TO the sweet, sad strains of a new composition by young Canberra cellist, James Munro, Canberra International Music Festival, director Roland Peelman last night (November 17), launched the 2023 program, centred around the theme “The Child Within”.

For, as Peelman told the crowd on a peripatetic wander through the performance spaces of Verity Lane in Civic, which would feature next year, the festival intended to celebrate “the enchanted forest of our children’s imagination” through the magic of music in a program of 28 concerts, featuring around 150, international and Australian musicians.

It was notable, he said that overseas guests such as Britain’s Brodsky Quartet and France’s Quatuor Van Kuijk would be back on the podium next year, after a covid-induced break, for it was, after all an international festival.

But at the same time, mindful of the fact that Australia is home to the oldest, continuous culture on earth, First Nations artists had been front and centre is in his interpretation of “international”, so on April 30, the Brodsky Quartet would share the stage with didgeridoo artist William Barton in a gala concert of Barton, Bach and Schubert that would also feature the world premiere of “Eden Ablaze”, written by Australia’s Andrew Ford during the bushfires in late 2019.

Mixing classical, modern and ancient traditions, Djilama Yilaga Choir would make its festival debut alongside Barton and “Australia’s answer to Bessie Smith”, Marlene Cummins, while the Australian Haydn Ensemble would perform a symphonic classical program about “families, friends and musical ties that bind”, “The Mozarts, the Haydns & the Bear”.

The Fitters’ Workshop in Kingston, Peelman said, would still be a hub, but other venues such as Albert Hall, the ANU, Drill Hall Gallery and the aforementioned Verity Lane, would liven up the capital. The Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture would host a re-enactment of a concert given in Hay on April 6, 1941, the recently re-discovered “Dunera Mass”.

The children’s theme would continue with Britten’s “Children’s Crusade”, Britten’s setting of Brecht’s pacifist manifesto to be performed by Luminescence Children’s Choir.

A special focus on Ukraine will feature the pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk in a solo recital, Andrew Goodwin singing Silvestrov’s “Silent Songs” sung by candlelight and pianist Sonya Lifschitz in a new multimedia performance at the NGA.

The festival’s breakfast series continues under the title “French For Breakfast” and this year’s musical excursion “Taste of the Country” will be held at Contentious Character vineyard with Quatuor Van Kuijk and Katie Yap on viola entertaining. That “notorious viola“, played by Yap and James Wannan would also feature in the main program.

Peelman said he was excited to announced a new dance collaboration between Australian Dance Party and the festival at the National Arboretum as part of Ausdance ACT’s Australian Dance Week featuring a new composition by Dan Walker.

2023 Canberra International Music Festival, April 28-May 7.