Artistic director Benjamin Baker’s brought together acclaimed pianist Michael Houstoun, cellist James Bush and composer in residence John Psathas, who’ll be joined by a cast of international artists.
This year’s festival draws on the natural world as a source of creative inspiration — between October 4 and 12 there’ll be seven curated performances across the district and a series of free events to highlight the many ways composers engage with nature.
In Queenstown, AWE will be based at Te Atamira.
"As a festival rooted in the landscapes of the Southern Lakes, we’re constantly inspired by our surroundings," festival director Justine Cormack says.
"It’s a privilege to celebrate five years of extraordinary performances with artists and audiences who share our belief that music, like nature, can shift our perspective and stir something deeply personal."
That theme’s also guiding the AWE+ series of free public performances, workshops and talks, which include Queenstown-based architect Fred van Brandenburg, who’ll share insights into biomimicry and design, and Olympic freeskier Jossi Wells on the parallels between performance, creativity and the alpine environment, while there’ll also be a keyboard-focused programme with works for piano and harpsichord, and performances from Aussie harpsichordist Erin Helyard and Houstoun.
AWE culminates in a tour of schools across the Southern Lakes between October 13 and 17.
For more info, or to buy tickets, see worldsedgefestival.com
