EXPERIMENTAL music guru Richard Johnson’s brainchild, the  “SoundOut” festival, has been shortlisted for excellence in experimental music for the 2015 Art Music Awards, with the winners to be announced on August 11 at the City Recital Hall in Sydney. Johnson has been running the festival in Canberra for six years.

“INTERNECINE: The Vanished Musicians” is a “transmedia” exhibition marking the experiences of 96 musicians who fled World War II Germany to settle here, only to find themselves interned as enemy aliens. At Nishi Gallery, August 7-25, it sees local visual artists and international sound designers celebrating the modern refugee. Proceeds from sales go to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, UNHCR and Refugee Advice & Casework Service.

ANTONIO Stradivari’s craftsmanship remains unsurpassed and about 650 of his instruments survive today. Salut! Baroque honours him through music by music by Vivaldi, Corelli, Albion, Valentino and Bertali in “The Master Luthier”, at Albert Hall, 7.30pm, on Friday, August 7. Tickets at the door.

SHORT+SWEET Canberra presents more than 30 10-minute plays, directed and performed by Canberra theatre talent at the Courtyard Studio, August 4-15. This year boasts a record number of entries with 20 of the 30 plays written in the ACT. Bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

FRIENDS of Ireland will mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of poet WB Yeats with an afternoon of poetry and music hosted by Prof Ronan McDonald, director of the Global Irish Studies Centre at UNSW. At the National Library of Australia’s theatre, 3pm, Sunday, August 2, bookings to nla.gov.au/bookings/friends