Jack Liebeck has unveiled his inaugural program as Artistic Director of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM) to be held in Townsville from 29 July to 7 August. The British-German violin virtuoso’s role was announced back in 2020, but with the pandemic causing his predecessor Kathryn Stott’s final offering to be cancelled both in 2020 and then again in 2021, Australia has had to wait until now for Liebeck to share his ideas and vision.

AFCM Artistic Director Jack Liebeck. Photo © Kaupo Kikkas

“I felt desperately sorry for Kathryn Stott and the AFCM team who did everything twice (in fact I think Kathy reprogrammed about five times!) to make the festival happen, only to have the rug pulled from under them,” Liebeck tells Limelight. “Now that I know that my first AFCM is actually approaching, I am very excited and hopeful that our audience will have a wonderful festival.”

Three headliners, all of them world premieres, will rolled out over the first three days of the 31st festival, but the full...