International artists arrive for Melbourne Chamber Festival

Artists from leading international orchestras will gather at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music over the next seven days to present performances and master classes, showcasing the breadth and power of chamber music for the fifth Mimir Chamber Music Festival. From the stunning Melba Hall stage, audiences will be treated to performances from artists at the top of their field. Performances include leading Australian concert pianist and chamber musician Kristian Chong, Houston Symphony Orchestra's Associate Principal Viola Joan DerHovsepian, Nashville Symphony Concertmaster Jun Iwasaki, esteemed pianist and composer Benjamin Martin, Melbourne University's Associate Professor of Double Bass Rob Nairn, Cleveland Orchestra's Principal Second Violin Stephen Rose, Chicago Symphony Orchestra cellist Brant Taylor and Mimir Chamber Music Festival Founder and Executive Director Curt Thompson. Melbourne Conservatorium Associate Professor of Violin and Head of Strings Dr Curt Thompson founded the first iteration of the Mimir Festival - named for the Norse god of wisdom - in Texas in 1998. The festival was first held in Melbourne in 2012. Dr Thompson says presenting exceptional chamber music is at the cornerstone of the festival and has driven the success of the Mimir Festival for the past 20 years in Texas and the past years five in Melbourne. "I like to say that chamber music is 'classical' music's equivalent to jazz," Dr Thompson says.