Esbjerg International Chamber Music Festival is a music initiative already in its 23rd year. It has invited guest musicians from all over the world to join in this international community of artists to collaborate in new performances and to form new relationships. We are especially honoured that the musicians of Esbjerg Ensemble will collaborate again with us this year, playing in 11 concerts from the 5th to the 29th of August.

Concerts of classical music will be performed in the beautiful country churches of Nordby and Sønderho, situated in the idyllic island of Fanø. In these churches you will encounter quaint sailing-ships hanging from the ceilings that allude to Fanø’s historic importance as a home port to more than 160 ships in the 17th century. There will be concerts in the Church of Our Saviour (Vor Frelsers Kirke - Esbjerg’s central church) in collaboration with Esbjerg City’s annual popular Festival Week. Hjerting Church, a modern architectural gem 10 kms north of Esbjerg and in the Danish National Academy of Music’s concert hall, which is an historic building: a former power plant in a mix of Jugend and Classicist styles found in Viennese architecture. Its extraordinary acoustics make it one of the best halls in Europe to experience chamber music. This year’s final concerts will be broadcast by Denmark’s national radio.

Additionally, this summer the Esbjerg International Chamber Music Festival (EICMF) will partner with Esbjerg’s Opera House in two performances of Verdi’s Falstaff.  This will create a depth of synergy that will truly make Esbjerg a ‘must visit’ cultural destination. Musicians (many of whom are versatile soloists), professors and chamber musicians will be playing to support both the opera and the chamber music festival. 

The Esbjerg International Chamber Music Festival, since its inception in 1999, has relied fully on donations for its survival. Despite the most challenging of circumstances, in 2020 EICMF staged 15 performances in August, held in various venues encompassing Esbjerg, Fanø and Ribe. Thus demonstrating its tremendous value for the region. This can be evidenced through countless broadcasts on Danish National Radio, collaborations with German Radio and the popularity of The EICMF Youtube channel that has amassed many millions of hits.

Michel Camille, Artistic Director