Seven Canberra International Music Festival events you won’t want to miss

If your autumn social calendar still has gaps in it, the Canberra International Music Festival is about to fix that.

That’s right, the Canberra International Music Festival is back to transform the capital into a city of sound, with music unfolding across some of Canberra’s most iconic and unexpected venues.

From intimate daytime performances to powerful evening concerts, whether you’re a seasoned CIMF devotee or a curious first timer, this year’s program is packed with events to choose from.

We’ve pulled together the highlights to help you plan your festival week. Go on – block out the diary.

Songs beyond Twilight

A homecoming worth celebrating. Soprano Anna-Louise Cole – a rising star on the international opera scene – returns to Canberra to perform quintessential classics Rückert Lieder and Four Last Songs, beautifully reimagined for small ensembles alongside some of Australia’s finest chamber musicians.

Wednesday 29 April | Snow Concert Hall, Red Hill | Tickets here

Luminescence and the Machine

A world premiere, right here in Canberra – no big deal! Grammy-winning US artists join forces with exceptional Australian composers for a vocal and electro-acoustic music project that explores where the human voice meets the vast machinery of the digital age. It’s bold, it’s boundary-pushing, and it’s the kind of experience that’ll have you talking long after you leave The Street Theatre.

Thursday 30 April and Sunday 3 May | The Street Theatre, City | Tickets here

Schubert & Syrah

Go for the wine, stay for the multi-sensory listening experience! Join Kristian Chong, acclaimed concert pianist and wine aficionado, on a journey through Schubert’s last sonata with carefully curated wine pairings. This is an intimate, one-of-a-kind event that will transform your listening experience and deepen the flavours of life. Spots are limited – don’t sleep on this one.

Friday 1 May | National Gallery of Australia, Parkes | Tickets here

MOSSO: music in motion

Think of this as a festival within the festival. MOSSO takes over the National Film and Sound Archive for an entire day, exploring the relationship between music, moving image and spatial sound. Kicking off with a special event for neuro-divergent people, it also includes Digital Echoes exploring landscape and journeys, both physical and abstract, a celebration of composer-in-residence Fiona Hill a portrait concert in the ARC Cinema, First Nations composers and much more.

Saturday 2 May | National Film and Sound Archive, Acton | Tickets here

Bell Curve

There are performances, and then there are performances that only make sense in one very specific place. Composed by festival Artistic Director Eugene Ughetti, Bell Curve places Victoria’s iconic Federation Hand Bells – a gift marking the centenary of Federation – into the symbolically charged setting of Parliament House. History, sound, and meaning, all in one room.

Sunday 3 May | Australian Parliament House, Canberra | Tickets here

Bell Plains

Free concerts at the National Carillon? Yes please. Bell Plains transforms Australia’s largest bells into a rich musical landscape, blending guitar, saxophone, marimba, and the Federation Handbells in a special anniversary program with local legend Dr Thomas Laue. It’s a celebration of Canberra, and the whole family is invited.

Sunday 3 May | National Carillon, Queen Elizabeth II Island, Parkes  | Tickets here

Tails of Fragile Sensations

Save the best for last. Swiss superstars Ensemble Contrechamps make their way to Canberra to share the exquisite sound world of their compatriot Jürg Frey. Récit des sensations fragiles is a new work that evokes vast, tranquil soundscapes – and this is its only performance in Australia. If you make it to just one CIMF concert this year, let it be this one.

Sunday 3 May | Snow Concert Hall, Red Hill | Tickets here

Make sure to check out the full program at cimf.org.au to start planning your autumn soundtrack now.

Images supplied.