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Media Release
6 September 2007
Bardwell Park pianist to compete in
Southern Highlands International Piano Competition
Local pianist, Stephen Whale is set to compete in the Southern Highlands International Piano Competition (SHIPC) on September 30th during the Highland’s famous Tulip Time Festival.
The talented and spiritual local musician will be competing against the world’s brightest young pianists for prize money worth at least $45,000. These elite competitors will converge in the Highlands from countries such as France, Taiwan, Poland, Indonesia, Columbia, Canada, China, Japan, USA, the Ukraine, Sydney and Melbourne.
20 year old Stephen Whale has lived in the St George area for eighteen years. He started learning to play the piano when he was eight years old. His favourite pieces are Bach St Matthew Passion, Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Overture, Chopin B Flat Mino Scherzo, Prokofiev Sonata No. 7.
Last year, Stephen performed Rachmaninoff’s Second Concerto with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Guy Noble. He also performed Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms with the Australian Youth Orchestra last year. His career ambitions for the future include perfuming solo recitals, concertos with great orchestra and study in Germany or Julliard in New York. He also has ambitions to compose and conduct an orchestra.
The Southern Highlands International Piano Competition is the only International piano competition outside of Sydney. Audiences will see these talented pianists put through their paces with a week of semi finals where competitors will be required to perform various pieces from the Romantic period and one Australian composition during the preliminary stage and semi-finals. The finals will see the competitors perform a concerto with the Wollongong Symphony Orchestra
The Southern Highlands of NSW is rich in musical culture and offers a wide range of artistic pursuits. It is an ideal setting for the first International Piano Competition to be staged in a regional area of Australia and will provide a competition which will promote classical pianists in the 18 to 32 age group.
The competition will begin on Sept 29th with the Judges Launch Recital evening when the Highlands will be treated to performances by world famous artists from Mira Yevtich, Marilyn Meier and Grant Foster.
The semi finals will be held at Chevalier College in Burradoo from Sept 30th and the final will be held at Clubbe Hall, Frensham, Mittagong on Sunday, October 6th.
Tickets for all performances are available from the Visitor’s Information centre, Mittagong
Ph: 1300 657 559
Ends
Media Interview and Enquiries – Vanessa Rodeghiero – Avanti Communications - 0414 991150
Photography available
READER GIVEAWAY –
The Southern Highlands International Piano Competition would like to offer a reader giveaway of Tickets to its Launch Recital Evening in the Southern Highlands valued at $75. To arrange tickets for giveaway please contact Vanessa Rodeghiero
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