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Australian Festival of Chamber Music secures major funding boost ahead of landmark Cairns era

Australian Festival of Chamber Music

Key Facts:

The Australian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM) has secured two significant funding grants in another major coup for the internationally renowned event, as it prepares to embark on an exciting new chapter in Cairns–Gimuy this July.

 

The Festival has been awarded:

• $180,000 over two years through the Queensland Government’s Cultural Tourism Fund, and
• $45,000 from the Donald and Joan Wilson Foundation to support the AFCM Fellowship Ensemble, the Orpheus Quintet, on a regional northern Queensland tour.

Australian Festival of Chamber Music secures major funding boost ahead of landmark Cairns era

 

Queensland Government and philanthropic backing deliver major win for AFCM’s international and regional ambitions: Sydney based quintet to perform in Cairns 

 

The Australian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM) has secured two significant funding grants in another major coup for the internationally renowned event, as it prepares to embark on an exciting new chapter in Cairns–Gimuy this July.

 

The Festival has been awarded:

• $180,000 over two years through the Queensland Government’s Cultural Tourism Fund, and
• $45,000 from the Donald and Joan Wilson Foundation to support the AFCM Fellowship Ensemble, the Orpheus Quintet, on a regional northern Queensland tour.

 

The Queensland Government funding will support the launch of Global Chamber Voices, a new two-year cultural tourism initiative designed to bring globally renowned chamber ensembles exclusively to Cairns, strengthening the city’s growing reputation as a world-class cultural destination.

 

Anchored within the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, the initiative is expected to attract interstate and Indo-Pacific visitors while delivering significant economic, artistic and community outcomes through performances, residencies and public engagement programs.

 

AFCM Executive Director Ricardo Peach said the funding represented a transformational moment for the Festival and for Cairns’ cultural future.

 

“AFCM is in a moment of tremendous change,” Mr Peach said. “Global Chamber Voices will create distinctive, high-quality and accessible cultural experiences designed to cement AFCM’s position as a premier event for international and interstate visitors in its new home of Cairns, with particular emphasis on strategic markets throughout the Indo-Pacific region.”

 

“Cairns is globally recognised for its natural attractions and gateway access to World Heritage-listed wonders, yet there is enormous opportunity to further strengthen its profile as a cultural destination.”

 

“This initiative is designed to harness that opportunity by anchoring internationally significant artistic residencies in Cairns, enhancing the city’s cultural tourism offering while supporting the Queensland Government’s priorities under Destination 2045 and Queensland’s Time to Shine arts strategy.”

 

The second funding announcement sees the Donald and Joan Wilson Foundation provide $45,000 to support the AFCM Fellowship Ensemble, Sydney-based wind ensemble Orpheus Quintet, as they undertake a regional northern Queensland tour following their return to AFCM in 2026.

 

Formed at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the Orpheus Quintet is rapidly building a national reputation for vibrant performances, technical precision and collaborative energy. After participating in AFCM’s Pathways Program in 2025, the ensemble has now been named the Festival’s Fellowship Ensemble for 2026.

One year on from their acclaimed AFCM debut, the quintet will return to the region to deliver performances and workshops from Port Douglas to Proserpine, bringing world-class chamber music experiences to regional communities across northern Australia.

 

The tour will also feature the premiere of Along the Pacific Flyway, the newly commissioned work by Australian composer Sam Wu, developed during his residency in Cairns–Gimuy as part of the AFCM Emerging Composers Program.

 

The Emerging Composers Program recently secured an additional two-year $96,000 grant from Creative Australia through Music Australia, further strengthening AFCM’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of Australian musical talent.

 

During AFCM 2026, the Orpheus Quintet will also perform alongside leading international artists including Berlin Philharmoniker principal horn Stefan Dohr, AFCM Artistic Director Jack Liebeck and South African double bass virtuoso Leon Bosch.

 

The ensemble will additionally feature as part of AFCM’s inaugural Spirit of Cairns music cruises — another new Festival experience introduced as part of the move to Cairns.

 

The Australian Festival of Chamber Music runs from 24 July to 1 August 2026 in Cairns–Gimuy.

Imagery of 2026 artists HERE

Imagery of Artistic Director Jack Liebeck in Cairns HERE

 

Australian Festival of Chamber Music: 24 July – 1 August, 2026

www.afcm.com.au | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | #afcm

 

AFCM is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and Arts Queensland; Cairns Regional Council; the Ian Potter Foundation; and the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.

 

Contact details:

Kath Rose | 0416 291 493 | [email protected]