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Spring: a change of pace, a lengthening of the days and an atmosphere of excitement – anticipation, even – as life returns in all its glory.
Chamber music is an intimate conversation, the music of friends. Written specifically for small groups of musicians, chamber music is designed to be performed, heard, and experienced in a close-knit, intimate setting, with the audience just as much a shared and active part of the experience as the musicians themselves.
From duos through to octets, each musician has an individual and influential role in the direction and narrative of the music. This interaction of voices and musical gestures often creates a dialogue similar to a good discussion or debate and gives the listener’s ear the opportunity to participate and decide what to listen to and which thread to follow.
At the World’s Edge’s mission is to connect communities, artists and audiences through the most intimate and concentrated form of music, chamber music, in the awe-inspiring surroundings of Wānaka, Queenstown and Central Otago
The region’s incredible natural surroundings, a constant presence that looms over us, provide a unique source of energy and inspiration that fuels the artists’ performances.
Every AWE festival brings together an intimate group of internationally-renowned musicians for a once-in-a-lifetime ensemble. Year upon year, no matter where they are from, no matter whether this is their first time in Aotearoa New Zealand or whether they call this country home, each and every one of them arrives, performs and leaves energised and excited by this stunning region.
Building on that unique natural force, AWE strives to work with that sense of wonder in every performance while giving the artists a powerful experience that will add fuel to their creative fires.
Increasingly, though, the connections formed here are extending outwards into the world. AWE now has sister festivals in both the US and the UK where Kiwi musicians join international AWE family members to bring a taste of Aotearoa finto the world. It’s as much about establishing Wānaka, Queenstown and Central Otago as a vital chamber music hub with world class Kiwi artists as it is about bringing international musicians to those very same places.
No, far from it; the community here is a vital part of AWE. Festival Directors Justine and Ben firmly see AWE as a much-needed force for connectivity between people of all ages and stages, brought together for life-affirming experiences that inspire, challenge and nourish the soul. This happens because of the quality of the musicians and musicianship, the very careful and considered programming, performed in exceptional venues such as Wānaka’s Rippon Hall, surrounded by our stunning mountains. The impact on people’s lives is literally awe-inspiring.
When you listen to and watch incredible performances of musicians at the top of their game, you feel things, you dream, new worlds open up. You sit quietly, within yourself, and are taken on a journey. It’s a wonderful way to connect to the here and now. Another community connection lies in AWE’s visits to schools, performing to more than two thousand students in the week following the public festival events. Seeing students eyes light up with wonder, hearing new sounds, seeing the younger emerging artists performing with such skill is a unique form of inspiration that encourages the younger generations to seek out opportunities to express their creativity, in whatever form that may be.
