Twenty-four-year-old Australian cellist Charlotte Miles will return to the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in 2026 after emerging as a standout performer at last year’s event.

The festival will run from 24th July to 1st August 2026 in Cairns–Gimuy. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, 2nd March.

Born in Melbourne in 2002, Miles has established an international career marked by more than 100 national and international competition prizes. These include the special prize of the Mozart-Gesellschaft München at the 2024 International ARD Cello Competition. In addition, she has performed as a soloist with the Munich Chamber Orchestra, Kremerata Baltica and the Australian Chamber Orchestra Collective, alongside major Australian symphony orchestras.

Miles was the first Australian student admitted to the Kronberg Academy. She now studies in Germany with Professor Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt after graduating with highest honours in Weimar. Furthermore, she received the 2025 Melbourne Prize for Music Professional Development Award and is a laureate of the Gautier Capuçon Foundation.

She performs on a circa 1780 Joseph Hill cello on loan from an Australian collection. While touring internationally, she maintains strong ties with Australian ensembles including the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Australian String Quartet.

When asked about her early musical beginnings, Miles said, “I was four-and-a-half years old when I started playing the cello.” She added, “There was never really a moment when I decided to start my career – when the time came in my mid-teens to think about my future, I knew that I’d never truly envisioned myself in any line of work other than this one.”

Discussing performance highlights, she said, “Being on stage with the Berlin Philharmonic is pretty amazing – that orchestra is such a living organism, and when you play there you can feel yourself surrounded by it, like the swell of a huge wave.”

Miles also reflected on the festival’s relocation to Cairns. She said, “The thing I’m most looking forward to about this first Cairns festival is the newness of it – none of us really know what to expect from the relocation, and to me that’s what makes it so special!” She added, “And despite all the change, what will always remain constant about AFCM is the feeling of family.”

Festival Details

From 24th July to 1st August 2026, AFCM will present nine days of chamber music performances in Cairns–Gimuy. Artistic Director Jack Liebeck has announced a program balancing international artists, new commissions and established repertoire.

Location: Cairns–Gimuy
Dates: 24th July to 1st August 2026
Tickets: HERE