Chamber Music Adelaide’s annual free festival On the Terrace reaches a milestone this November, celebrating ten years of bringing chamber music to the North Terrace cultural precinct with a program featuring more than 100 musicians, a major new commission, and a world premiere.
On the Terrace 2026 takes place on Sunday 1 November from 11am to 4pm, transforming the Art Gallery of South Australia, State Library of South Australia, South Australian Museum and Elder Hall into a day-long celebration of chamber music. Entry is free, with no bookings required for most performances.
A new work tracing Karrawirra Parri
To mark the tenth anniversary, composer Hilary Kleinig has created From Dawn to Dusk, a new commission tracing a single day’s journey from the Adelaide Hills to the sea along the path of Karrawirra Parri (the River Torrens). The piece unfolds across the festival in three parts: standalone works for strings (From Dawn) and wind and percussion (To Dusk) performed earlier in the day, before the two ensembles unite with inclusive choir Poco Tutti for a finale at 3:40pm in the Art Gallery’s Elder Wing.
Chamber Music Adelaide’s Director Elizabeth McCall said the anniversary program reflects the festival’s founding vision. “Ten years ago, On the Terrace began with a simple idea: that chamber music belongs everywhere, not just in a concert hall. This year’s program, and Hilary’s commission in particular, feels like the truest expression of that idea yet — music that’s still very much alive, moving through the day and through the city, gathering people and voices as it goes.”
World premiere and new Australian works
The festival also features a world premiere from acclaimed South Australian composer Jodie O’Regan. Sing Sanctus, the final movement of her large-scale work Leviathan, will be performed by renowned mezzo-soprano Sally-Anne Russell, emerging soprano Clara Cutri and Adelaide Baroque. The piece imagines a mother whale and calf swimming through waters affected by algal bloom off Encounter Bay, weaving in the words of South Australians living in coastal communities.
Composer Jack Overall presents Letters from Home, a new work for the intercultural Nexus Arts Orchestra, drawing on instruments including guzheng, santur and erhu.
55 performances across the precinct
This year’s 55 performances span established artists, emerging musicians and Elder Conservatorium students presenting their own program. Highlights include a new collaboration between CASM’s emerging singer-songwriters and string quartet 4EPQ, alongside a dedicated family program.
Several of On the Terrace’s founding ensembles return to mark the occasion, including Kegelstatt Ensemble, who will perform alongside mezzo-soprano Cheryl Pickering — the festival’s original founder as Board Chair in 2016.
Since its inception in 2016, On the Terrace has grown into a beloved annual event, drawing around 3,000 attendances each year. Audio-described tours are available in partnership with Access2Arts.
On the Terrace 2026 is supported by the City of Adelaide and Create SA.
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