The Canberra International Music Festival’s 25th anniversary has been its most successful year in the event’s history, Festival Chair Bev Clarke announced. Ticket sales were up 12 percent on the 2018 Festival, which included 43 events over 11 days in venues from Canberra’s historic Fitters’ Workshop to the National Gallery of Australia and the Botanic Gardens.

The Canberra International Music Festival’s opening concert, A World of Bach. Photo © Peter Hislop

This year’s Festival was themed re/discover Bach, with Artistic Director Roland Peelman putting together a program spanning Historically Informed Performance to nine world premieres by contemporary composers, including Christopher Sainsbury and the Festival’s composer collective in residence, Jess Green, Bree van Reyk and Nick Wales.

“The number of interstate patrons suggests the Festival is highly valued by lovers of classical and contemporary art music from around Australia, with interstate patrons approaching 35% of total sales in 2019,” Clarke said.

The Festival featured international artists including the Brodsky Quartet, Quatuor Voce and the sonic.art saxophone quartet, as well as Australian ensembles and musicians including Bach Academy Australia and violinist Kristian Winther. Highlights included performances by the Ntaria Choir from Central Australia, a concert...