The sounds of chamber music will once again fill the cultural precinct on Saturday 9 March when the Orange Chamber Music Festival's free community event Cultured returns to the Civic Square.
Cultured will combine music, arts, heritage and literature when musicians from across the country hold a series of performances at Orange Regional Gallery, Orange Regional Museum and Orange City Library, as well as outside in the South Court.
Orange City Council's Services Policy Committee Chair, Cr Mel McDonell says the free, inclusive and interactive event increases in popularity every year.
The NSW Police Brass Ensemble.
"To be able to enjoy classical music by some of the best musicians in the country, right here in our own cultural precinct and completely free of charge is a huge bonus for our community and is something not to be missed," Cr McDonell said.
The event will begin at the South Court steps at 10am with a performance by the popular NSW Police Brass Ensemble, followed by a roaming performance through Orange Regional Museum's Orange 412: A history of our local brigade exhibition. This will be followed by an hour of storytelling, music and imagination at 1pm with violinist and illustrator Lisa Stewart in Orange City Library.
A specially curated program of new compositions and masterpieces will be performed in Orange Regional Gallery from 2.30pm and the Cultured Youth Orchestra of the Central West will perform the grand finale in the South Court from 4pm, conducted by Dr Joanna Drimatis of the Australian Music Centre.
Orange Chamber Music Festival Director and Cultured Curator Carmen Nieves said she was thrilled to be able to present a program of diverse performances for people of all ages.
'OCMF is delighted to contribute to the city's diverse and vibrant cultural scene, and I am particularly thrilled to be able to extend this opportunity to regionally based young musicians to perform at Cultured," Ms Nieves said.
Cultured is part of the fourth annual Orange Chamber Music Festival, which will be held from March 7 to 10, 2024, and is supported by Orange City Council, Create NSW, Orange Regional Arts Foundation and Orange Credit Union.
