Music students from the Australian National University will take part in a new creative residency with internationally acclaimed Finnish folk trio T3HO, under a partnership announced between the ANU School of Music and the National Folk Festival (NFF).
As part of the partnership, T3HO will travel to Canberra for a week-long residency leading into the 2026 National Folk Festival, marking the first stage of a long-term collaboration between the university and the festival.
Running from Monday 30 March to Wednesday 1 April 2026, the intensive program will bring together students from classical performance, jazz, composition, music technology and musicology into a single interdisciplinary cohort.
Working alongside T3HO and NFF co-artistic director Dr Chris Stone, students will explore contemporary Nordic folk traditions, ensemble creativity, improvisation and acoustic–electronic integration.
During the residency, T3HO members Esko Järvelä, Tero Hyväluoma and Antti Puumalainen will lead workshops, mixed-ensemble rehearsals, creative technique sessions and a lecture-recital open to a wider student audience.
The program will culminate in a public performance at the ANU School of Music, followed by a second performance at the National Folk Festival.
The residency is intended as a pilot for an expanded pre-Festival music school, with future plans including multi-day programs, additional ensemble streams and increased national participation.
Professor Adrian Walter, Head of the ANU School of Music, said the partnership reflected the School’s commitment to innovative and industry-connected learning.
“This collaboration enriches our students’ experience by giving them close interaction with leading international performers in a contemporary and meaningful way,” Professor Walter said.
“It will form a key part of the School’s innovative and professionally aligned Bachelor of Music program in 2026, while also making a valuable contribution to Canberra’s cultural life and supporting one of Australia’s most significant national festivals.”
Dr Stone said the initiative aligned with the Festival’s focus on youth engagement and community connection.
“Bringing ANU students directly into Festival programming is vital to our artistic future,” he said.
“This intensive builds lasting relationships between emerging musicians and international artists, and supports the Festival’s ethos of excellence, inclusion, integration and sustainability.”
