IT'S been a difficult two years for creatives as theatres were closed and stages fell silent through the pandemic.
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The electricity of a live audience connection is something pianist and composer Stefan Cassomenos will never again take for granted.
The co-director of the Fairy Spring Music Festival is looking forward to hosting the first instalment of the beloved event this week.
The festival will welcome back one of Australia's biggest musical theatre talents Josh Piterman for the 2022 Autumn Gala.
Piterman will host a free public masterclass this Thursday, and two concerts at the Reardon Theatre on Friday and Saturday.
He will be accompanied by Cassomenos at the piano, and will be joined by chanteuse Shauntai Batzke and the south-west's Autumn Gala Choir.
Cassomenos said his goal was to create opportunities that brought people together to connect through music, arts and culture, especially in regional areas.
"Our Autumn Gala is a precursor event in the lead-up to our annual festival later in the year - it's a special moment that brings our community together," he said.
"Josh is a local inspiration and an amazing role model. Audiences will have a chance to learn from Josh through his free masterclass and also enjoy some well-known musical theatre show-stoppers with friends and family."
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Performing in the leading role in the upcoming Opera Australia season of The Phantom of the Opera, Piterman is a celebrated musical theatre performer and classical crossover artist. He has toured the world for the last 15 years performing as part of West Side Story, Cats, Hairspray and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.
The masterclass will be held on Thursday at 5pm with local up-and-coming theatre stars Marissa Bennett, Demby McKenzie, Elliot Cooper and Emma Jackson.
It's exciting to be going ahead after the pandemic impacted the last two years of the festival, Cassomenos said.
Every opportunity that we have now as musicians to perform is really sacred.
"We did a nine-concert digital festival in 2020 but we obviously weren't allowed to be down here because we weren't allowed to leave metropolitan Melbourne," he said.
"Then we had yet another year of no festival in 2021 and we couldn't even do digital because because the restrictions were actually more strict and no-one was allowed in a rehearsal spaces.
"It's funny how music has always been part of our lives, but it takes on a much greater meaning when we've been through two years of not being able to attend live performances.
"Every opportunity that we have now as musicians to perform is really sacred, we sort of don't take anything for granted anymore.
"It's really meaningful that we're able to do this."
The next Port Fairy Spring Music Festival is October 2022 and the program will be launched mid-year.
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