After four days of sublime music by leading Australian and international musicians, Huntington Music Festival was briefly handed over to the musicians of tomorrow on Sunday morning.
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A free children’s concert featuring musicians from the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) Chamber Orchestra inspired its youthful audience, who had plenty of questions about the players and their instruments.
The children dropped in on a rehearsal for one of the final Huntington Music Festival performances, before heading off to visit the ABC Classic FM outside broadcast van, and were finally given the opportunity to show off their own skills on the piano.
The children’s concert was part of Huntington Music Festival’s policy of involving younger people in the five-day event, which has also seen young music students invited to attend performances.
“The children’s concert allows young people to experience music and discover it’s not scary, it’s beautiful and it’s fun, and everyone can make a noise,” Huntington Estate owner Nicky Stevens said.
The Huntington Music Festival this year attracted music lovers from as far as Finland and Ecuador as well as a musicians from around the world.
“They come to experience this very Australian festival, with the best performers in the world,” Mrs Stevens said.
“People have said to me ‘every year I tell you that it’s the best festival yet, but then this year was better’.
“We are always looking for ways to raise the standard.”
Mrs Stevens praised her “inventive, creative and hardworking team” who staged 10 concerts back-to-back from Wednesday to Sunday.
Performers at this year’s Huntington Festival included Alice Giles, who is regarded as one of the world’s leading harp soloists.
Ms Giles’ career has taken her to London, New York and even Antaractica, where she presented a concert at Australia’s Mawson Station to commemorate the Centenary of the First Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911 -14,
The original purpose of my trip as an Australian Antarctic Division Arts Fellow, was to present a concert at Australia's Mawson Station to Commemorate the Centenary of the First Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911 -14,
The Mawson Station concert had a special meaning for Ms Giles, who grandfather, Cecile Thomas Madigan, participated in the first expedition as a meteorologist.
Ms Giles said the Huntington Festival gave her the opportunity to play as a soloist and with other musicians.
“Most the time I play solo recitals, so it’s nice to be part of a different group and a different atmosphere,’ she said. “It keeps you fresh.”
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