Premiere Performances in Hong Kong - International Chamber Music Festival

The annual festival returns next month with a host of free events that promise to create a "musical movement" throughout the city.

"We want young musicians, lapsed musicians and retired musicians to pick up their instruments, call their friends who play, and get together to make music," says organiser Premiere Performances Hong Kong. "And make music fun."

This year's HKICMF has added to its paid programmes with community concerts, workshops for amateur musicians, rehearsal sessions and talks as well as chamber music masterclasses for professional players. While the festival runs from January 16 to 23, the free events will begin on January 5.

Founder and executive director of Premiere Performances Hong Kong Andrea Fessler says the HKICMF is now into its fourth year and it is important to show local audiences how exciting and interesting chamber music concerts can be.

"We are working hard to develop a new audience for chamber music," she says. "Our outreach programmes have reached a lot of people who may not have otherwise thought of going to a chamber music concert, either because they never knew what chamber music was or because they never heard it played at the highest international standards."