Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference
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Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference
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For 25 years Debra has extended her piano studies under the internationally
acclaimed Piano Pedagogue, Eleonora Sivan, who was personally inspired by the
musical genius, personality and philosophy of Dmitri Shostakovich. This is a presentation featuring a demonstration of 8 of the Preludes Op 34 of Shostakovich. With extensive support of visual material, we will explore the pianistic and compositional aspects of these Preludes and their connection to the historical events of the time.
I was born and brought up in a small town in South Wales in the U.K. at a time when music was a way of life rather that a taught subject. When I arrived in Australia in 1964 I brought with me a musical legacy that has been with me throughout many years in my adopted country. I was extremely fortunate to be able to sight-read piano music from a very early age. This skill opened many doors for me and my early musical experiences were many and varied. In 1969 I settled down in Queensland and have lived a very active musical life both as an accompanist and teacher for over thirty years. While at University in the 80's I became aware (for the first time) that not everyone read piano music the way I did. When asked by younger students 'How do you do it' I could'nt answer them because I honestly did not know. I always thought that everyone read the same way I did. In the years that followed I was haunted by the fact that despite all my sincere
efforts I had failed miserably to pass on to my students the one gift I treasured
the most...my ability to sight-read. In 1996 I decided that enough was enough,
no matter how long it took I would find the Cause and end this nightmare for
both teachers and students. The results of private research over a period of ten years into the CAUSE of poor sight-reading skills at the keyboard. The Truth revealed, the Cause clearly established and a Solution found. Topics to be covered: the problem and its effect; how I researched the problem; research results; the Cause; the Solution; a short video; and a conclusion.
Tessa Bremner is a professional director who has directed and choreographed
for major companies in Australia including The Australian Opera, Victoria State
Opera and State Opera of South Australia. She is Co-founder and Resident Director
of Co-Opera and her productions have been seen in every State of Australia and
in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kota Kinabalu and Singapore. Tessa works particularly
with young performing artists. Of these many are now following highly successful
careers in London, USA, Germany and Australia. She has lectured and directed
at Charles Sturt University, ANU, Adelaide, Flinders, Sydney Conservatorium
and University of NSW. Mary Broughton Mary Broughton holds a Bachelor of Music (Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University) and a Master of Music (School of Music, Australian National University) degree in percussion performance. At present, Mary resides in Sydney where she is undertaking a PhD investigating the role of movement and gesture in the communicative marimba performance at MARCS, University of Western Sydney. Mary holds the positions of Acting Principal Timpanist with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and Principal Timpanist with the newly established Wollongong Symphony Orchestra. She has performed in chamber music settings and as a soloist throughout Australia, including performances in the Brisbane Festival, the Rhythms of Life Festival (Perth), the Canberra International Chamber Music Festival, the HCSNet (Sydney), and internationally in the United Kingdom, USA and Singapore. As an academic, Mary has given presentations on her music performance research both in Australia and internationally at the 2nd International Conference on Music and Gesture (Manchester, UK), and the 9th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition (Bologna, Italy). 'It's Not Just About Sound' – Investigating Marimba Performance as an Auditory and Visual Experience Research in such fields as experimental psychology, psycholinguistics, human factors and music performance has demonstrated the perceptual advantages to experiencing the world through multiple sensory modalities for accurate and effective communication. The concert setting provides an excellent opportunity for performers to use both the aural and visual modes to their advantage as a means of engaging audience attention and guiding awareness to musical content and artistic interpretation. In a recent empirical study, it was demonstrated that expressive body movement could enhance judgements of the aural component in contemporary classical marimba performance. It is suggested that the notated score provides sufficient information to enable the creation of a movement plan that results in an expressive audio-visual performance. Using their technical skill and knowledge, the performer translates the symbols of the score into imagined, and then real sound concepts. Through embodiment of their musical interpretation, the performer creates an audio-visual performance that is comprised of both functional and expressive movements. It is proposed that Effort notation, a qualitative system of movement notation founded upon the principles of bodily action developed by choreographer Rudolph Laban, provides the basis of a movement meta-language for the musical score. The aim of the movement meta-language is to act as a tool for analysis of the notated score and aid the performer to embody their musical interpretation. Embodied cognition of a score can offer performers another tool to achieve effective communication of their artistic image and connection with their audience.  Samantha Coates is a Sydney-based pianist, singer and music publisher. She completed her Bachelor of Music degree at the Sydney Conservatorium, majoring in piano performance. Samantha is the author and publisher of BlitzBooks, the series that brought music theory into the 21st century. As a pianist, teacher and mother, she recognised the need for a text that would appeal to this generation of music students and teachers. Samantha's aim is to make music more fun and accessible to all instrumentalists through a more holistic approach to the teaching of music theory. In her spare time Samantha enjoys staring at the ocean, going for long walks, and camping with her family. Samantha will present two afternoon sessions at the APPC: Lecture/Demonstration: Making Theory Practical This workshop demonstrates how to introduce theory concepts through the current piano repertoire of the student, and how to use the piano to reinforce written concepts: hence MAKING THEORY PRACTICAL.
Suzanne has worked as a freelance musician and piano teacher for several years and has carried out her research, for the most part, independently. Her interest and enquiry has encompassed the music of Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn (she has performed the Clara Schumann Piano Concerto in A Minor and Fanny Mendelssohn Piano Trio D Minor, as well as some of their smaller works) extending out to the wider field of the Development of Potential in Young Pianists. In her community and schools where she has worked, Suzanne has conducted many
workshops and seminars with both young people and adults interested in developing
their creativity and artistic potential. In 1996, Suzanne presented a paper
for the International Symposium on Clara Schumann in Vienna and in 2001 for
the Women in Music Conference at A.N.U. She has held the position of Head of
Music at the McDonald Performing Arts College in Sydney and directed many student
concerts including, in 2005, the student concert for the opening of the new
wing of Penrith Conservatorium in the presence of Dame Joan Sutherland and Richard
Bonynge. Several of her piano students have performed in masterclasses with
Roger Woodward. He selected one of these students, an eleven year old girl to
perform Bach in a concert with him at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre
in 2005. This young student has also been selected to perform live on 2MBS/FM
and many other students have won scholarships, awards and eisteddfod prizes.
The great composers and pianists of the centuries before us and, indeed, those alive now, creating their own wonderful legends, have amazed us, dazzled us, and inspired us. They have taken us to the very edge of possibility. Herein is the magic of ‘giftedness’ – its very essence. Boundaries are reset, with the impossible becoming possible; the possible then becoming probable and that probability becoming actuality. This explosion of energy is creativity and creativity is the unique expression, the actualization of the individual’s potential. Whether it be a Beethoven or Rachmaninoff or Prokofiev piano sonata, whether
it be a Glenn Gould, Maurizio Pollini or Martha Agerich- the manifestation of
the inner world of the composer and the virtuosi who bring the printed page
to life, is unique. Their lives are legends and their music our legacy, both
of which motivate us to connect with our own capacity for creativity and self-actualization. Christopher Fisher is Assistant Professor of Piano and Coordinator of Group
Piano at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, where he teaches both group and applied
piano, as well as courses in piano pedagogy. A native of Missouri, Dr. Fisher
received degrees from Wichita State University (Master of Music in Piano Performance
and Pedagogy) and Northwest Missouri State University (Bachelor of Arts in Piano
Performance, Magna Cum Laude). He was awarded the Doctor of Musical Arts degree
in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma where he was
the recipient of the prestigious Alumni Graduate Fellowship. His teachers include
Edward Gates, Jane Magrath, Barbara Fast, Julie Bees, Sylvia Coats, Richard
Bobo and Betty Preston. An active performer, Dr. Fisher frequently plays both
solo and collaborative recitals, including duo/duet piano performances with
wife and pianist Katherine Fisher. The Fisher Piano Duo was awarded first prize
in the Adult Duo Division of the Graves Piano and Organ Company/Ohio MTA Piano
Competition in 2007. In demand as a workshop clinician, Dr. Fisher has presented
sessions nationally and internationally, including the national conferences
of the Music Teachers National Association, the National Group Piano and Piano
Pedagogy Forum, and the American Music Therapy Association. Additionally, he
was invited to present research at the International Society for Music Education
in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Forthcoming workshops include a presentation at the
2007 Collaborative Conference of the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers Association,
Music Teachers National Association, and the Royal Conservatory of Music in
Toronto, Ontario. As a researcher and author, Dr. Fisher has published articles
in Keyboard Companion, American Music Teacher, and Clavier. A group piano specialist,
Dr. Fisher is currently engaged in research exploring the application of cooperative
learning theory to the teaching of piano in group environments. Dr. Fisher frequently
serves as an adjudicator and master class clinician at piano festivals throughout
the United States. An active member of Music Teachers National Association,
Dr. Fisher presently serves as Vice-President for Conferences for the Ohio Music
Teachers Association as well as faculty advisor for the Ohio University MTNA
Collegiate Chapter. Additionally, Dr. Fisher maintains a studio of pre-college
students who have been successful at regional piano competitions and festivals. The educational concept of cooperative learning is not a new one. The instructional model has existed for centuries and has been thoroughly researched and developed as reflected in the professional literature. The clinician contends that cooperative learning strategies may be effectively employed for group piano instruction as utilized in university class piano programs for music majors, and may potentially produce greater learning and a more thorough understanding of basic keyboard musicianship concepts and principles. This workshop will present a brief history of group piano teaching as well as a thorough discussion of cooperative learning theory, theorists, and techniques. An exploration of current research will be presented. Participants will learn how the basic principles of cooperative learning theory can be effectively structured for group piano teaching. Video excerpts of these instructional strategies in action will also be presented. Adaptive Piano Teaching Strategies for the Physically and Cognitively Handicapped Piano Student This workshop will present an overview of physical and cognitive learning disabilities piano teachers may encounter, as well as tips for recognizing and assessing symptoms of each. A guided tutorial will be offered detailing essential instructional strategies and planning techniques for the teacher of handicapped students. A variety of adaptive piano teaching strategies for the physically and cognitively handicapped student will be presented and experienced. Included will be instructions for adapting standard piano methods, modifying learning environments, as well as alternative systems for the teaching of rhythm, music reading and notation for students with special needs. Also addressed will be helpful information on how to adaptively teach technique and ways to deal with issues of coordination and remedial motor.
In 1999 She toured China, lecturing and performing solo and with the Shanghai
Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra; as well as giving master classes on Argentinean
Music at the Shanghai and Beijing Conservatories.
Warwick was born in Canberra, and is a graduate of the Victoria College of the Arts. His professional career began with the Victoria State Opera Schools’ Company in 1992, and he has been a Young Artist with both the VSO and Opera Australia. He won the McDonald’s Aria (1998), and the Leopold Julian Kronenberg Foundation Award (Warsaw). In 2006, he received a Green Room Award (2006) for his performance as Schaunard in La Boheme, and was a Helpmann Award nominee. Recordings include: Brahms, Liebeslieder Waltzes Op. 52 (Move Records) and The Love for Three Oranges (Chandos); ABC Classic 100 Opera Live Concert (ABC). DVD: Rigoletto in the final episode of “Operatunity Oz” (ABC) to be released in 2007.
Educated in Sydney at the N.S.W. Conservatorium High School, Jody was a student of the then Professor of Piano, the internationally renowned pianist Gordon Watson. In 1982, she moved to Tasmania from the Central Coast of N.S.W. where she held a lectureship at Newcastle Conservatorium and maintained a large private practice in the Gosford area. During her years in Tasmania, Jody has undertaken further studies with Beryl Sedivka and established herself as a successful teacher, solo performer, accompanist, and chamber player. Her frequent public performances include ABC broadcasts and University Series concerts. She was for a number of years the pianist for the Hobart-based Piano Trio “Trio Notturno”. During 1990, Jody was a participant in the Artist-in Schools Project, working with a wide range of young musicians in a variety of performance situations. She is a professional accompanist, providing coaching and co-artist support to all types of instrumentalists and vocalists, and has been employed in that capacity in the Music Department of Elizabeth Matriculation College for more than 20 years. She gives master classes and lecture-demonstrations regularly both in Tasmania and elsewhere in Australia. Her work embraces performance practice in all instrumental areas and specific piano teaching repertoire and pedagogy. Jody is often invited to adjudicate competitions, as well as examine for the Tasmanian Secondary Schools Assessment Board and the Australian Music Examinations Board. She is a specialist consultant to the Australian Music Examinations Board Federal Office on piano and pedagogy syllabus matters, chairman of the AMEB Tasmanian State Committee and a director on the AMEB Ltd. Federal Board. Jody has recently completed a three-year term on the Tasmanian Arts Advisory Board, is the current President of the Tasmanian Music Teachers’ Association Inc. and Chairman of the Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference Association. Jody will present Early Intermediate Pianists on
both Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the conference.
The most distinguished Australian pianist of his generation, Lancaster’s
recent international engagements include appearances as soloist with the Gürzenich
Orchestra Köln, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Düsseldorfer
Symphoniker, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble 415 of Geneva, Tafelmusik
Baroque Orchestra of Toronto, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Rotterdam
Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. This
season he has already performed to critical acclaim as soloist at the Alte Oper
Frankfurt; the Auditorio y Centro de Congresos Victor Villegas in Murcia, Spain;
Hatchlands Park in Surrey; De Doelen in Rotterdam, the Music Centre Vredenberg
in Utrecht, and the Kölner Philharmonie. Geoffrey Lancaster was the first Australian to win a major international keyboard competition, receiving First Prize in the 23rd Festival van Vlaanderen International Mozart Fortepiano Competition, Brugge. An inspiring teacher and public intellectual, Lancaster undertakes regular residencies at significant European conservatoria including: the Royal Conservatorium, the Hague; the Sweelinck Conservatorium, Amsterdam; Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music; the Hochschule für Musik, Freiburg; and the Basel Musik Akademie. He also facilitates, conducts and teaches on a regular basis for the Australian National Academy of Music. In 1996, Geoffrey Lancaster was Associate Professor at the Royal College of Music, London. Since 2002 he has been at the Australian National University where he is Professor, and since 1999 has been visiting Professor of fortepiano at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Switzerland. Lancaster received the Australian Artists Creative Fellowship from the Commonwealth
of Australia for his outstanding artistic contribution to the nation. He was
subsequently awarded the HC Coombs Creative Fellowship by the Australian National
University. In 2006 Geoffrey Lancaster was named Australian of the Year for
the Australian Capital Territory, and was awarded the Order of Australia for
service to music and music education. In 2007, Geoffrey was appointed Honorary
Professor of the University of Tasmania, and was elected a Fellow of the Australian
College of Educators.
Carmel Liertz has been teaching piano as well as other music and performance subjects for over 30 years – to all ages and levels: at tertiary institutions, secondary schools, and private studios, in 5 states of Australia as well as in Munich, Germany. Her researching activities began in 1995 with the University of New England Vice-Chancellor’s $25,000 Award for Innovative Teaching and Research for her pioneering use of videoconferencing technology in music teaching and master classes. Following this, in 1997 she began her academic research into Performance Enhancement for Musicians at the University of Canberra’s Division of Education. The case studies research with tertiary music students resulted in the (2002) thesis Developing Performance Confidence: A Holistic Training Strategies Program for Managing Practice and Performance in Music; this document being now available at the QLD Conservatorium, The Canberra School of Music, Melbourne University Music Department, and The Melba Conservatorium. In 2004 she presented this work at the 8th International Conference of Music Perception and Cognition at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. In 2005 this research study was included for discussion in the Curtin University of Technology’s education booklet: Guide for Adult Learning and Assessment. Focus on Excellence: Questions and Answers from the' Connections' Perspective. Carmel's paper, to be presented at this conference is entitled Focus on Excellence: Questions and Answers from the' Connections' Perspective. Recent research demonstrates that keyboard students, like other instrumentalists at tertiary level, become increasingly dissatisfied with the limitations of their courses. This would appear to be due largely to the reliance on one instructor for a limited amount of time, to attain the necessary technical and performance skills. As elite athletes-in-training can expect the regular assistance of four professionals to attain individual peak performance (with a coach, psychologist, nutritionist and physiotherapist), it appears that the long-held master-apprentice model as centrepiece for music performance trainees needs revision. Present challenges in the world of keyboard art highlight the need for a more holistic educational approach – for teaching and learning, as well as for performance training. This would encourage keyboard players to become well-rounded self-reliant musicians, flexible and entrepreneurial, thereby ensuring more active, employable graduates in today’s ever-changing society. A focus on quality assurance and how we can best achieve this could result in attainment of excellence for the individual; one’s optimal best performance being a positive outcome for graduates, institutions, and Australian society.
Throughout his career as a pianist, teacher and academic, David Lockett has viewed performance as part of a broader scholarly endeavour. Initially, his interest lay in the area of historical performance practices and this exerted a strong influence upon his interpretations of baroque and classical repertoire. More recently, his involvement with the music of Margaret Sutherland has resulted in a CD of her compositions for solo piano (ABC Classics), a published edition of the scores, together with critical commentary (AMPD) and an ongoing series of presentations and scholarly articles. Such links between performance and research form an important part of his teaching, particularly in his supervision of masters and PhD students. He is currently Director of the Elder Conservatorium of Music at the University of Adelaide. David Lockett's Conference paper is entitled The Scholar Performer: A New Dimension in Music Research. In the western musical tradition, performance has been viewed as a largely intuitive process, with the most illustrious performers possessing the insight to understand and interpret the masterpieces from past and present. Musical research, on the other hand, has often been regarded as a purely academic exercise, of little practical value to the performer or listener. In recent years, this gap has begun to narrow and the process and products
of performance have become the subject of an ever-growing body of research.
In a similar way, scholarship has come to underpin the work of some of our most
admired and influential performers. The paper makes the case that performance
is both a valuable tool for research and a legitimate outcome of it. It examines
those aspects of performance that have been the subject of structured investigation
and considers the implications for higher degree programs within our universities. Dr Christine Logan, Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of New South Wales has published on aspects of twentieth century Australian music, piano music of Gabriel Faure and Frank Martin and has contributed several entries to the Revised New Grove. As solo and chamber music pianist and fortepianist, she has performed extensively, notably with Julie Adam on the ABC Classics discs of the Complete Piano Music of Frank Martin (2005). Refiguring roles in interpretation: Gabriel Faure’s Impromptu no. 5, Op. 102 This paper will report on an empirical case study where several recordings by master pianists of Gabriel Faure’s Impromptu no 5 Op 102 are ranked by a group of informed listeners in order to highlight a range of musical decisions which confront performers studying this piece. At the same time, several more general issues relating to the interpretative process will be raised. In particular, the implications of the listeners’ perceptions will be considered from the performer’s perspective, and set against a discussion of both historical context and details emerging from the score. Several assumptions underlying the study will also be discussed briefly – i) firstly, that expert performance will be recognized by listeners; ii) that there will be a significant degree of concurrence between listeners about differences between expert performance; iii) that a range of interpretations can be appreciated by informed listeners; iv) that study of performances (on CD and DVD) in addition to a score offers insights that are invaluable to the performer. The presentation will include a demonstration performance of the work.
John has always been regarded as one of Australia;s best saxophonists and is highly sought after due to his huge, passionate sound and prodigious technique which is easily adapted to any style of music. He is also continuing to develop a reputation as a highly motivated teacher who can inspire his students to realize their full potential by adopting a completely positive view on all facets of the learning process. John is consistently being approached by students from all instrumental areas and across streams to discuss his approach to practice and improvisation techniques. Over many years he has conducted a great deal of masterclasses on improvisation and practice techniques including the Conservatorium of Music in Stockholm, Sweden, where he lived from 1991 – 1994. From his base in Scandinavia, John toured through Europe and the States teaching and performing including lecturing at the School of Music in Houston Texas and performances in New York with jazz trumpet greats Roy Hargrove and Eddie Henderson. John recorded a live jazz concert in Stockholm in March 1994, at the premier jazz club called “Faschings” with his quintet, following Chick Corea’s band the night before. From an early age John has performed with many jazz greats including Johnny Griffin, Woody Herman, Nat Adderley, Richie Cole, Al Cohn, George Shearing, Jim McNeely, Lee Konitz, Lew Tabackin and Toshiko Akyoshi, Ray Charles, BB King, Red Rodney, Ronnie Scott, Ralph Moore, Jay Anderson, Phil Wilson and national greats such as Mike Nock, Don Burrows, James Morrison, Vince Jones, Dale Barlow.
West Australian, Faith Maydwell has taught piano for more than 30 years. Her complementary activities have included solo recitals, concerti, accompanying, orchestral piano with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, examining for the Australian Music Examinations Board, lecturing at the University of Western Australia and the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts in the areas of keyboard harmony, sight reading and piano pedagogy, adjudicating, and presenting papers at seminars and conferences; the latest being for the 28th European Piano Teachers’ Association Conference in Madeira, 2006. She has published two books: Sight Reading Skills: A Guide for Sight Reading Piano Music Accurately and Expressively and Piano Teaching: A Guide for Nurturing Musical Independence. Nurturing Musical Independence Three variables that significantly influence the achievement of first-rate music making will be examined: Teacher weaknesses and strengths, student weaknesses and strengths and the length of lessons. The paper will illustrate how these variables can be positive factors in nurturing independence - extending the individuality of teachers, helping students to be more confident and providing a means by which time can be better used. The topic is discussed with an analysis of recently published piano pedagogy manuals.
Elissa Milne is a Sydney composer who specialises in writing educational piano music. Early studies in music resulted in a degree in composition from the University of Auckland and further study has included semiotics, performance studies, education and management. Pieces from Elissa’s publications (Getting To, Little Peppers and Pepperbox Jazz) are included in examination syllabuses around the world, including the AMEB, the ABRSM, Trinity College London and ANZCA. Elissa has over 20 years experience as a piano teacher, maintaining a teaching studio in Cherrybrook, Sydney. She will present three different sessions on three different days at the APPC: A launch of Getting to Grade Five, Is there a Right Way the be a Piano Teacher and The Baroque Connection: Teaching Jazz Harmony with the Music of the Baroque Getting to Grade Five: Book Launch Elissa Milne presents the latest edition in the “Getting to” repertoire series from Hal Leonard Australia. Once again piano teachers will be delighted with the terrific selection of pieces chosen specifically for Australian and New Zealand piano students. This fantastic new selection includes pieces by Bach, Bartok, Chopin, Debussy, Goedicke, Granados, Grieg, Grovlez, Heller, Kabalevksy, Khatchaturian, Kodaly, Kuhlau, Lutoslawski, Marcello, Milne, Mozart, Pachulski, Pescetti, Schubert, Schumann, Seiber, Telemann, Vanhal and Zett. Is there a right way to be a piano teacher? Most piano teachers find themselves giving piano lessons in the same manner in which they have been taught, and we assume that continuing this legacy of teaching style is not only appropriate but goes without saying. Professional development courses may enhance our understanding of students’ learning processes, provide us with new teaching strategies or expand our knowledge of piano repertoire, but we rarely question the goals of our profession. Elissa Milne explores whether in the 21st century there is a right way to be a piano teacher. The Baroque Connection: teaching jazz harmony with the music of the Baroque The music of the Baroque period has been an inspiration to jazz and pop musicians throughout the 20th century: from A Whiter Shade of Pale (Air on a G String) and the Swingle Singers, right through to the recent use of Bach’s Prelude in F minor in the top-selling pop hit, “I’m Sorry”, let alone the myriad jazz compositions with their genesis in the work of the Baroque masters. This seminar presents ways you can use the music of the Baroque with your intermediate grade students as the foundation for understanding jazz chords, leading to improvisation and composition (and maybe sometime the other way around!).
Stephanie McCallum is a Senior Lecturer in Keyboard at Sydney Conservatorium, University of Sydney, where her work is complemented by her work as a performer, that is, as piano soloist and chamber musician and through a large output of CD recordings. Last year Special Study leave in London and Paris allowed her to further develop work on Charles Valentin Alkan, particularly through his letters. Her paper looks at evidence of correlations between what we know of Alkan’s life and the DSM IV criteria for schizophrenia. It also considers evidence for Asperger Syndrome or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, as well as the relationship between mental illness and creativity, including illustrative examples of Alkan’s piano music. Alkan - Enigma or Schizophrenia? Alkan’s life encompasses phenomenal early musical achievements and the
beginning of a piano career of similarly stellar qualities to his friends Chopin
and Liszt, followed by a total withdrawal from public life at age 24 and then,
almost the entire remainder devoted to solitary composition, and biblical study
along with private teaching for an income. His reclusiveness eased at age 60
with his return to the concert platform in a series of educational Petit Concerts.
It is a fact commonly noted that some students are lyrical and poetic, delightfully
personal and creative in their interpretations, yet lack a grounded basic technique.
The more methodical student, who seems to have a more left-brained style, may
practice in a focused way for hours and excel at conquering technical difficulties,
yet fail to move the listener.
Stephen McIntyre has performed as concerto soloist with all major ABC orchestras; he has toured extensively with Russian violinists Valery Klimov, Viktoria Mullova, and Nelli Shkolnikova, and the renowned Dutch cellist Anner Bylsma, and has performed in many countries over the past 30 years. Stephen McIntyre was a founding member of Australian Chamber Soloists, Principal Artistic Advisor for Musica Aviva during 1995/96, and Director of the chamber music program for the Melbourne Festival from 1989-99. He is the Artistic Director of the Port Fairy Spring Music Festival, and the Melbourne Piano Landmarks series, and in 2003 he received the Bernard Heinze Award for distinguished services to music in Australia. Stephen McIntyre is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Music at the University of Melbourne. Tradition and Innovation in the work of Nadia Boulanger and Maurice Ravel This lecture and musical presentation considers the ideas of tradition and innovation in the work of these two important French musicians. Stephen McIntyre was a student of Nadia Boulanger for two years in the 1960’s, and he has also performed extensively the works of Maurice Ravel.
Matt released his debut album, “Paths and Streams” in 2006 to critical acclaim. When Matt isn’t performing with his own groups he can be heard as the pianist and musical director for the Vince Jones band, having co-written and co-produced his latest album “Moving through Taboos”. He has worked with many of Australia’s finest singers including Katie Noonan, Grace Knight, and Tina Harrod. He has performed in the bands of some of Australia’s most distinguished jazz musicians Dale Barlow, Guy Strazzullo, Steve Hunter, Gordon Brisker, Dave Panichi, Sandy Evans/ Andrew Robson, Carl Dewhurst, and Phil Slater, among others. Matt played with Bobby Previte (USA) during his 1999 Australian “Bitches Brew Project” tour and performed in 2006 with US Saxophonist Greg Osby. He has performed at many festivals and clubs throughout Australia and internationally with many bands and plays on over thirty albums. Matt was classically trained before he pursued an interest in jazz in his late teens. He studied music as part of a Bachelor of Arts degree at Sydney University and completed an Associate Diploma in Jazz Studies from the NSW Conservatorium in 1994. He has studied in New York with Dave Kikowski, Bruce Barth, Marc Copland and Barry Harris. Matt also presents a jazz radio programme called “Blow” every Friday on Eastside Radio, 89.7 FM. The show is dedicated to presenting jazz and improvised music and features discussions and interviews. He is a founder member and current committee member of the JazzGroove Association - a collective of musicians dedicated to presenting original jazz and groove music.
He has appeared throughout Italy and Europe - Vienna, Paris, London, Lausanne, Brasov, Munich - as well as New York, Mexico City, San Paolo, Kuala Lumpur, Japan, Australia and New Zealand as a soloist with orchestras, as a chamber musician, and as a recitalist. Although teaching full time in Italy, Matteo Napoli's schedule has included regular visits to New Zealand over 12 years with recital and orchestra performances and appearances at many music festivals. Over the last 2 years his seminar presentations have included; Victoria School of Music, Registered Music Teachers and high school students. He also conducts master classes. In 2005 he was Artist in Residence at King's College Auckland, NZ, as well as presenting his seminar, a solo recital in Wellington, a performance of Grieg's Piano Concerto in Auckland and Terranova Duo performances in Auckland, Wellington and New Plymouth. A Terranova Duo (Matteo Npaoli piano & Uwe Grodd flute) performance was
recorded in 2005 by Radio NZ, and this concert presented new editions of sonatas
for flute and piano; Ries's Sonate Sentimentale, and Beethoven's Sonata in Bb
major for flute and piano. This programme of two stunning works was unusual
in that one was a student work by a great master and the other, a mature masterpiece
by his pupil. Following a solo recital in Vienna early this year the European summer has seen Matteo Napoli premiere a new edition of Sonata in C Major for piano by Ferdinand Ries when the Terranova Duo presented a programme devoted the music of Ferdinand Ries in both in Vienna and Italy. Practice Methods and Score Memorisation for Musicians and Teachers Over the last twenty years, alongside my activity as concert pianist and teacher at the Salerno Conservatoire of Music, Italy, a group of collaborators and I have developed a study methodology based on the neuro-physiological learning process. This methodology allows students to optimise the way they study, and the time they spend practising. In my 27 years of teaching experience, I have witnessed the effectiveness of this approach with an increasing number of students. It is my sincere belief that this method can be of interest in an academic institution, given the level of solidity and completeness it has reached. Moreover, both in Italy and New Zealand, the methodology has always created great enthusiasm. The awareness of the brain activity has been the basis of the development of a series of tools each one related to solving a specific problem. The success of my own school and the satisfaction of our students reflects the commitment my team of staff and I invest in our daily work. The goal of the school is to work with a group of like-minded teachers dedicated to the same standards of teaching, methodology and technique. We teach the 'tecnica del peso', a technique mainly developed in Italy that takes into account the physiology of the hand and arm in piano playing.
Nehama is a very active performer and music educator, having traveled the world extensively to lecture and perform. With a Master of Music degree, Nehama has been on the staff of the Victorian College of the Arts, the Melba Memorial Conservatorium of Music, the Australian National Academy of Music, Deakin University and RMIT. She is regularly invited to be a guest lecturer in Piano Pedagogy at both Melbourne and Monash universities. Nehama has also performed as a soloist with all the major Australian orchestras as well as in Hamburg, Hawaii and Brazil. As well she has performed on all television channels. Following six years as a teacher and director of one of the Yamaha Music Foundation schools, Nehama became involved with the Suzuki movement in 1977. As a teacher trainer with the Australian, American, and European Suzuki Associations she teaches regularly at institutes and conferences, both nationally and internationally. She is the current Director of piano Teacher Training in Victoria. Nehama produces and directs many concerts which often feature her own students "Young Musicians of Excellence, and is an avid supporter of many charities. The Patma Music Family Concerts were inaugurated by Nehama at Federation Square in 2005 and continue to be a highlight of Melbourne's music calendar as they cater for children up to 13 years of age and families, featuring high quality classical music and musicians. Nehama was one of the first "Playschool" presenters and has featured in many other television programs. Three documentaries about her work have been shown on television. Awards include an OAM (Order of Australia Medal), the Avon Spirit of Achievement Award for Women for Excellence in the Arts, finalist in the BP Pursuit of Excellence awards and she has been chosen by WIZO (Women's International Zionist Organization) as one of the Women Achievers of the Year. Also the National Women's Trust included Nehama in the Melbourne Museum Exhibition "Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Lives". Nehama serves on a number of committees and Boards and was recently elected as the Australian representative on the ISA (International Suzuki Association) Board for five years from June 2007.
Kathy Pingel studied music at The University of Southern Queensland, graduating with a double major Master of Music (Performance and Pedagogy) in 2000. As part of her requirements for the Masters program she prepared a dissertation entitled The Intermediate and Advanced Piano Music of Dmitry Kabalevsky: Pedagogical Implications. Kathy has also gained her Associate and Licentiate diplomas in Pianoforte from the AMEB and in 1998 was awarded a Winston Churchill Memorial Fellowship which took her on a tour of seven highly regarded American School of Music. She is currently the Head of the Department of Music at The University of Southern Queensland where she also holds the position of Lecturer in Music (Piano, Pedagogy). Kathy is an AMEB Pianoforte Examiner and the Editor General and Marker for the AMEB teaching examination papers. She is also a member of the Queensland Advisory Committee to the AMEB. Kathy will present two papers at the APPC: Paper 2: Australian Piano Methods: In addition to pedagogical issues and the sheer volume of American elementary piano methods on the market, it would seem that a large number of these methods have gained international popularity as a result of aggressive marketing, promotional campaigns and surveys of the methods found in published texts. In order to increase the awareness of Australian piano tutor books, this paper provides an analysis of several Australian piano methods, with a particular focus on the junior primer book in each of the selected series.
Anna Sleptsova was born in Ukraine. Before coming to Australia in 1995, she was teaching at the Kiev State Conservatorium where she had earlier gained her Master of Piano Performance and Teaching degree.She has appeared on numerous occasions as a recitalist and soloist with orchestras and ensembles in Eastern Europe, Germany, France, UK, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and the United States. In Australia she has made a number of studio recordings and live performance broadcasts for ABC Classic FM, ABC TV, SBS Radio and 2MBS FM. She collaborated with several distinguished musicians since arriving in Australia. In 2000 Anna was awarded a Churchil Fellowship and she released her first CD in 2002. Anna is very much in demand as a teacher. She was teaching at UWA from 1998-2001 and was awarded a Churchill fellowship in 2000. Anna will join the keyboard faculty at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts next year. Her conference workshop is entitled Listen, Explore, Discover and Create. Listen, Explore, Discover and Create. Being educated in Soviet Union, I grew up with Heinrich Neuhaus teaching philosophy: "First you have to know what to play and later how to play it." My workshop will explore ways to practice and develop a technique which facilitates the musical imagination - linking the legacies of Neuhaus and Taubman - an approach that enables a pianist to develop virtuosity and reach new levels of artistic and expressive playing, free of pain and injury.
Rodney Smith Rodney Smith has been Head of Vocational Education and Training Programs and
Co-ordinator of Pedagogy Programs at the Elder Conservatorium of Music, University
of Adelaide, since 2002. He founded the APPC in 1993 and was closely involved
with the promotion of the now defunct Institute of Music Teachers. The place
of pedagogy practitioners and programs in the Australian professional musical
landscape has been a connecting theme of much of his pedagogy research, resulting
in papers given at a number of past APPCs.
A graduate of the Juilliard School where he studied with Jerome Lowenthal, Albert Tiu received the Juilliard William Petschek Award, resulting in a critically acclaimed debut recital in Lincoln Center’s Tully Hall. In 1996, he won the First Prize and two special prizes in the UNISA International Piano Competition in Pretoria, South Africa. He is also a winner of many international competitions, among them, the Web Concert Hall Competition (www.webconcerthall.com), the Honens Calgary International Piano Competition, the Paloma O’Shea International Piano Competition in Santander, the Maj Lind International Piano Competition in Helsinki, and the Han Romanson International Piano Competition in Seoul. Albert Tiu performed in the 2003 International Computer Music Conference in Singapore, as well as in festivals in Russia, Spain, Zimbabwe, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, Canada and the United States. An accomplished chamber musician, he has collaborated with the St. Lawrence String Quartet, T’ang Quartet, Ysaÿe Quartet, Muir String Quartet, the Academia Wind Quintet Prague, violinist Robert McDuffie, clarinetist Charles Neidich and tenor Robert White. Aside from his performance activities, he has also given talks and lectures at the 2000 International Society for Music Education in Edmonton, the Singapore Piano Pedagogy Symposium and the Singapore International Piano Festival. After having taught in the Juilliard Pre-College Division, Albert Tiu moved to Singapore in 2003 to become Assistant Professor at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. Since then, he has been actively contributing to the cultural scene in the region, performing and giving masterclasses in New Zealand, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Macau and Singapore. In 2005, he gave the Singapore premiere of Samuel Barber’s Piano Concerto with the Singapore Symphony under Tang Muhai in the Esplanade Concert Hall. Recently, he played the Mozart Concerto K595 with the Gstaad Festival Orchestra at the National Library in Singapore during the Swiss-Singapore Festival, and he also presented recitals of music by Chopin and Skryabin in Singapore, Spain, Finland and the United States. Albert Tiu is also currently the Vice President of the Singapore Music Teachers’ Association. Born in Cebu, Philippines, Albert Tiu also studied with Michael Lewin at the Boston Conservatory, with John Winther at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and with Nita Quinto at the University of the Philippines. He has recorded two solo CDs: Variations on the Arktos Canada label and Salamisim (Reminiscence), a collection of popular pieces released by Bookmark Audio Philippines. He has also taken an interest in musical arranging, transcribing Hispanic music for his piano trio, TRIODE, culminating with a CD entitled Concierto para trio.
Chérie Watters-Cowan recently completed her PhD at UNSW working on primary sources in reconstructing the creative life of Margaret Sutherland. A graduate of the Newcastle Conservatorium and UNSW with a Masters degree in music, she has conducted a private music practice in Newcastle over the last eighteen years. Currently, Chérie also lectures in harmony, aural training and piano pedagogy at Avondale College. Her paper for this year's APPC is entitled Margaret Sutherland: Experiences as a Music Student, Piano Teacher and Performer. Margaret Sutherland: Experiences as a Music Student, Piano Teacher and Performer. Margaret Sutherland (1897-1984) is best remembered as the leading female Australian composer of her era and that her most notable legacy was her compositions. Examinations of the role of the piano in Sutherland’s career provide the material to consider another dimension of her creative endeavours. In addition to her numerous compositions, Sutherland established a performance career, maintained a successful teaching practice and participated in many recordings of her own works, the last of which was made in 1967. In this paper, Chérie Watters-Cowan will outline some examples of Sutherland’s experiences as a music student, piano teacher and performer. A number of written, oral and some aural documents will be utilised, much of which has not been previously publicly available. Her learning experiences provide historical insights into problems which were endemic in Australia in the early twentieth century; her pedagogic approach indicates her passion for teaching and hints at her untiring campaigning to enhance education and her recordings and performance career illustrate her cooperative ability and networking skills.
After graduating from The University of Melbourne with first class honours in German, Diana Weekes was awarded a DAAD scholarship for studies in musicology at Munich University. One year later she transferred to the Hochschule für Musik where she undertook a 4-year degree in music performance, completing her Meisterklassendiplom in piano in 1974. After returning to Melbourne she made numerous return trips to Europe to take part in international competitions, gaining second prize in Finale Ligure, third prizes in Senigallia and Vercelli, fourth prize in Terni and fifth prize, together with a special award for Schubert interpretation, in the prestigious Busoni competition in Bolzano. During these years she also gave recitals and broadcasts in Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland, and was invited to perform the Liszt Concerto No.1 with the Suisse Romande Orchestra under Hans Zanotelli in a live telecast which was transmitted throughout Europe. A successful debut recital in London’s Wigmore Hall was followed by major recitals in Australian capital cities, and she has appeared as soloist with the major Australian orchestras under Arthur Fiedler, Clive Douglas, Georges Tzipine, Fritz Rieger, John Hopkins, David Measham, Vladimir Kamiersky, Richard Divall, and Leonard Dommett. Formerly a Senior Tutor in Piano at the University of Melbourne, Diana Weekes came to Adelaide in 1981 to take up a position as a full-time Lecturer in Music at the Flinders Street School of Music, where as well as teaching piano she gave lectures in Aural Development, Music Language Studies, Keyboard Musicianship and other Supporting Studies. During her time at Flinders Street she was responsible for the inter-institutional Chamber Music Program (1989 – 93), for setting up the Music Technology Centre, and for developing curriculum for the Certificate 4 in Music Technology (1994). She also undertook studies in Commercial Music and Jazz, and in 1995 completed a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration, gaining the coveted medal for the “Most Outstanding Student” awarded that year by the Australian Institute of Management. In 1999 she rekindled her earlier interest in composition, and for the year 2000 Festival of Australian Music she presented a lunchtime concert of her own compositions including a song cycle, a Trio for recorder, harpsichord and bass viol, a Duo for alto flute and marimba, and three unaccompanied choral works. Diana Weekes has studied with Roy Shepherd and Jascha Spivakowsy (Melbourne), Professors Vladimir Horbowski, Rosl Schmid and Ludwig Hoffmann (Munich), and Alberto Colombo (Milan). Her former students include David Hirshfelder, Paul Rickard-Ford, Prof Dr Richard Parnutt, Professor of Systematic Musicology at the Institut für Musikwissenschaft in Graz, Austria, and many others who are now working in secondary and tertiary institutions in Australia and overseas. Highly acclaimed for her work as visiting Professor at the University of Champaign-Illinois, USA (1991) and the Sechuan Conservatorium in Chengdu, China (2001), Diana Weekes has given Master Classes and lectures for various organizations both in South Australia and interstate, and in 2001 was awarded an inaugural Fellowship from the Australian Institute of Music Teachers. No longer active as a performer, she has recently completed a PhD in musical composition under the supervision of Professor Charles Bodman-Rae and Professor Graeme Koehne. Her Six Holy Sonnets were performed by the Adelaide Chamber Singers under the direction of Carl Crossin in 2003. The Sun Rising, written for the vocal trio EVE and Philip Hall (horn), and the Rhapsody on Russian Themes for 2 Pianos, written for Paul Rickard-Ford and Natalia Sheludiakova, have both been premièred on ABC FM’s Sunday Live, in Adelaide (February 2005) and Sydney (March 2006) respectively. Diana Weekes has a distinguished reputation as a dynamic and inspiring teacher with over 30 years experience in tertiary music education, and an unqualified commitment to the highest standards of musical performance. 'Twistonality' - A New Approach to Composition This paper fits?very well under the heading 'Legacies'. It will be based on
Diana Weekes’?experience and on her recent PhD Research which suggests
that good compositions?may still be written using traditional key centres and
functional (or non-directional) harmony, and that the perfomer-composer (as
of old) usually?adapts what is already stored in the conscious or sub-conscious
memory as the?basis for an individual style. Tonality is simply twisted (to
a greater or?lesser degree) to accommodate the likes and dislikes of individual
artists, and may incorporate any number of contemporary techniques along the
way.
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