For the eighth year in a row, Professor David Miller will be leading students through 11 days of school appearances and concerts, with Mittagong one of the many stops along the way.

The ensemble line up for this Monday’s concert at Frensham consists of third year students Camellia Wong (piano) and Rowan Witt (baritone), and postgraduates Ji Won Kim (violin), James Wannan (viola) and Minah Choe (cello).

Each of them boasts a host of awards and titles from national and international competitions.

And while they’ve proved their musical talent, Mr Miller said this tour would show them there’s a lot more involved in a professional career than just playing a song well.

The students devise the concerts themselves so they have to be able to plan how long each piece will take, which will go together best, as well as keeping in mind the different audiences and venues.

Also on the challenge list is the touring itself - being confined to a mini bus with your classmates for 11 days means you’ve got to learn to get along.

“It’s an exciting time for them but they soon discover that with two-three school visits each day and six consecutive nights of concerts, the life of a professional musician can be quite exhausting,” Mr Miller said.

“But this is a great opportunity for them. We encourage ensemble work because realistically, chamber music is the major area of the industry that’s still blossoming.

“So they need to learn to play in small groups and in different venues.”

Mr Miller said the tour also aimed to show the students the importance of the audience. At each concert the students have to personally introduce their works and then afterwards, mingle with those who’ve come to see them perform.

The aim is to break down the barriers between musician and audience and make the whole concert experience more personal.

“There are times when students foolishly look down on regional tours, thinking country audiences aren’t interested in classical music,” Mr Miller said.

“But what they soon realise is that places like the Highlands are full of music fans, retired performers, and people who really know their stuff.

“So when they perform at Frensham they’ll have to perform their very best.”