ABC Classic FM broadcast presenter Russell Torrance, senior music producer Don Bate and sound engineer Andrew Edgson will broadcast eight hours of music live from Huntington via the ABC’s outside broadcast van, and record a further eight hours of music to be broadcast on ABC Classic FM at a later date. 

Mr Torrance, whose has previously broadcast from events including the Sydney International Piano Competition, said the relaxed atmosphere at Huntington is unique. 

“It’s like a big barbecue with top notch music and I love the fact that when you’re in there, you can smell the wine.” 

When not on air, the broadcast team is busy setting sound levels and microphones during musicians’ rehearsals. 

Although he has never broadcast performances from a winery barrel room before, Mr Torrance said the venue had “a great acoustic”. 

Four hundred and thirty people are attending the Huntington Music Festival, which began at Huntington Estate on Wednesday and continues until Sunday. 

As usual, tickets to the five-day music festival sold out soon after they were released in February. 

Performers include pianists Piers Lane, Amandine Savary and Tamara-Anna Cislowska, harpist Alice Giles, violinist Jack Liebeck, accordianist James Crabb, cellist Christian-Pierre La Marca and flautist Kiran Phatak as well as the Goldner String Quartet, the Orava Quartet and Trio Dali. 

Musicians from the Australian National Academy of Music Chamber Orchestra, directed by Sophie Rowell, will perform a free children’s concert on Sunday at 9.30-10.30am.  After the concert, audience members can visit the ABC Classic FM bus and sit in on a rehearsal in the main hall. 

Live broadcasts from Huntington can be heard on ABC Classic FM this Friday, Saturday at 7pm.  Recorded performances will be played on December 5, 6, 7 and 8 at 1pm.