Our CIMF this year was quiet in terms of concerts, not least because of other commitments, but was none-the-less involved. We are part of the crew that billets and drives musicians for the festival and it keeps us busy. This year we were blessed with billetting Dutch/Italian violinist Cecilia Bernardini, a lovely guest and a stunning performer. I may have bored her with amateur chatter about music, but she was gracious and informative: about violins and the lovely one she was performing with (an Amati from Cremona's golden age); tech matters like the various bows she uses for different musics and how frequently she changes her (gut) strings; her life on the road as a professional musician; her partner's and family's relationships with music; her involvements with various groups. She plays regularly with Scotland's Dunedin Consort and also in groups in Rome and Paris (ah, modern European life! Why Brexit, I wonder?) and has twice led Canada's Tafelmusik which is visiting Canberra for Musica Viva in a few weeks time. And just those friendly discussions of life and the rest that ordinary people indulge in. The sound of her practising was a pleasure: a serious performer on a serious instrument preparing Beethoven and Schubert and the like. It's wonderful to welcome guests, musical or otherwise, and a great pleasure and honour to host Cecilia.
Cecilia Bernadini (violin) was our guest for the Canberra International Music Festival 2018. BTW, Cecilia is the in the middle, in green, in the pic above.
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