Francis Merson's Bløg

The Trondheim Festival of Chamber Music is now officially øver. The festival’s stand has vanished from the foyer of the Hotel Rica Nidelven, replaced by one advertising a Formidlings Konferansen, whatever that is. Now the hotel, where all the musicians have lived, practised and drunk their way through countless minibars in the past week, has [...]

The big, and upsetting, news for Australians is that the Streeton Trio have not made the finals of the Chamber Music Competition. Whispers in the breakfast room of the Rica Nidelven Hotel have suggested many jury members thought they were a cert to get through, but others took exception to their exuberant way of moving [...]

It’s the morning of Day Three of the Festival. I’m in the computer room of the Rica Nidelven Hotel, the only one I’ve ever been in with a view of a river. It’s hard to keep my eyes on the screen. In a few days time, the students of the town (who make up 30% [...]

I’m in Trondheim, Norway, for the town’s annual Chamber Music Festival. (Jealous?) This year’s guest of honour and composer in residence: our own Brett Dean.