A Central Otago classical music event being staged for the second time next month is seeking to strike a major chord with Queenstown’s cultural scene.

At the World’s Edge (AWE) Festival is staging three of its six inter-linked programmes at Queenstown’s new Te Atamira arts and cultural centre – with one performance on October 12 and double performances on October 15 and 16.

Te Atamira’s also hosting more than half the festival’s other activities, including open rehearsals, talks by composers and a composition workshop for high school students.

The festival’s distinguished directors are again Upper Clutha-based violinist Justine Cormack and London-based Kiwi violinist Benjamin Baker, who are being joined by eight other ‘festival artists’.

These comprise six other string musicians, including the event’s first truly international artist, renowned cellist Maciej Kulakowski, whom Baker’s performed with.

The others are Fiji-born New Zealand-raised Wilma Smith (violin) and violist Amanda Verner, who are both based in Australia, violinist Marike Kruup (Estonia/UK), violist Rob Ashworth (Canada/NZ) and cellist Ken Ichinose (UK/NZ).

Festival artist: Violinist Wilma Smith

They’re joined by London-based Kiwi baritone Julien Van Mellaerts and NZ-domiciled pianist Sarah Watkins.

These artists will also be mentoring four NZ ’emerging artists’, who’ll play alongside them at the first Queenstown concert.

Cormack says having the hot-shot Polish cellist aligns with their vision “to have the best international chamber musicians beside the best NZ chamber musicians”.

“That sort of cross-pollination is really powerful, I think.”

In Queenstown, the festival’s also working with the Turn Up The Music students.

From October 18 till 21, the artists and emerging artists are also visiting Central Otago schools, including six to eight local ones, in concert with Kiwi composer Gareth Farr and Eva Bedggood, who won the festival’s ’emerging composer’ comp.

Helping grow the grassroots is an important objective, Cormack says.

Part of her and Baker’s long-term vision, she adds, is seeing Queenstown “become known for high-quality arts and culture as well as everything else”.

“I think Queenstown has every ability to be known for that.”

Eminent musician: London-based Kiwi baritone Julien Van Mellaerts

She points to the festival’s tag-line, ‘where the world falls away’, alongside an image of string musos sitting on clouds against a towering mountain – “the idea, when you’re listening to really fine players and music, and it’s presented in a gorgeous acoustic [setting], you just are taken to a completely different kind of experience”.

“One of the challenges all classical music has is people feel unqualified to just come and enjoy it.

“And it’s just an incorrect assumption, so we’re trying to break through that, as well, and actually appeal to the adventurous nature of people down here.

“Because experiencing music is the same as going out into the mountains – it helps to connect you to yourself and to others, I think.”

At the World’s Edge Festival, Te Atamira, ‘Nine Seas Away’, October 12, 6pm; ‘Free But Lonely’, October 15, 4pm and 7.30pm; ‘Into the Night’, October 16, 2pm and 5pm. Tickets, worldsedgefestival.com

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