One year soon turned into 29 years for Mr Penny, who once called Austria home.

Being a musician in Europe had its benefits, opening up a world of travel, culinary delights and endless friendships.

"An important byproduct of all the travel for me is an enjoyment of food and wine," Mr Penny said.

"The first place you'd find me in a city is at the markets, where I'd ask the locals where they have lunch.

"I discovered so much about culture through the food," he said.

Mr Penny became the principal cello of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra in 1985, soon after completing his studies.

"There was never a question about whether or not I would stay in Europe once I got that offer," Mr Penny said.

As a chamber musician, he has performed at the Salzburg Festival, Beethoven Festival Boon and concerts halls across the globe.

"It's extraordinary playing in the world's great concert halls and with the greatest conductors and soloists of our time," Mr Penny said.

"That's what the Chamber Orchestra of Europe does and did," he said.

Eight members of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe will perform at the inaugural Bendigo Chamber Music Festival in February, representing the first time members of the chamber have performed in Australia.

The orchestra's first love is chamber music and to do that away from a capital city was appealing to the group.

"They are all incredibly excited to have a much more intrinsically Australian experience and be based in a wonderful regional city like Bendigo," Mr Penny said.

Mr Penny has performed with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe since 1989, soon after the group formed, and was integral in securing their appearance in Bendigo.

He returned to Australia nine years ago, taking up a position as the Head of Strings at the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne, where he currently resides.

Mr Penny's experiences of classical music in Australia and abroad are vastly different.

The population difference gives Europe an advantage, both in terms of number of musicians and opportunity.

Despite Australia's inferiority in that respect, the quality of musicians on our shores is high, he said.

"Having had the direct comparison and taught and performed in both, I can say the level of talent is extraordinary in this country," Mr Penny said.

Noting the work of ANAM and the Australian Youth Orchestra, of which four alumni, The Partridge Quartet, will be performing in Bendigo, Mr Penny said the talent is here.

"We don't have the thousand years tradition of classical music, but tradition can be a burden and a straitjacket," Mr Penny said.

The talent, flexibility and sense of wonder and discovery that Australian musicians possess sets them apart, according to Mr Penny.

"Tradition can stifle creativity."

"Fresh eyes and energy and a genuine curiosity can shed a lot more interesting light on things we already know," Mr Penny said.

He is excited to co-direct the Bendigo Chamber Music Festival and bring the Chamber Orchestra of Europe's enthusiasm for music to Bendigo.

"Understanding what made the great works special, unique and daring has been part of the journey," Mr Penny said.

"Everytime we perform, it's as if it's for the first time.

"That is the sort of music making we are hoping to show audiences in Bendigo," he said.

The Bendigo Chamber Music Festival takes place from Wednesday, February 5 to Sunday, February 9, 2020.

To learn more, visit bendigochambermusicfestival.com.au