Mount Buller is an alpine ski resort, 300 km from Melbourne, and situated 48km east of Mansfield in the Alps of north-eastern Victoria, Australia. Hectic and crowded in Winter, it sleeps through the Summer as a relatively unoccupied mountain village gifted with a cool temperate climate and stunning alpine scenery. Since 1985 it has been home to the Chamber Music Summer School, Mount Buller, set up by people who loved playing chamber music and wanted to put more time aside to enjoy playing with others, with also the benefits of expert professional tuition and the pleasure of idyllic surroundings.
The existence of the summer school is organised in a way once described as being based on the maxim ' why put up with something marvellous when with a little more effort you can make it perfect’! Whatever the reason, the summer school is characteristically rich in musical experiences and expert tuition, with fine staff concerts in ideal surroundings, and with workshops, lectures and talks. Students enjoy an opportunity to work hard and take part in daily non-competitive performance sessions. Fine cuisine and the agreeable and informal company of other students and tutors generate a rewarding social experience. As tutors, many of the finest teachers and performers in Australia enjoy the summer school and this, with their enthusiasm to return each year, is an important factor in its continuing success.
Mt Buller is of course in the forested alps of north-eastern Victoria, and like other such areas in South east Australia has a degree of exposure to summer bushfires. To some extent the fire risk at Mt Buller has been moderated by surrounding burning, as happened in summer 2007. We are mindful however of an overiding need for safety of people and their possessions and take stringent precautions to avoid or minimise fire risk, as in 2007 by relocation to Geelong, or in 2003 when we arranged to finish early. In the unlikely event of summer school cancellation due to emerging risk we will as far as possible refund fees paid by students.
The existence of the summer school is organised in a way once described as being based on the maxim ' why put up with something marvellous when with a little more effort you can make it perfect’! Whatever the reason, the summer school is characteristically rich in musical experiences and expert tuition, with fine staff concerts in ideal surroundings, and with workshops, lectures and talks. Students enjoy an opportunity to work hard and take part in daily non-competitive performance sessions. Fine cuisine and the agreeable and informal company of other students and tutors generate a rewarding social experience. As tutors, many of the finest teachers and performers in Australia enjoy the summer school and this, with their enthusiasm to return each year, is an important factor in its continuing success.