Immersed in chamber music
Jeremy Denk
In January 1992, five classical musicians put on five concerts over five days in the acoustically pristine wooden hall at Nelson Centre of Musical Arts. They knew they’d tapped into a winning combination, and within a couple of years, their little celebration had bloomed into a biennial festival featuring international artists.
One of the original five was Gillian Ansel, who is a violist for the New Zealand String Quartet and the festival’s long-time Artistic Director, each time curating a programme that shows guest musicians at their best.
“I’m so delighted with the 2026 programme,” says Gillian. “Bringing it all together has been a true adventure with rather a lot of surprises, but it’s all been worthwhile.”
From the start, one of the stipulations of the Adam Chamber Music Festival is that all the musicians stay for the duration, so that connections that are fostered in the first rehearsals are nurtured and explored throughout the ten days of performances.
Gillian Ansell
In 2026, the USA’s acclaimed Jupiter String Quartet will not only perform as an ensemble, but also in solo, duos, quintets, and as part of the Adam Festival Orchestra. It’s a revelation to see musicians in multiple incarnations on stage, in masterclasses and in artist talks. And with the venue being so small, foyer meet-ups and post-concert chats are a given.
For the 2026 international guests, this will be their only New Zealand performances, and a festival highlight will be American pianist and author Jeremy Denk, whom Gillian says “is rather a legend in the piano world. I can’t wait to hear his solo recital and his Schubert song cycle with Canadian tenor Colin Ainsworth”.
Adam Chamber Music Festival is on 29 January–7 February 2026.