"The relationship between live composer and performer". Damien Beaumont will lead a discussion with Nigel Westlake, the Grigoryan Brothers and members of the Goldner String Quartet. This is a FREE event.

Held on the night before the opening of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, this seventh Chefs in the North dinner will showcase North Queensland's outstanding local produce accompanied by the best Australian wines in a superb degustation menu prepared by some of Australia's finest chefs. Set on the lawns of Jupiters Casino overlooking Magnetic island, chamber music performances programmed by Piers Lane and performed by Festival guest artists completes an unforgettable night under the stars.

A major exhibition of recent paintings by Di Bresciani. Reception with Piers Lane who will also launch the book ‘Di Bresciani: Compositions in Colour'. This is a FREE event.

A rare chance to hear William Barton with Piers Lane and the Goldner Quartet performing works specially written for William. An evocative mix of didjeridu, piano and strings.

Debussy's music is filled with moonlight, the enchantment of night-time and nature, from the early piano piece Clair de lune (part of Suite Bergamasque) to the late Cello Sonata, which evokes Pierrot's spellbound moongazing. Debussy himself - Bohemian and rebellious, though immensely cultured and informed - returned to this imagery time and again, as if caught in the same magical trance as Pierrot. The spell that held him was frequently that of a woman. An early love affair with a singer inspired his first set of songs; his second wife, Emma Bardac, was a keen amateur singer herself. His love-life was chequered, to put it mildly; but it was only when he met Emma that his creative spirit began to reach its zenith. He and Emma were both already married; eloping together, they caused a massive scandal, during which Debussy's first wife attempted to shoot herself. Emma, for her part, had previously had a love affair with Gabriel Fauré. Sensuality may have been just one element of Debussy's inspiration, but it was a vital one, a quality for which his music has long been noted and from which it remains indivisible. Lit by the recurring image of musical moonlight, this story traces the way that Debussy's women helped him to find his true ‘voice' by lending him their own.

The programme will include songs sung by Merlyn Quaife accompanied by Caroline Almonte, the Cello Sonata played by Julian Smiles and Jonathan Plowright, the first movement of the rarely-heard Piano Trio with the Storioni Trio, L'après-midi d'un faune played by Kathryn Stott and Jonathan Plowright and other pieces.

Gotye
My Heart's a Mess

Bic Runga
When I See You Smile

Nick Cave arr R. Charlton
Into My Arms

Pixie Williams
Blue Smoke

May Brahe arr R. Charlton
Bless This House

Neil Finn arr R. Charlton
Into Temptation

Vince Jones/Paul Grabowsky arr D. de Vries
Rainbow Cake

Midnight Oil
Power and the Passion

Cold Chisel
Saturday Night

Sia
Day Too Soon

Icehouse arr R. Charlton
Man of Colours

The Easybeats
Friday On My Mind

Eric Bogle
And the Band Played Waltzing Mathilda
With the Belgian Gardens State School Choir

Trad
Maranoa Lullaby

Trad
Hine e Hine

Trad
Brisbane Ladies and other Aussie folk songs (guitar solo)

David Farquar
Pinks and Blues

Richard Charlton
The Black Cockatoo (guitar solo)

Ross Edwards
Guitar Dances (guitar solo)

Elena Kats Chernin
New Work

Join 4TOFM radio announcer Steve Price as he introduces young listeners to the wonderful world of chamber music. A great weekend activity for the whole family!

The Coral Sea represents one of the world's few remaining coral reef areas that still retain their natural populations of megafauna, fishes and corals. The Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve was recently proposed by the Australian Government for special protection. This area of almost 1 million square kilometres contains large populations of whales, sharks, fishes and coral reefs that are largely intact. Also there are dramatic seamounts that are yet to be explored, along with many shipwrecks. Declaration of this area will make it the largest Marine Protected Area in the world.

Dr. Daniela Ceccarelli formerly of James Cook University has recently reviewed the biology of the Coral Sea and will illustrate her talk with previously unseen images below the waters from geologist Dr. Robin Beaman of JCU Cairns. The talks will be introduced by Dr Clive Wilkinson, formerly of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network.

Piers Lane chats with Howard Penny, Leo Phillips, Brendan Joyce, and section leaders of Camerata of St John's: Jonny Ng (principal Violin I), David Dalseno (Principal Second Violin, born and raised in Townsville), Katherine Philp (Principal Cello) and Justin Bullock (Principal Bass).

Piers Lane chats with Caroline Almonte, Catherine McCorkill, Barry Shiffman and Nigel Westlake.

Piers Lane chats with Jonathan Plowright, Atle Sponberg, Kathryn Stott and Merlyn Quaife.

Piers Lane chats with Ian Brunskill, David Harding, Lorna McGhee, Marshall McGuire, Michele Walsh and Sarah Wilson.

Presented by Ara Vartoukian from Theme & Variations Piano Services. This is a FREE event.

A great talent spotting opportunity - Watch Australia's finest emerging talent perform in concert.