Here’s this week’s “Artsweek” column by HELEN MUSA.

IN the lead up to the coming Australian Chopin Festival, which opens in Canberra on September 28, virtuoso pianist Kotaro Nagano will be in recital with an all-Chopin program at Wesley Music Centre, August 27.

PHOTOACCESS is this week inaugurating the Canberra Contemporary Photographic Prize, an open-entry exhibition and competition showcasing the work of 72 artists. Opens at Manuka Arts Centre, August 25-October 14.

MELBOURNE singer/songwriter/guitarist, music journalist and author, Joe Matera, will perform a mini acoustic concert and discuss his book, “Backstage Pass: The Grit and the Glamour”, which narrates encounters with many artists, including the Bay City Rollers’ Les McKeown. Woden Library, August 25.

Concerts

• CANBERRA Youth Orchestra conducted by Louis Sharpe will perform “Vive la musique!” an oh-so-Frenchy Morning Melodies concert, Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest, August 26.
• RUPERT Boyd on guitar and Laura Metcalf on cello are at Wesley Music Centre in “Boyd Meets Girl”,  August 26.
• Canberra Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Classics concert, “Night Visions”, features the B major Nocturne from Dvořák’s opus 40, Borodin’s String Quartet No. 2 in D major, and Sally Greenaway’s “The Sky is Also Yours”. Albert Hall, August 27.
• THE Canberra Men’s Choir presents “Golden Oldies”, Harmonie German Club, August 27.
• CANBERRA organist Martin Rein will play works by JS Bach, Max Reger and Charles-Marie Widor as well as two improvisations. Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest, August 27.
• THE Callistemon Quartet will perform Faure’s Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor and the Piano Quartet (movement 2) by Max-Peter Meyer. Wesley Music Centre, August 30.

Shows

• “TIM”, the play adapted by playwright Tim McGarry, from the novel by Colleen McCullough, will be at The Q, Queanbeyan, August 25-26.
• MATT Gilbertson, better known as camp German accordion player “Hans”, is bringing his cabaret show “Disco Spektakular” to The Playhouse, August 30.

Galleries

• “SAD State” by Dean Cross and “Signal To Noise” by Anna Madeleine Raupach are opening at Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Parkes, August 25 then running until October 14.
• ART in Miniature Group Canberra’s 23rd annual exhibition is at Yarralumla Gallery and Oaks Brasserie, August 26-September 27.