This is your final CIMF program. What would you recommend?

My first recommendation would be to savour the work of our Indigenous artists. William Barton appears in three events: the Opening Gala, a concert in the cathedral-like space of the High Court and the Festival Finale. People don’t always appreciate his extraordinary musical range or the way his music-making continues to gain depth and breadth. There are some equally powerful women: composer Brenda Gifford, who is now a leading Yuin voice; and Nardi Simpson and Kaleena Briggs, whose work as singing duo Stiff Gins has been a creative catalyst.

Roland Peelman

Roland Peelman. Photo © William Hall

Which highlights stand out from your decade at CIMF?

The Kate Moore residency in 2015, which set the tone for an impressive list of composer residencies, concluding this year with Holly Harrison; the collaborations with our leading period ensembles, in particular Haydn’s Creation with the Australian Haydn Ensemble in 2022; hearing the Ntaria Ladies Choir from Hermannsburg alongside European ensembles in our Bach festival in 2019; and introducing two of the greatest living...