If all art is political, and music is art, then surely, says composer and musician Eugene Ughetti, so is the act of listening.

Ughetti, in his first year as Artistic Director of the Canberra International Music Festival, has prioritised the idea and the act of listening in a festival unified under the theme of Liberté.

“No matter where we look – at the conflicts around the world; at the state of political debate in the US and at home; to the shift to the political right in Europe – we see the effects on artistic expression and people’s willingness to listen,” Ughetti says. “Listening is more of a political act than ever.”

Eugene Ughetti. Photo courtesy Canberra International Music Festival

Over the course of 30 April to 4 May, the Canberra International Music Festival (CIMF) will offer a huge range of listening experiences and modes of musical expression, ranging from traditional chamber concerts to institutional takeovers to a performance held on the expanse of Lake Burley Griffin.

It should come as no surprise to...