At the World's Edge festival ends on high note

The rafters of the Rippon Hall were ringing with rapturous applause on Sunday night as this year’s At the World’s Edge festival took its final bow to a standing ovation from a sell-out audience.

Over the past ten days, audiences from Queenstown to Bannockburn, Cromwell to Wānaka, have been treated to dazzling programmes of folk and classical music performed by some of the world’s best chamber musicians.

Highlights included the world premiere of this year‘s composer-in-residence Eve de Castro-Robinson’s new work, Earth's Eye, commissioned by AWE.

Performed for the first time at the Rippon Hall and against the backdrop of Lake Wānaka, Ms de Castro-Robinson says that there could be no better place for the piece to make its début, inspired as it is by Thoreau’s line: "A lake is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature.  It is earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.” Ruby Island, she says, seems almost to form the iris of the eye.

AWE’s exhausted but elated festival director and violinist Justine Cormack could not have been happier with how this year's festival played out.

“This has been, quite simply, a brilliant experience for everyone involved. This was our biggest programme to date and we were thrilled with the support that we received from our audiences and the broader community into which AWE has become inextricably embedded.

"We bring some of the world's finest musicians from around the globe and from Aotearoa into the region and the audiences of all ages bear testament to the fact that there is a thirst for world class performances in the Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago regions.

"We may be situated geographically at the world’s edge, but when it comes to chamber music this festival shows that we are undoubtedly front and centre.”

In addition to the extended main festival programme, the AWE+ series, which offers a multitude of free events, expanded this year offering composer and artist talks, stand alone concerts and open rehearsals throughout the region.

Highlights included the debut of the new AWE viola, crafted and gifted to AWE by luthier Stephan Orthorst during an AWE+ event in Bannockburn.

Meanwhile renowned Australian baritone Morgan Pearse performed a stunning programme of global folk songs at a free Queenstown event and architect Fred van Brandenburg gave an engaging talk in Wānaka on how music has shaped his work.

American violinist Alexi Kenney made his Aotearoa début at AWE this year and could not have spoken more highly of his experience. 

“It’s been a complete whirlwind, two weeks have really flown by and it’s been magical. It couldn’t be more magical, especially to have come here from so far away and to meet new friends and play with old colleagues. It’s just been a complete joy to be here.”

While some of the musicians have already begun their long journeys home, many are remaining in the region for the final week of AWE, which sees the festival artists heading into schools around the region, performing for and working with students of all ages.

“This week,” Ms Cormack says, “is every bit as important for us as the performances that come before. Our artists love playing for and with young students and hope that they can offer inspiration and motivation to younger generations of musicians.”

As she leads her fellow artists into the regions, Ms Cormack has one more thing to say of AWE 2024: “We cannot thank our sponsors, our patrons, our fabulous artists and our wonderful audiences for supporting At the World’s Edge. The support we receive gives us the confidence and ability to plan ahead for next year’s festival and we can’t wait for what lies ahead”.