Out West Piano Fest 2024
Menu
Out West Piano Fest comes alive in Bathurst
Experience sublime piano music, gastronomy and nature at Out West Piano Fest this 25-27 October, a three-day symphony of the senses at picturesque Blackdown Farm, in Bathurst, regional New South Wales.
Once again Bathurst will hum to a different sound at OutWest Piano Fest, held in the glorious regional setting of historic Blackdown Farm, just five minutes from the town centre of Bathurst NSW. A location steeped in pastoral heritage, art and culture; it was once home to the Australian artist Tim Storrier.
The extensive gardens in full spring bloom offer a stunning backdrop for sumptuous music, food and wine events. Local providores and famed winemakers of the central west offer a suite of gastronomic experiences over the weekend, matched with visual art exhibitions and a celebration of the piano with four superb Australian pianists, who will move, excite, educate and entertain.
The sounds of the piano ring out over the landscape as you immerse yourself in the enchanting melodies of five sumptuous concerts. From familiar classics to hidden gems, each performance has been carefully curated by much-loved Australian pianist Konstantin Shamary to create an unforgettable experience, inspired by place, nature and a shared passion for music.
Tickets
Packages are on sale until 26 August. Single tickets will be on sale on Tuesday 3 September.
Packages include:
- Five concerts
- Two morning teas
- Two lunches with matched wines
- One dinner under the stars with matched wines
- Souvenir program
All concerts have allocated seating. For the best seats in the house choose a premium package. (See seating map here).
To make a booking and select your seats call Sydney Opera House on T: 9250 7777.
Food + Wine Experiences are unallocated seating.
| Packages | Price | |
| Premium package with Food & Wine, closest seats to the front and best viewing | $825.00 | |
| General Reserve package with Food & Wine | $750.00 | |
| General Reserve Concession with Food & Wine | $710.00 | |
| General Reserve Local with Food & Wine | $720.00 |
Local tickets are for people who live in the NSW Central West. If you’re not sure, check your postcode.
Festival Program
Five themed concerts will be held throughout the weekend each inspired by the spectacular natural setting of Blackdown Farm in a carefully curated program headlined by acclaimed Australian pianist and Competition laureate Konstantin Shamray.
Konstantin brings the program to life with combinations of solos, duos, duets, trios and quartets, designed to ignite your senses, capture the imagination and create a sense of connection through the music, that will stay with you long after the weekend is done.
“Being Music Director of this year’s Out West Piano Fest has given me freedom to create, with my wonderful collaborative pianists, an emotive and diverse program. The very location and the timing of the festival, as well as the personalities of each performer, inspired some of the repertoire choices. I invite you to join us in Bathurst this Spring for three days of continuous celebration of Piano music in all its genres and combinations, from two to eight hands. Stay tuned!” Konstantin Shamray
Friday 25 October
6pm to 8pm
Welcome Drinks & Dinner in the Olive Grove
8pm to 10pm
Concert 1 – Night Music
Saturday 26 October
10am to 11am
Morning Tea
11am to 12pm
Concert 2 – Bells Across Europe
12.30pm to 2pm
Long Table Lunch
2.30pm to 4.30pm
Concert 3 – En Plein Air
Sunday 27 October
10am to 11am
Morning Tea
11am to 12pm
Concert 4 – Two by Four
12.30pm to 2pm
Farewell Lunch
2.30pm to 3.30pm
Concert 5 – Printemps
Friday 25 October
Concert 1 – Night Music – 8pm to 10pm
Felix Mendelssohn:
Overture from A Midsummer Night’s Dream Op.21 (8 hands, 2 pianos)
Maurice Ravel:
Ondine from Gaspard de la nuit M.55
Modest Mussorgsky/Nikolay Artsybushev:
Night on Bald Mountain (4 hands)
Franz Liszt:
from Études d’exécution transcendante S.139
No.11 Harmonies du soir
– Interval –
Komitas:
Nocturne
Frédéric Chopin:
from Nocturnes Op.37
No.2 in G major
Nikolay Medtner:
Piano Sonata Op.25 No.2 in E minor ‘Night Wind’
Saturday 26 October
Concert 2 – Bells Across Europe – 11am to 12pm
Franz Liszt:
from Années de pélerinage II S.161
No.1 Sposalizio
Olivier Messiaen:
from Visions de l’Amen (2 pianos)
No.7 Amen de la Consommation
George Enescu:
from Suite No.3 for Piano Op.18
No.6 Choral
No.7 Carillon Nocturne
Maurice Ravel:
from Sites auriculaires M.8/13 (2 pianos)
No.2 Entre cloches
Richard Wagner/Karl Klindworth/Konstantin Shamray:
Excerpts from Parsifal Act I WWV 111 (4 hands)
Maurice Ravel:
from Miroirs M.43
No.5 La vallée des cloches
Sergei Rachmaninoff:
from Suite No.1 Op.5 (2 pianos)
IV. Easter
Concert 3 – En Plein Air – 2:30pm to 4:30pm
Johann Sebastian Bach:
Capriccio on the departure of a beloved brother BWV 992
I. Ist eine Schmeichelung der Freunde, um denselben von seiner Reise abzuhalten
II. Ist eine Vorstellung unterschiedlicher Casuum, die ihm in der Fremde könnten vorfallen
III. Ist ein allgemeines Lamento der Freunde
IV. Allhier kommen die Freunde
V. Aria di Postiglione: Allegro poco
VII. Fuga all’ imitazione die Posta
Francis Poulenc:
Promenades FP24
I. A pied
II. En auto
III. À cheval
IV. En bateau
V. En avion
VI. En autobus
VII. En voiture
VIII. En chemin de fer
IX. À bicyclette
X. En diligence
Maurice Ravel:
Jeux d’eau M.30
Béla Bartók:
Out of Doors Sz.81
I. With Drums and Pipes
II. Barcarolla
III. Musettes
IV. The Night’s music
V. The Chase
– Interval –
Robert Schumann:
Waldszenen Op.82
I. Eintritt
II. Jäger auf der Lauer
III. Einsame Blumen
IV. Verrufene Stelle
V. Freundliche Landschaft
VI. Herberge
VII. Vogel als Prophet
VIII. Jagdlied
IX. Abschied
Sergey Prokofiev:
3 Pieces for Piano Op.59
No.1 Promenade
No.2 Landscape
No.3 Pastoral Sonatina
Claude Debussy:
L’isle Joyeuse
Sunday 27 October
Concert 4 – Two by Four – 11:00am to 12:00pm
Sergei Prokofiev:
Train (8 hands)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart/Ferruccio Busoni:
Duettino concertante BV B 88 (2 pianos, 4 hands)
Franz Schubert/Sergei Prokofiev:
Waltzes (2 pianos, 4 hands)
Antonín Dvořák:
4 Slavonic Dances Op.46 (2 pianos, 8 hands)
No.1 Furiant
No.2 Dumka
No.3 Polka
No.5 Skocná
Igor Stravinsky/Achilleas Wastor:
The Firebird Suite (2 pianos, 4 hands)
I. Introduction
II. The Firebird and its Dance
III. Variation of the Firebird
IV. The Princesses’ khorovod (Round)
V. Infernal dance of King Kashchei
VI. Lullaby
VII. Finale
Concert 5 – Printemps – 2:30pm to 3:30pm
Pyotr Tchaikovsky:
from The Seasons Op.37a
III. March: Song of the Lark
IV. April: Snowdrop
V. May: May Nights
Franz Liszt:
from 12 Lieder von Franz Schubert S.558
No.7 Frühlingsglaube
Franz Liszt:
Frühlingsnacht, Lied von Schumann S.568
Sergei Rachmaninoff/Earl Wild:
from 12 Romances Op.14
No.13 Spring Waters
Igor Stravinsky:
The Rite of Spring K015 (2 pianos)
Festival Artists
Music Director, Konstantin Shamray is joined by Lee Dionne, Vatche Jambazian and Grace Kim
About Blackdown Farm
Blackdown Farm is home to the Out West Piano Fest and is regarded as one of NSW’s most significant properties and one of the finest examples of Australian Heritage Architecture. The homestead is surrounded by 17 acres of beautifully maintained gardens and fields.
It dates back to April 1822 when Thomas Hawkins, a naval officer and pioneer settler, was appointed the commissarial storekeeper at Bathurst, travelling from Sydney to Bathurst selecting a 2000-acre land parcel which he called Blackdown. Accompanied by his wife, seven children and nine convicts, the original homestead was built by Hawkins in 1823-1824 and it remains part of the main homestead residence today. Additional outbuildings were constructed over time, including a mill, stables, coach house and servants’ quarters.
In approximately 1836, Blackdown became the site of the first vineyard west of the Blue Mountains and around the same time, many of the trees were planted, including the entrance avenue of English elms and Atlantic cedars. Over the course of time, with different owners the gardens were expanded.
In 1989 the owners at the time undertook a major restoration of the homestead, returning Blackdown to its near original condition, and planned and laid out the extensive Georgian gardens. The most recent restoration of the property was in 2008 by renowned architects Clive Lucas Stapleton and Partners of Sydney when it was owned by Australian artist Tim Storrier. The cavernous artist studio will be the sole venue for all concerts in the Out West Piano Fest.
One of the most beautiful features of Blackdown is the extensive gardens within 17 hectares of planted and maintained parkland. The Out Fest Piano Fest will stage a long table lunch under the crab-apple tree walkway linking the homestead to the in-ground pool and clay tennis court. The organic vegetable garden is filled with raspberries, strawberries, artichokes, asparagus and rhubarb and adjoined by a fruit orchard with a mix of seasonal fruit, including apricots, nectarines, quince and feijoa. The olive grove of almost 650 mature olive trees will provide another outdoor stage for the Out Fest Piano Fest.
Parking
Parking is FREE at Blackdown Farm but you must register your vehicle.
We will email ticket holders closer to the event with information on how to secure you car park.
To book an accessible car park, you will need to display an Australian government issued accessible parking permit. If you have mobility concerns but do not have an Australian government issued accessible parking permit, please contact the office (02 9241 3291) and we will see what we can do to help.
You will be emailed a parking pass with a QR Code. Please bring this with you as we will scan it each time you come through the gate to Blackdown Farm. You can print it or have it on your mobile device.
Travel and Accommodation
Organised Tour
Long time travel partners of Piano+, Renaissance Tours have put together a special tour package which takes all the hassle out of planning your travel and comes with some special value-add options, including an exclusive welcome dinner with all the artists of Out West Piano Fest. For further information and bookings visit their website here or phone 1300 727 095.
Accommodation Options
The beautiful Central Tablelands district has countless accommodation options to suit every preference and price bracket. You can check out the Bathurst Tourism Centre’s accommodation guide here as a starting point.
Local Tourism
The Bathurst Tourism Centre has also partnered with Out West Piano Fest to ensure that all guests have a wonderful visit to the region. If you are coming a few days earlier, or staying a few days after the festival the Bathurst Tourism Centre is your first stop. Check their comprehensive guides to what’s happening and things to do here.
Sponsors and Partners
Piano Partner
Catering
Margot Burke Catering
Tour Partner
Venue Partners
Anthony and Suzanne Maple Brown.
Event Styling
