As many musicians would attest, small ensemble collaboration provides very special rewards. Chamber music performance has rarely been a viable full-time career aspiration, but this has not deterred many Australians from devoting huge amounts of energy to its survival. However, as a flexible medium with interchangeable personnel and diverse performance contexts, it is difficult to find a 'through line' that links these disparate activities over time. As an amalgam of disparate entities, chamber music is rarely accorded the same recognition as larger ensembles such as orchestras, choirs, bands and theatrical-operatic companies.