Brothers and a river
The festival was reported as the initiative of brothers Sergio and Stefano de Pieri, and a 2018 article in Sunraysia Daily says it had been bringing musicians to the region since 2003. Stefano de Pieri is better known in Mildura as a restaurateur and a figure in the beginnings of the local writers festival, so the music festival extended an existing habit of bringing culture to the table in Sunraysia.
The central idea was exchange between Italian and Australian classical musicians. Arts Mildura's own summary described outstanding musicians from both countries performing along the Murray River.
A touring festival
The 2014 edition gives the clearest picture of its reach. It ran from 20 to 31 January and was staged in Mildura, Wentworth, Broken Hill, Balranald, Swan Hill, Cohuna and Shepparton. The list covers towns across northern Victoria and south-western New South Wales, a long way to travel for a single summer series.
The program went beyond formal concerts. Listings for that year mention masterclasses, workshops and visits to schools alongside the performances.
A new name
By 2018 the event was being reported under a new title, the Mildura Summer Music Festival, while keeping the Italian emphasis. We have treated that later period on its own page.
Readers looking for the earlier festival's programs will find the Australian Music Centre's event record the most useful surviving source. This page describes a past event, and we have not found anything to confirm it continues today.
Further reading
- Australian Music Centre, listing for the Murray River International Music Festival
- WeekendNotes, listing for the 2014 festival
- Sunraysia Daily, 'Festival of musical variety' and 'Music festival hits town', January 2018