Orange City Council will welcome the sounds of chamber music to the cultural precinct in 2025 as the Orange Chamber Music Festival's community event Cultured returns on Saturday 8 March.
COMMUNITY: The Cultured Youth Orchestra performs in the South Court in 2024.
In short: The Orange Chamber Music Festival's free community event Cultured will be held in the Cultural Precinct on Saturday 8 March.
Three performances will be held from 10am, in the Orange City Library, Orange Civic Theatre and Orange Regional Gallery
What else: The four-day Orange Chamber Music Festival will be held from March 6-9.
This is the fourth time the event has been held. A series of free performances will be held in locations around the Civic Centre Cultural Precinct as part of the art music experience, with an exciting program for all ages.
Orange City Council Recreation and Culture Policy Committee Chair Cr Tammy Greenhalgh said performances would be held in the Orange City Library, Orange Civic Theatre and Orange Regional Gallery this year.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to experience intimate performances by local youth and outstanding emerging artists in our own community facilities, which cater for families, art-lovers, those new to, or familiar with classical music, and locals and visitors alike," Cr Greenhalgh said.
Curator and Festival Director Carmen Nieves said Cultured began as an initiative to encourage participation and connection to the arts and heritage programs available in the cultural precinct.
"Cultured rapidly evolved into a full day of performing, visual arts and heritage multi-arts presentation," Ms Nieves said.
"Cultured takes classical music out of the concert hall and brings it close to the community, to experience the fine arts differently in an inclusive and relaxed experience for all."
Lisa Stewart performs at the Orange City Library in 2024. Photo: AISLEEN MOXEY
Cultured will begin at 10am in Orange City Library with Elemental Resonance, a journey through the elements earth, air, fire and water with the colourful tones of the harp.
Presented by Paul Nicolaou, harpist and emerging composer based in Sydney, the performance is an interactive activity for people of all ages, using sensorial elements to enhance the audience's perceptions of sound, music and colour.
At 11am The Cultured Youth Orchestra will perform a program titled 'Australiana' at the Orange Civic Theatre, a celebration of Australian themes by Australian living composers.
The newly established orchestra is made up of almost 70 Central West musicians under the age of 18 wanting to connect, upskill and perform highly demanding orchestral pieces, coached by some of Australia's leading orchestral musicians and conductors.
The youth orchestra was developed by the festival director and launched in 2024 in partnership with Kinross Wolaroi School, with over 55 participating local young musicians.
This year the Cultured Youth Orchestra has expanded to include Orange Regional Conservatorium's Orange Youth Orchestra and the Wula Gurray (Voices of Change) children's choir.
Wula Gurray is made up of students from nine Central West public primary and secondary schools performing songs in Wiradjuri Language, with Tammy Wilson and Orange Regional Conservatorium's Head of Voice, Samantha Bartholomeusz.
The choir will perform Nginha Nugumbaaydyl (In This Place), a commissioned work by acclaimed Australian composer Dan Walker.
At 2pm alumni of the acclaimed Australian Chamber Orchestra will conclude Cultured 2025 with a specially curated performance in the Anne Thomson exhibition at Orange Regional Gallery.
Supported by Orange City Council and the Orange Regional Arts Foundation, Cultured is part of the four-day Orange Chamber Music Festival will be held from March 6-9, 2025.
Click here to visit the OCMF website and see the full program of events.
The NSW Police Brass Ensemble performs at the Orange Regional Museum. Photo: AISLEEN MOXEY
