Te Wāhi Toi/The Arts Place exists to connect the creative community of Queenstown and Wānaka with audiences, students, teachers, spaces and each other. We are a not-for-profit organisation powered by Three Lakes Cultural Trust and inspired by local arts and culture.
At the World’s Edge Festival: Music, Mentorship, and Nature
This year’s line-up brings together some of Aotearoa’s finest chamber musicians with acclaimed international guests. Pianist Michael Houstoun, cellist James Bush, and Composer in Residence John Psathas join UK violinist Anthony Marwood, US violist Yura Lee, and Australian harpsichordist Erin Helyard. The programme weaves together much-loved classics, rediscovered gems, and bold new commissions — each in its own way reflecting nature’s role as muse.
From its beginning, AWE has had a strong commitment to education and community. The Emerging Composer programme supports an early-career artist to create a new work in collaboration with the Composer in Residence. This year, Lauren Doherty - a composition and sonic arts student at the New Zealand School of Music - will premiere her new piece, developed under Psathas’ guidance, both in the festival and in schools across the district.
The Emerging Artist programme also provides a unique pathway for young performers. Four up-and-coming musicians will rehearse and perform alongside Festival Artists, visit schools, and connect with community audiences. Two former Emerging Artists return this year as AWE Fellows, now performing as full Festival Artists - a reflection of how these opportunities can launch careers.
AWE is the creation of violinists Justine Cormack and Benjamin Baker, who wanted to bring leading international musicians together with New Zealand artists in a festival that balances world-class performance with mentorship. The week before opening night, rehearsals take over Te Atamira in Tāhuna Queenstown, as musicians from around the world, many meeting for the first time, pull together programmes in just a few days. The energy is intense, but it’s part of what gives AWE its freshness and immediacy.
The AWE+ programme extends beyond concerts with free talks, workshops, and cross-disciplinary sessions. Highlights this year include Olympic skier Jossi Wells and architect Fred van Brandenburg discussing how nature shapes their work, and John Psathas reflecting on his new commissions. The Young Musicians Sessions, meanwhile, offer local students a chance to meet and play alongside some of the world’s best chamber musicians.
At the same time, AWE’s schools programme continues to reach over 2,000 students across the region, taking artists into classrooms to share performances, conversations, and insights about creativity. For many young people in more remote communities, these encounters are as memorable as the festival’s mainstage concerts.
Though firmly rooted in Central Otago and the Southern Lakes, AWE is also expanding internationally, with growing programmes in the United States and the United Kingdom. These global connections strengthen pathways for Aotearoa’s classical musicians while bringing international attention to a festival that proudly carries the spirit of performance from “the world’s edge.”
✨ At the World’s Edge Festival runs this October. Explore the full programme at worldsedgefestival.com.
📧 To connect or get involved: [email protected]
