Why Bendigo’s chamber music festival keeps drawing people back

THE Bendigo Chamber Music Festival (BCMF) returns early next month for its seventh edition, bringing a rich mix of local and international classical music talent to the city.

Among the standouts are Brazilian violinist Nathan Amaral and double bass soloist Will Duerden, both appearing exclusively through the festival’s partnership with the Young Concert Artists Trust in London.

Audiences can also look forward to performances from tenor Andrew Goodwin, violist Amanda Verner, flautist Joshua Batty and pianists Andrea Lam and Reuben Tsang, all making their festival debuts, alongside Bendigo-born violinist Patrick Savage.

BCMF co-director and cellist Chris Howlett said preparations for the festival were well underway.

“It’s going to be our biggest festival ever,” he said. “It’s going to be amazing to have people flying in from literally all around Australia, as well as having a really strong uptake and support from the local Bendigo community.”

Reflecting on the festival’s enduring success, he pointed to the trust audiences have developed in the program’s quality.

“People put us in their diary well before we’ve released a program because they know that the quality is going to be very high,” Mr Howlett said.

“Equally, I think there’s an ever-growing connection now between our demographic, our patrons and Bendigo.

“They know Rhiannon at Ms Batterhams because they eat there every year and they have their favourite coffee shop at Peachy and they know Leanne up at the Rifle Hotel.

“It’s all these little things that I think really connect and make it feel like it’s not just classical music, it’s immersive.

“In the world that we live in at the moment, I think this sort of positive community feel and this kind of experience is what everyone really wants.”

The Bendigo Chamber Music Festival takes place between Wednesday 4 February and Sunday 8 February at venues including the Capital Theatre, Forest Street Uniting Church, the Beehive Building and Ulumbarra Theatre.

Single-ticket proceeds from the BCMF community concert at 2.15pm on 7 February will go towards fire relief efforts in the region.

For more information, head to the Bendigo Chamber Music Festival website.