Bendigo Chamber Music Festival | Hayllar Music Tours
Bendigo Chamber Music Festival
Bendigo Chamber Music Festival | Hayllar Music Tours
Bendigo Chamber Music Festival
BENDIGO CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
4–8 FEBRUARY 2026 (5 DAYS) | ATTEND THE FULL BENDIGO CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL INCLUDING 13 CONCERTS, INFORMATIVE TALKS AND EXCLUSIVE PRIVATE EVENTS
Join us at the Bendigo Chamber Music Festival in 2026. Attend 13 concerts across five days, including three Morning Recitals, three Dusk Series performances, four Summer Nights Gala Concerts, the final Farewell Concert and two Inside and Out Conversation Concerts with artists from the Festival. Enjoy private talks on the music we will hear from Tour Leader Graham Abbott ahead of each performance, and experience the exclusive opportunity of sitting in on a closed rehearsal with Festival musicians. Join an In-Conversation with the Bendigo Chamber Music Festival Co-Directors and attend an exclusive pre-concert dinner with musicians performing in the Festival. Enjoy all of this in the charming, historical city of Bendigo.
AUD$4,450 PER PERSON TWIN SHARE
LOYALTY CLUB PRICE: AUD$4,227.50
Single supplement: AUD$420
Deposit payment 1: Deposit AUD$1,500 per person (due at time of booking)
Deposit payment 2: Deposit AUD$1,500 per person (due on 7 October 2025)
Final payment due: 2 December 2025
1 Place Remaining
tour leader
Overview | Bendigo Chamber Music Festival
Overview
Overview | Bendigo Chamber Music Festival
Overview
OVERVIEW
Immerse yourself in a busy and exciting program at the Bendigo Chamber Music Festival with the Platinum Festival Pass giving you access to 13 outstanding concert performances.
Be informed by two Inside and Out Conversation Concerts and attend insightful private talks presented by your Tour Leader, Graham Abbott.
Experience the exclusive opportunity of sitting in on a rehearsal, attend an In-Conversation with the Co-Directors of the festival and attend an exclusive pre-concert dinner with musicians performing in the festival.
Become acquainted with the historic city of Bendigo as you experience its vibrant arts hub, its rich heritage, grand architecture and magnificent gardens.
Taste delicious food at our welcome dinner, a farewell lunch, and at a long lunch organised by the festival with award winning local wineries.
Enjoy four nights at Hotel Shamrock, conveniently located in the centre of Bendigo and a short walk from each of the concert venues.
Travel in a small group (maximum 20 people) giving you the opportunity to get to know your fellow guests and to enjoy one-on-one time with your expert Tour Leader.
TOUR LEADER
Graham Abbott
Sydney-born Graham Abbott is a Music Education graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium and later studied conducting with Myer Fredman. His 40-year conducting career saw him work with all the major Australian orchestras, opera companies and choirs. He was Conductor-in-Residence at the University of Adelaide (1986-88), Associate Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (1993-97), and Musical Director of Melbourne Chorale (now MSO Chorus) (1994-97). In 1997, Graham was acting Chorus Master of the Chorus of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, during which time he conducted concerts with the Edinburgh Royal Choral Union, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and the Ulster Orchestra.
Graham’s opera repertoire included The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Fidelio, The Barber of Seville, La traviata, Il trovatore, Un ballo in maschera, Aida, L'Elisir d'amore, Don Pasquale, The Pearl Fishers, and Pelléas et Mélisande. He was also Assistant Conductor for the Australian premiere season of John Adams’ Nixon in China at the 1992 Adelaide Festival. A lifelong passion for the life and work of Handel saw Graham conduct Messiah more than 80 times in Australia, the UK and New Zealand. His repertoire also included many of the composer’s oratorios and operas, and much of his orchestral and church music.
Graham is also one of Australia's most highly-respected music educators. He produced and presented Keys to Music on ABC Classic from 2003 to 2017 and has worked as a speaker, teacher and examiner around Australia. He also established Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s Unwrap the Music series and continued to present and conduct that series until 2022. He has worked as a tour leader for Hayllar Music Tours since 2018 and now regularly leads tours for the company within Australia and internationally. Graham received a Special Conductor’s Award in the 1995 Melbourne Green Room Awards marking his debut with Opera Australia conducting Handel’s Julius Caesar for the company. And in 2007 he was awarded the Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award by the University of Melbourne in recognition of his services to Australian music as both conductor and educator.
Hotel
HOTEL SHAMROCK, BENDIGO
Hotel Shamrock, a grand 19th-century hotel in Bendigo is conveniently situated on Pall Mall, in the city centre. The current, very imposing Shamrock Hotel building is a major landmark of Bendigo and was recognised as having national significance to Australia in 1978 when it was added to the Register of the National Estate. There is no other venue in regional Victoria which has quite the distinction and history. For example, in 1898 Alfred Deakin made a speech in the Banquet Hall in support of Federation. During the Edwardian era Nellie Melba stayed in the 3rd floor corner suite opposite the Bendigo Post Office clock tower and demanded its hourly chime be turned off. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the Bistro, and drinks and a Tapas menu are available in the Yard Bird. In the Sports Bar, light and full traditional meals, such as a roast of the day, are available.
If you would like hotel upgrade options please contact us on 02 9669 9181 / +61 2 9669 9181.
4–8 FEBRUARY 2026 (5 DAYS)
AUD$4,450 PER PERSON TWIN SHARE
Single supplement: AUD$420
1 Place Remaining
Itinerary | Bendigo Chamber Music Festival
Itinerary
Itinerary | Bendigo Chamber Music Festival
Itinerary
ITINERARY
DAY 1 | WEDNESDAY 4 FEBRUARY 2026
1ST OF 4 NIGHTS AT HOTEL SHAMROCK, BENDIGO
MELBOURNE CITY AND MELBOURNE AIRPORT, TO BENDIGO (D):
Guests are collected by private air-conditioned coach. The coach will make one stop in Melbourne’s city centre at 12:00pm and a second stop at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport at 12:45pm.
From Melbourne Airport we travel to Bendigo by private coach. The journey takes approximately two hours.
On arrival in Bendigo we check into Hotel Shamrock, a grand 19th-century hotel. The hotel is conveniently situated in the city centre on Pall Mall.
We gather in the early evening to meet our Tour Leader, Graham Abbott, who will introduce the tour and this evening’s concert. Together we enjoy a delicious dinner, and before the evening concert we attend the festival’s VIP welcome drinks function.
We then attend the Opening Gala of the Bendigo Chamber Music Festival at the Capital Theatre. The Capital Theatre, built in 1873, is a unique piece of Bendigo's heritage, providing a modern stage and state of the art technical facilities in a magnificent auditorium featuring ornate Victorian plaster-work and recently refurbished seating.
DAY 2 | THURSDAY 5 FEBRUARY 2026
2ND OF 4 NIGHTS AT HOTEL SHAMROCK, BENDIGO
BENDIGO CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL (B):
We start the day with a private In-Conversation hosted by Tour Leader Graham Abbott with cellists and Co-Directors of the Festival, Chris Howlett and Howard Penny. Chris and Howard will discuss the festival program with Graham Abbott, and following the In-Conversation, Graham will give an introduction to today’s performances.
Following this private event, we enjoy a full day at the Bendigo Chamber Music Festival attending first the Morning Recital.
Time is allowed for lunch after the recital. In the early afternoon we attend our first Inside and Out Conversation Concert. Following the concert, you might like to stroll back to the hotel, or take a walk through the beautiful Rosalind Park and Conservatory Gardens.
In the early evening we enjoy the first Dusk Series concert at the Beehive Building Bendigo. The Beehive Building, also known for a time as the Sandhurst Mining Exchange, is a 19th-century building located on the historic thoroughfare of Pall Mall in the centre of Bendigo.
We then attend our second Evening Concert at the Capital Theatre.
DAY 3 | FRIDAY 6 FEBRUARY 2026
3RD OF 4 NIGHTS AT HOTEL SHAMROCK, BENDIGO
BENDIGO CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL (B, D):
Our second full day at the festival begins with a talk by Graham Abbott about today’s performances. After this we have the exclusive opportunity of attending a rehearsal by festival musicians.
We then attend the Morning Recital and afterwards time is allowed for lunch. In the early afternoon we attend our second Inside and Out Conversation Concert.
In the early evening we attend our second Dusk Series concert at the Ulumbarra Theatre. ‘Ulumburra’ means ‘gather together’ or ‘meeting place’ in the language of the local Dja Dja Wurrung people. The building cleverly combines the heritage-listed 1860s penitentiary architecture of the Sandhurst Gaol and contemporary design.
Prior to the evening concert, we enjoy a private dinner with musicians who are performing in the festival. We then attend our third Evening Concert in the Capital Theatre.
DAY 4 | SATURDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2026
4TH OF 4 NIGHTS AT HOTEL SHAMROCK, BENDIGO
BENDIGO CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL (B, L):
Our final full day at the festival begins with a talk by Tour Leader, Graham Abbott. We attend the Morning Recital, and then enjoy a special long lunch organised by the festival.
Following lunch, the afternoon is free. Guests have the option of attending the festival’s Community Concert, or they might like to do some exploration of Bendigo. Guests might be interested to visit the Bendigo Art Gallery, established in 1887, it is one of the oldest and largest regional galleries in Australia. The gallery has significant collections including Australian Art from the 1850s to the present day, a special collection of art from the Bendigo goldfields and 19th-century European paintings, sculptures and decorative arts. Another suggestion is a visit to the Golden Dragon Museum. Chinese heritage is a significant part of Bendigo's cultural identity. From the goldrushes of the 1850s large numbers of Chinese people arrived and settled in Australia. The Golden Dragon Museum has a rich collection of objects, textiles, photographs, documents and oral histories, including what is believed to be one of the oldest and longest imperial dragons in the world.
In the early evening we attend the final Dusk Series concert, and then the final Evening Concert at the Capital Theatre.
DAY 5 | SUNDAY 8 FEBRUARY 2026
BENDIGO TO MELBOURNE AIRPORT AND MELBOURNE CITY (B, L):
In the morning we have the final talk by Tour Leader, Graham Abbott, and following this we attend the festival’s Farewell Concert presented in the Capital Theatre.
Following the concert, we enjoy lunch together and then travel by private air-conditioned coach to Melbourne. The coach will make one stop at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport at approximately 5:00pm and a second stop in Melbourne’s city centre at approximately 5:45pm.
Inclusions | Bendigo Chamber Music Festival
Inclusions
Inclusions | Bendigo Chamber Music Festival
Inclusions
INCLUSIONS
4–8 FEBRUARY 2026 (5 DAYS)
AUD$4,450 PER PERSON TWIN SHARE
Single supplement: AUD$420
Deposit payment 1: Deposit AUD$1,500 per person (due at time of booking)
Deposit payment 2: Deposit AUD$1,500 per person (due on 7 October 2025)
Final payment due: 2 December 2025
INCLUSIONS:
Performances: Platinum Festival Pass to the Bendigo Chamber Music Festival. This includes access to 13 performances in addition to an optional Community Concert.
Tour Leader: Tour Leadership and private talks about the music by Graham Abbott.
Tour Manager: An experienced Tour Manager to accompany the group throughout the tour.
Exclusive Experiences: Exclusive experiences including sitting in on a rehearsal, attending a private In-Conversation with the Co-Directors of the festival and attending an exclusive pre-concert dinner with musicians performing in the festival.
Hotel: Four nights' accommodation at the centrally located Hotel Shamrock Bendigo.
Travel: Land travel by private air-conditioned coach from Melbourne to Bendigo on 4 February 2026 and from Bendigo to Melbourne on 8 February 2026. Please note that journeys between performance venues will be by foot.
Meals/Drinks: Breakfast each morning at the hotel. Two dinners and two lunches with wine, water and tea/coffee.
Entry Fees and Guided Tours: Entrance fees for museums, art galleries etc. as stated in your itinerary. Expert local guides at some sites.
Tips: Tips for drivers, local guides and meals included in your itinerary.
Information Pack: Comprehensive pre-tour information pack.
EXCLUSIONS:
International/Domestic Travel: Hayllar Music Tours can provide you with a quote. Phone 02 9669 9181 / +61 (0) 2 9669 9181 or email contact@hayllarmusictours.com
Travel Insurance: Please note that travel insurance is recommended for tours within Australia. Hayllar Music Tours can organise your travel insurance for you. Please contact them at phone 02 9669 9181 / +61 (0) 2 9669 9181 or email contact@hayllarmusictours.com
Meals: Lunches and dinners not nominated in your itinerary.
Personal Expenses: Personal expenses such as laundry, phone calls and mini-bar.
Activities in Free Time: Costs associated with any activities suggested for you in your free time.
SMALL GROUP SIZE
The tour will operate with 8 people. The maximum number on the tour will be 20 people.
FITNESS LEVEL REQUIRED - LEVEL 1
All members of the group must feel comfortable walking for 1–2 hours, standing for long periods of time in museums, art galleries etc. and embarking/disembarking coaches.
BOOKING TERMS & CONDITIONS
Please note that booking terms and conditions apply. Click here for the booking terms and conditions.
Booking | Bendigo Chamber Music Festival
Booking
Booking | Bendigo Chamber Music Festival
Booking
BENDIGO CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
DEPOSIT ONLY | AUD$1,500 PER PERSON
4–8 FEBRUARY 2026 (5 DAYS) | ATTEND THE FULL BENDIGO CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL INCLUDING 13 CONCERTS, INFORMATIVE TALKS AND EXCLUSIVE PRIVATE EVENTS