www.mackaycmf.com.au

Mackay Festivals Australian Cultural Fund

29/05/2024

Introducing this year's Festival Artists!
Join us in welcoming our extraordinary lineup of talented artists for this year's Mackay Chamber Music Festival! Known almost as much for his beautiful pre-concert introductions and resplendent hair as his cello playing, is Simon Cobcroft, who has been at every MCMF since its inception!

Simon Cobcroft is well known to audiences in Australia and further afield as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. Simon is currently Acting Associate Principal Cello with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and since 2014 has been principal cellist with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. He has also held the positions of Associate Principal Cello with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (2012-2014), and Sub-Principal Cello with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (2003-2011).

He is a founding member of the Lyrebird Trio, winner of the Piano Trio and Audience prizes at the 2013 Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition, and previously resident at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and at the Centre for the Arts in Banff, Canada.

Simon is a graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium (2000) and the Australian National Academy of Music (2003). Since that time, he has been a frequent guest performer with London's Philharmonia Orchestra, the Bournemouth Symphony, Denmark’s Esbjerg Ensemble and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. In recent years he has appeared as a guest principal with the Tasmanian and Singapore Symphony Orchestras, and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. He has performed as principal cello and chamber musician at the Aldeburgh, Pacific and Salzburg Music Festivals.

Recent chamber music highlights include performances with Pinchas Zukerman and Amanda Forsyth, the Australian String Quartet, the Tinalley Quartet and the Seraphim Trio. In 2018 he had the privilege to appear as guest principal cello at the Singapore International Piano Festival with the legendary Martha Argerich.

22/05/2024

Introducing this year's Festival Artists!
Join us in welcoming our extraordinary lineup of talented artists for this year's Mackay Chamber Music Festival! A new face this year, but a long sought after guest is violist Henry Justo.

Henry Justo is a violist hailing from Brisbane, currently living between continents studying with Volker Jacobsen at Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien in Hannover, Germany. Justo's ability to bring out ‘the rich, earthy timbres of the viola’ has been described as stunning by Limelight Magazine. Recipient of the 2023 Freedman Fellowship, he will be curating a multimedia art installation project, comprising a major commission for viola by fellow Queenslander Cathy Milliken. Justo regularly shares the stage with groups including the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Tasmanian and Queensland Symphony Orchestras, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Symphoniker Hamburg, and Ensemble Offspring, Apex and Reflektor. Cherished mentors have included Michele Walsh, Roger Benedict and Caroline Henbest.

Henry plays on a 1785 viola by Felice Beretta of Como.

19/05/2024

Brendan Joyce, Artistic Director of Camerata - Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra, introduces the exhilarating program to be played at this year's Mackay Chamber Music Festival!
Get your tickets today!!

Mackay Festivals

15/05/2024

Introducing this year's Festival Artists!
Join us in welcoming our extraordinary lineup of talented artists for this year's Mackay Chamber Music Festival! Our second artist is a familiar face to many festival goers, and we're thrilled to welcome back violinist Doretta Balkizas.

Based in Germany since 2015, Australian violinist Doretta Balkizas leads a varied life as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. In recent seasons, she has performed, recorded and toured in various ensembles, including the London Symphony Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Mahler Chamber Orchestra and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, appearing in concert throughout Europe, Asia and Australia. In July 2024, Doretta will return to Australia as the newly appointed Lecturer in Violin at the School of Music, University of Queensland.

Doretta has performed as a concerto soloist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and Nanning Symphony Orchestra (China), and was a finalist in several major Australian competitions, including the 2015 Symphony Australia Young Performer Award and the Dorcas McClean Travelling Scholarship for Violinists, where she was a major prizewinner and received the inaugural Fritz Kreisler Prize.

As a chamber musician, Doretta has appeared at the the International Holland Music Sessions, the MusicaViva Festival and the Yellow Barn Music Festival, where she collaborated with Roger Tapping (Juilliard String Quartet) and Donald Weilerstein.

In 2018, Doretta received her Master of Music with distinction from the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler", Berlin, having previously completed an undergraduate degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music as a student of Alice Waten.

We can't wait to hear Doretta's gorgeous playing, including this year a very special performance of Bach's Double Violin Concerto alongside her husband Glenn Christensen.
Mackay Festivals

08/05/2024

Introducing this year's Festival Artists!
Join us in welcoming our extraordinary lineup of talented artists for this year's Mackay Chamber Music Festival! Let's kick off this week's spotlight with Timothy Francis, who brings the trumpet to the festival for the first time.

Timothy grew up in Brisbane and received his first trumpet lessons from his father at the age of six. He earned a Bachelor of Music (performance) at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University studying under Phil Ryan. After completing his studies in Brisbane he moved to Germany to further pursue his musical education. During his time in Europe he completed an Advanced Studies Diploma at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg studying under Professor Wim Van Hasselt and a Master of Music degree from the Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” Berlin studying under Professor William Forman and Professor Martin Wagemann.

He was a member of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra Academy, Praktikant with the Staatsorchester Braunschweig and also a member of the Australian Youth Orchestra for their 2013 European Tour. Prior to returning to Australia Timothy was on contract with the Philharmonisches Orchester Landestheater Coburg as their second trumpet. He has also had the opportunity to play as a guest with the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg, Ensemble Resonanz and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

Timothy joined Orchestra Victoria as their Associate Principal Trumpet at the start of 2020. He currently teaches at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, Monash University and Eltham High School. He is also a regular guest with the Melbourne and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras.

We can't wait to welcome Timothy to Mackay to astound you in performances of some incredible works for the trumpet, as well as workshops and masterclasses for local students!

01/05/2024

Interested in supporting the Arts in regional Queensland? Check out our fundraising campaign through the Australian Cultural Fund - where the first $5000 donated will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Creative Australia!

30/04/2024

Did you hear the exciting announcement on Friday?

This year's Mackay Chamber Music Festival will provide one lucky student invaluable mentoring and educational opportunities through the inaugural Anne Thompson Memorial Scholarship.

Valued at over $500, the successful scholarship recipient will receive -
· 2 tickets to each concert of the 2024 Mackay Chamber Music Festival
· Access to observe and participate in the 2024 MCMF Piano Masterclasses
· A private lesson with renowned pianist and educator, Angela Turner
· 1 x $200 voucher for Mackay Music, kindly donated by Mackay Music
· A certificate, presented at the opening concert of the 2024 MCMF

For more details on how to apply, check out the website.

26/04/2024

Introducing the inaugural Anne Thompson Memorial Scholarship!

Together with the Thompson family, the Mackay Chamber Music Festival is beyond proud to announce this new scholarship honouring the legacy and life of the amazing Anne Thompson - a beloved teacher, musician, mother, friend and community legend. This scholarship is open to local Mackay piano students aged between 10-18, and is aimed at encouraging their musical development and growth.

All the details are available on the festival's website - www.mackaycmf.com.au