At the heart of the Four Winds Festival are two full days of music presented on the venue’s main stage, its iconic 2,000-person capacity Sound Shell amphitheatre. Unique within Australia, this state-of-the art facility, conceived by architect Philip Cox, is surrounded by nature, amidst 30 acres of carefully maintained natural bushland.
Over the Festival’s five days, a series of more intimate concerts will also take place at Four Winds’ Windsong Pavilion, a stunning purpose-built 200-seat indoor performance space, designed by architect Clinton Murray, which has been described as having one of the finest acoustics in Australia.
Four Winds’ signature House Concerts, held in landmark local private properties, are a Festival favourite, providing a rare and highly intimate opportunity to experience exquisite musicianship in an exclusive setting.
Free community performances, music installations to be discovered around the Four
Winds site, and a special program for aspiring young musicians, all ensure a diverse range of opportunities for the entire community to engage with the Festival’s artists and their music.
“It’s the incredible natural environment where Four Winds takes place, which makes it such a unique event,” James Crabb, Four Winds Artistic Director says. “It makes everyone feel like they’re sharing in something intimate, to be treasured.”
“As a musician on stage in a concert hall, you can have the overwhelming feeling of being at the centre of everyone’s attention. Then, in contrast, when you perform in nature, you have a sense of yourself as a small part of a much bigger worldly picture.”
“That’s one the main reasons that the Festival has such a great reputation amongst musicians,” Crabb continues. “They love to play here, surrounded by such extraordinary beauty. It’s incredibly humbling, connecting and rewarding.”
Four Winds acclaimed flagship event will become an annual fixture on the organisation’s program, with plans already well underway for next year.
A firm favourite with music lovers, the Four Winds Easter Festival is renowned for presenting stunning musical performances in its unique performance space, surrounded by 30 acres of open bushland.
It’s an experience which is worlds apart from a typical concert hall performance: an encounter with music and nature for both artists and audiences; the guiding philosophy which has seen the event go from strength to strength.
Speaking on behalf of the organisation, Artistic Director James Crabb says, “Over the past 27 years, the Four Winds Easter Festival has grown from a small gathering of friends enjoying an afternoon of quality music-making in a stunningly beautiful location, to a highly anticipated event drawing an audience of thousands, offering five days of exceptional performances and programs presented by over sixty Australian and international artists.”
“Four Winds is committed to building its contribution to the Australian and international music-making ecology, so making the Festival an annual event is in many ways a natural development.
“Over recent years we have laid the foundations for a vibrant year-round program incorporating music education, community-based projects, commissioning, performances and artist residencies, all inspired by our exceptional location in nature. The Easter Festival provides the perfect opportunity to showcase our work to a wider national audience and share the best of evolving music-making practice.”
