Canberra International Music Festival facts for kids
The Canberra International Music Festival is a special event held every year in Canberra, Australia. It's a place where people come together to enjoy many different kinds of music. The festival was started by Ursula Callus, who was a big supporter of music.
How the Festival Started
The very first festival took place in April 1994. Back then, it was called the Canberra International Chamber Music Festival. It was a big success and even won an award for being new and exciting in music.
Since 1997, the festival has happened every single year. In 2008, its name was changed to the Canberra International Music Festival, which is what it's called today.
Growing Bigger and Better
Between 2005 and 2008, the festival grew a lot! A kind person named Barbara Blackman, who loved supporting the arts, helped pay for this growth. Now, the festival puts on about 30 concerts each year.
A famous composer named Peter Sculthorpe was a special guest composer for the festival until he passed away in 2014. In 2009, the festival celebrated his music, including a special performance of his work called Rites of Passage. This was a big event because it was performed again after many years, just in time for his 80th birthday.
The festival has also shown new music from other important composers. This includes Arvo Pärt's Fourth Symphony and Henryk Górecki's piece for string orchestra. They also presented the first concert version of Einojuhani Rautavaara's The Gift of the Magi and Peter Sculthorpe's "Shining Island".
In recent years, the festival has invited a "Composer-In-Residence." This is a special composer who works closely with the festival. The festival also helps young musicians from all over Australia. They get to learn from and perform with international artists from many different backgrounds.
Who Leads the Festival?
The person in charge of choosing the music and performances for the festival is called the Artistic Director. Past Artistic Directors have included Ursula Callus, Nicole Canham, and Christopher Latham.
The current Artistic Director of the Canberra International Music Festival is Roland Peelman.
