ABOUT US
The East West Arts Association, founded in 2017 by distinguished musicians from Australia and abroad, is dedicated to creating meaningful opportunities for pianists, composers, and artists. We proudly partner with the Melbourne Arts Orchestra, the Melbourne Pacific Piano Open Competition, the Victorian Piano Teachers’ Association, and previously, the Alink-Argerich Foundation.
Our mission is to support and inspire the next generation of musicians. We achieve this through world-class piano competitions, concerto performances with professional orchestras, and masterclasses led by internationally respected artists. The Melbourne Pacific Piano Open Competition brings together a truly international jury, ensuring fair and unbiased results while offering contestants valuable artistic feedback. Since 2020, we have been recognised by the Alink-Argerich Foundation, which lists our competition alongside some of the world’s most prestigious events, including The Leeds, the Van Cliburn, and the Sydney International Piano Competitions. In 2022, the East West Arts Association was proud to become an Affiliated Organisation of the Victorian Music Teachers’ Association in Melbourne, Australia.
Innovation and inclusivity are at the heart of our work. In 2017, we became the first competition to create a dedicated section for children with special needs. In 2020, we were also the first to spotlight 21st-century Chinese and Western contemporary piano music, with categories featuring works by award-winning composers such as Dr. Wanghua Chu, Dr. Andrián Pertout, and Dr. King-pan Ng, who also served as adjudicators for performances of their own compositions. Since 2024, our collaboration with the Melbourne Arts Orchestra has given young pianists the extraordinary opportunity to perform with a full professional orchestra.
Looking to the future, in 2026 the East West Arts Association will present the 9th Hong Kong Pacific Piano Open Competition, bringing together an esteemed panel of international jurors from Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia, Hungary, Armenia, Sweden, Chile, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Macau.
Robert Sipos-Ori - ASSOCIATION Chairman and Artistic Director
Robert Sipos-Ori
Robert Sipos-Ori, born in Australia to Hungarian parents, undertook his formal studies at The University of Melbourne under the guidance of Professor Ian Holtham, with whom he studied for more than a decade. He also studied with Professor Attila Némethy at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest, and with Geoffrey Tozer—a distinguished pupil of Maria Curcio—through a special arrangement facilitated by The University of Melbourne.
Robert has held teaching appointments of distinction, including eight years at The University of Melbourne and nearly a decade at the Escola Superior de Artes, Instituto Politécnico de Macau, where he was appointed as an Exchange Scholar. His students have gained admission to postgraduate programs at internationally recognised institutions such as the Manhattan School of Music, the Xinghai Conservatory of Music (China), and The University of Melbourne. He has also served as a piano examiner with the Australian Music Examinations Board for twenty-five years.
His artistic and scholarly achievements have been acknowledged through numerous awards, including the Una Bourne Scholarship in Music, the Eric and Linda Jullyan Memorial Scholarship in Music, the Maude Harrington Prize in Music, the Rosemarie Kenny Prize in Music, the Allans Award, the Doris F. Chandler Memorial Bursary, two consecutive Australian Postgraduate Awards (APA), and an RTS Scholarship funded by the Federal Government of Australia. In recognition of his contributions to music and the arts, he was awarded the Silver Cross Medal of the Order of Vitéz in Budapest, Hungary.
Between 2008 and 2022, Robert was based in Hong Kong and Macau, where in addition to his teaching roles, he presented masterclasses and lecture-recitals for organisations including the Hong Kong Piano Music Association, the Macau Piano Association, and the Hong Kong International Musician Association (IMA). He has served as a jury member at numerous national and international competitions, notably the Hong Kong-Asia Piano Open Competition, as Chairman of the Jury for the Inaugural Macau-Asia Piano Open Competition, and as Chairman of the Jury for the IMA International Liszt Piano Competition. In both 2012 and 2017, he was invited to the Yeoncheon DMZ International Music Festival (South Korea) as part of its Music Academy, and he has also contributed to festivals in Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Italy.
Robert’s scholarship has been recognised internationally through the publication of his book, Béla Bartók – A Performer’s Guide to the Ten Easy Pieces and Allegro Barbaro (LAP Lambert Academic Publishing, Köln, Germany).
An advocate for contemporary Australian music, Robert has given world-premiere performances of works by Dr. Andrián Pertout, with whom he has maintained a close collaborative partnership for nearly three decades.
In 2017, he co-founded the East West Arts Association, where he has served as Artistic Director since its inception, contributing significantly to the artistic development of aspiring pianists by providing a platform for music performance and professional growth.
Since returning to Melbourne in 2022, Robert has resumed his long-standing role as an examiner with the Australian Music Examinations Board and has taken up a full-time teaching appointment at Methodist Ladies’ College, Kew, where he is Head of Keyboard. In 2023, he became a founding member of the Melbourne Arts Orchestra, established in partnership with the East West Arts Association and the Melbourne Pacific Piano Open Competition, an initiative designed to provide young pianists with the rare opportunity to perform with a professional orchestra.
In 2023 and 2024, he was invited on multiple occasions by Professor Ian Holtham to serve as an External Expert for final PhD (Performance) lecture-recital examinations at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, The University of Melbourne.
2022 Chairman of Jury - Prof. CHoi Sown Le
Prof. Choi Sown Le is a graduate of the Royal College of Music London, and the Conservatoire de Musique of Geneva where he was awarded the Premier Prix de Virtuosire with Distinction. Choi Sown Le studied with German, American, Russian and Hungarian masters in addition to his studies with Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli. He has performed with renowned conductors including Maxim Shostakovich, and Yoshikazu Fukumura, and appeared as soloist with numerous orchestras including the Orchestra de Suisse Romande, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Central Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also participated in numerous International Music Festivals such as the Pittsburgh Asian Music Festival, Swiss Bach Festival and the Hong Kong Arts Festival. Choi Sown Le has been the recipient of numerous awards and prizes including "Instrumentalist of the Year Award" conferred by the Hong Kong Artists Guild, and the First Prize at the Pinault International Piano Competition in New York.
Prof. Choi Sown Le has been teaching at The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, Instituto Politecnico de Macau and Resident Artist of the HKIST. He is also an Honourary Professor of the Tianjin and Sichuan Conservatory of Music, Guest Professor of the Guangzhou Xinghai Conservatory and Dailan Conservatory of Music, Visiting Professor of the Beijing Central Music Conservatory and the Royal College of Music, London. He is also the Chairman of the Hong Kong Piano Music Association, Macau Piano Association, the Hong Kong Chamber Society, and the Founder of the Hong Kong Symphonia Orchestra.
Dr. wanghua Chu - CHairman of Contemporary Composition
Chu Wanghua is a Chinese-Australian composer of international repute. He is considered to be one of the finest and most influential composers in China having played a major role as one of the composers of the Yellow River Piano Concerto, particularly with his contribution to the piano part. This internationally recognised concerto has been widely performed and recorded by renowned pianists and orchestras throughout the world.
Chu Wanghua’s symphonies such as Ash Wednesday, Autumn Cry and Silk Road have been performed by Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. His Untitled String Quartet, Piano and Violin Duo, Piano Sonatas, Piano Concerto No 2 and No 3, and Choral pieces have been performed and recorded locally and internationally. His Silk Road Symphony, Saxophone Concerto and Accordion Concerto were premiered by Pro-Musica in Melbourne followed by the China National Orchestra in Beijing. More recently his new piano concerto, My Motherland was premiered by Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra and Pro-Musica Symphony Orchestra in Melbourne.
He has enjoyed commissions from many organisations throughout the world over the last 40 years and some of his piano pieces have been selected in the piano exam syllabus of world renowned exam boards such as Beijing’s Central Conservatory Exams in China, and the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music (ABRSM), London, UK.
As a pianist, Chu Wanghua has been invited to perform recitals at the University of Melbourne, the national Gallery of Victory, and with the ABC. Over the last decade he has committed to a robust touring schedule of China and Hong Kong performing, lecturing and adjudicating.
Dr. Lisha Zheng - Honourable Jury Member
Lisha Zheng is a Chinese pianist who began her piano studies at the age of eight under the renowned music educator Nigora Akhmedova, former Director of the Piano Teaching and Research Department at the prestigious Gnessin School in Moscow, Russia.
At fifteen, she was admitted to the Central Moscow School of Music, where she studied with Prof. Yuri Slesarev, a distinguished pianist and pedagogue of the Goldenweiser School of the former Soviet Union. Two years later, she entered the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory with top marks, graduating in 2012 with exceptional results. She now serves on the piano faculty at the School of Music, Guangdong Polytechnic University, China.
Lisha has received guidance from internationally acclaimed professors including Dmitry Bashkirov, Dang Thai Son, and Yin Chengzong, and since 2021, she has studied with celebrated Russian-American pianist and educator Oksana Yablonskaya.
She has appeared in numerous solo concerts across China and abroad, and has performed at prestigious venues such as the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Kremlin Palace Concert Hall, Tchaikovsky Cultural Center, Pushkin Museum, and Shenzhen Concert Hall. She was also invited to participate in the 8th International Chamber Music Festival “Spring in Russia.”
Lisha is a prizewinner of multiple international piano competitions, including First Prize at the 22nd Young Musician International Competition “Città di Barletta” and its Special Prize for the Best Bach Performance (Italy), as well as First Prize at the 7th International Festival-Competition “Window to Europe” (St. Petersburg, Russia).
In addition to performing, she has served as a jury member for numerous national and international competitions. Her students have achieved significant success in piano competitions both in China and abroad. She is also an accomplished scholar, having published two monographs, a national textbook, and numerous research articles in peer-reviewed journals, including the Chinese Journal of Education, Piano Art, and Music Research Institute (Russian Core Journal, VAK).
ROBIN Zebaida - Honourable Jury Member
Robin Zebaida : Lauded after a Liszt recital by Musical Opinion magazine as 'a pianist of Herculean stamina', Robin Zebaida enjoys a performing career that has taken him to over 100 countries across all continents. Highlights of past seasons have included concerts in USA, Canada - where he collaborated with conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin - Central America, Europe, the Far East and Australia, where his Sydney recital was reported as achieving 'a warmth and empathy with the audience rarely seen'. In London he has performed at major venues including St John's Smith Square and the Queen Elizabeth Hall.
Recent concerts have included Robin Zebaida's debut in China to a capacity audience in the Shenzhen Concert Hall, along with tours to the Far East and special programmes to commemorate the anniversaries of Richard Strauss and Anatol Liadov. The 2014/15 season included performances in UK, Switzerland, France, Germany and Hong Kong, with a focus on Russian music to commemorate the centenary of the death of Alexander Scriabin.
Plans for the current season include a focus on the Far East, where he recently performed at Hong Kong's City Hall Concert Hall, and as part of the 6th Shenzhen Piano Music Festival in China. Live performances and a recording of solo piano music and song transcriptions of Schubert are projected for 2021. He is also in demand for lectures, pre-concert talks and masterclasses, and has been invited to serve as a jury member on the panels of several regional and international piano competitions, many of them now online.
Robin Zebaida's wide ranging and extensive repertoire from Bach to Gershwin also encompasses less familiar fare, as reflected in his CD 'Off the Beaten Track' on the Regent label. Particular areas of interest include Russian music, orchestral and vocal transcriptions, and music for the left hand. In a career which embraces many aspects of music making, he also appears as accompanist, chamber music partner and concerto soloist. His group Classical Cornucopia has performed on several Classical Music themed cruises.
Away from the concert platform, Robin Zebaida's broadcasting experience includes studio recordings and live appearances on radio and television for several national and foreign networks. As a Steinway Artist, he was specially chosen to demonstrate the qualities of the 'Rolls Royce of the piano world' in an interview for the BBC World Service to mark the publication of a history of Steinway pianos.
Robin Zebaida was born and educated in London, England, later winning an Exhibition award to read Music at New College, Oxford, from where he graduated with maximum distinction in performance. He completed his formal studies as a postgraduate at the Royal College of Music.
Dr. ANdrian Pertout - HonoUrable jury/ ambassador for contemporary composition
Andrián Pertout (Composer)
In 2007, Andrián Pertout completed a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree at the University of Melbourne on Tweddle Trust, Australian Postgraduate and Melbourne Research scholarships, studying composition under the guidance of Brenton Broadstock. Composition awards include the Jean Bogan Prize, ‘John Cage Centennial’ Wolf Museum of Music and Art Composition Prize (USA), Friends & Enemies of New Music Composition Prize (USA), International Music Prize for Excellence in Composition (Greece), Dorian Le Gallienne Composition Prize, Betty Amsden Award, Louisville Orchestra Prize (USA), APRA Award for Orchestral Composition, and Oare String Orchestra Judges’ and Audience Prize (UK). In 2012, Luz meridional, Twenty-four Études for Pianoforte, no. 411 (2009-2012), which was commissioned by Julian Burnside AO QC and composed for Michael Kieran Harvey as part of a 2009 State Library of Victoria Creative Fellowship was recognized with the ‘Jean Bogan Prize’ – Australia’s most prestigious award for classical piano composition. Other notable awards include the 2004 Louisville Orchestra Prize (the first time for a non-American in its 40-year history) for L’assaut sur la raison for Symphony Orchestra, no. 386 (2003) – a prize also awarded to film composer James Horner in 1979. Pertout is currently the President of the Melbourne Composers’ League (MCL), Australian Delegate of the Asian Composers’ League (ACL), and was Honorary Fellow at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne (2008-2015). As well as being a freelance composer, he additionally works as composition lecturer, teacher, supervisor and examiner at various institutions at Bachelor, Masters and PhD levels. In 2019, he was Visiting Professor at Aichi Prefectural University of the Arts between April and July (Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture, Japan).
Pertout’s music music has been performed in over forty countries by orchestras, ensembles and performers that include the Melbourne and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, Orchestra Victoria, The Louisville Orchestra (USA), Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra (Israel), Orquestra Petrobrás Sinfônica (Brazil), Auckland Chamber Orchestra (New Zealand), Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra (Russia), Uzbekistan National Symphony Orchestra (Uzbekistan), Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México (Mexico), Vietnam National Opera and Theatre Choir and National Symphony Orchestra (Vietnam), Sun Symphony Orchestra (Vietnam), Orquestra Cia Bachiana Brasileira (Brazil), Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico), The Foundation Orchestra (USA), Veridian Symphony Orchestra (USA), Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Chile (Chile) Orquesta Sinfónica de Concepción and La Serena (Chile), Orquesta Marga Marga (Chile), Orquesta de Cámara de Chile and Valdivia (Chile), Logos Foundation Robot Orchestra (Belgium), University of Hong Kong Gamelan Orchestra (China), La Chapelle Musicale de Tournai (Belgium), Oare String Orchestra (UK), Noah Getz (USA), Phyllis Chen (USA), Michael Kieran Harvey (Australia), Ónix Ensamble (Mexico), Ensamble Contemporáneo (Chile), Ensemble MD7 (Slovenia), Quinteto CEAMC (Argentina), Sonemus Ensemble (Bosnia-Herzegovina), Ensemble TIMF (Korea), Omni Ensemble (USA), and the Ensemble für Neue Musik Zürich (Switzerland).
He has received numerous commissions, including orchestral works commissioned by Julian Burnside AO QC for performance by the Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar de Venezuela and Australasian Orchestra (Australia); commissions by the Orquesta Sinfónica de La Serena (Chile), Orquesta Marga Marga (Chile), Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Chile as a homenaje to Enrique Soro, and the 14th ‘Europe-Asia’ International Festival of New Music for performance by the Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra (Russia); a Concertino-Doppio for alto saxophone, harp and string orchestra commissioned by the American Harp Society, Inc. New York, NY (USA), the ‘Compulsory Chilean Work to be Performed by all Competitors’ of the 2011 Concurso Internacional de Ejecución Musical ‘Dr. Luis Sigall’ (Chile), a new solo work for Paris-based pianist María Paz Santibañez (France), and a work for robot orchestra incorporating thirty-seven automats for the Logos Foundation Robot Orchestra (Belgium); as well as other works commissioned by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Victoria Chorale, Art of Sound Orchestra (Australia), Orquesta de Cámara de Valdivia (Chile), saxophonist Noah Getz (USA), toy pianist Phyllis Chen (USA), and Ensemble MD7 (Slovenia). Julian Burnside AO QC has additionally commissioned several works for performance by the University of Hong Kong Gamelan Orchestra, Australian Discovery Orchestra, Australian pianist Michael Kieran Harvey, Australian clarinettist Richard Rourke, American ‘low flutes’ specialist Peter Sheridan and Melbourne ensemble Plexus.
YAU WANG - HONOURABLE Jury / Development Director
Wang Yau studied piano with Prof. Choi Sown Le (Hong Kong) and Len Vorster (Melbourne). She is a graduate of The University of Melbourne, The Hong Kong Baptist University, and Monash University, and holds Bachelor and Masters degrees. As well as being a highly proficient pianist, Wang has been a registered Music Therapist with the Australian Music Therapy Association since 2002 receiving her training under the supervision of Dr Denise Grocke who is president of the World Federation of Music Therapy. Yau Wang has been in demand, conducting music therapy programs in Australia, Hong Kong and China.
Wang has a keen interest in the management of stress and performance anxiety in musicians, and through her training as a pianist, music therapist she is well trained to deal with this. With her track record, she has been invited to deliver training courses, seminars and workshops for various organisations including the Open University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Piano Music Association, and the East West Arts Association.
Ms. Yau is also a part time lecturer at the Open University of Hong Kong and The Association of Hong Kong Nursing Staff.
Julie pun-man Kuok - Honourable Jury
Julie Pun-Man Kuok graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Royal Academy of Music, Julie was a prize winner in competitions at an early age. In 2000, she formed the “HK Duo” with pianist Hui Ling giving regular concerts, She has performed with orchestras as soloist including the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra, the Nanjing Philharmonic, the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Chamber Wind Philharmonia, the Xinjiang Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hong Kong Festival Orchestra.
Julie is now teaching at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Baptist University, She is a Steinway Artist also active in composing and had been featured in the Cable TV Program “Close to Culture” as one of the top ten Hong Kong young musicians. Her commissioned works range from piano ensemble pieces, chamber works, songs to piano concerto. Her piano album for the young entitled “The Fantasy of Little C” has appeared as set pieces in local and international piano competitions.
DR. Ng King Pan - Honourable Jury/ guest composer
Dr. King-pan Ng Composer / Concert Artist / Producer / Phd. Ng king-pan is active in the classical and pop music industry, playing the multiple and all-in-one role as composer, arranger, performer, conductor, music director and band leader. In recent years, he plays an active role in composing for music circles in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Ng started his music training in piano, erhu and violin at a young age. In the 1990s, he received comprehensive training at the Music Office as well as various privately-run song art clubs, dance troupes, Chinese orchestras and western symphony orchestras. When he was in secondary school, he forayed into music composition and arrangement and improvisatory performance. He studied at the Hong Kong Baptist University, the University of Melbourne in Australia, the Musikhogskolan i Piteå in Sweden, and the University of Hong Kong, under the supervision of Brenton Broadstock, Julian Yu, Jan Ferm and Chan hing-yan at various stages of his studies. Ng is also a winner of multiple awards – his symphonic piece, Merah Putih (‘Red and White’), which was based on a highland folk song in Indonesia with the same title, won the Reading Australian National Composer Award in 2002. He has been the pianist, keyboardist and arranger for major pop concerts and record albums since 2005. Over the past decade or more, he has adapted and arranged music for symphony and pop crossover concerts. In 2014, under the helpful guidance of Professor Chan Hing-yan, Ng completed his doctoral thesis entitled ‘Composing for Chinese Instrumental Ensemble: a Practitioner's Perspective’. Ng has been actively composing for professional orchestras in Hong Kong and Taiwan in recent years, turning out many works for huqin ensembles, wind and percussion, concertos and music for Chinese orchestras. Highlight of recent works: 2020, Producer and Composer of four music videos featuring Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and traditional festivals, namely “Dragon Phoenix”, “Dragon Boat”, “Moon Chaser”, “Winter Days”. 2011- 2020, Ng has been the Music Director of the China National Day Gala (HK) held at Hong Kong Coliseum 2019, Ng’s work, ‘Next Station Moon’ was featuring at the season-opening concerts3 of Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. 2019, (Taipei) Arranger and Conductor for Lo Da-Yu’s new works and its studio recording sessions. 2018, Commissioned by the Hong Kong SAR Government, Ng created and produced the video-audio of Theme Music of the 40 th Anniversary of the Reform and Opening Up of the Country. 2018, The sole Arranger and Conductor for Jeff Chang’s live concert at the Beijing Concert Hall with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. 2017, Arranger and Conductor of the cello concerto album, Cello Loves Disney by young cellist, Nana Ou-Yang and Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra. 2012-2016, Music Director of Nuskin Asian Expo at Hong Kong Asia EXPO.
BENSON LEE - Honourable Jury
H.P. Benson Lee - Conductor. Currently Department Chair of Visual and Performing Arts and Director of Music at Tarrant County College Northwest Campus, Benson Lee also serves as the Director of NW Chamber Orchestra, Artistic Director of Flower Mound Music Academy, and Director of the Hong Kong International Music Festival (U.S. Office). As a conductor, Benson has collaborated with musicians from prestigious orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Dallas Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Dallas Opera, Calgary Philharmonic, Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Shenyang Symphony, among others. Benson was appointed as the Assistant Conductor to Maestra Mei-Ann Chen and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra during the 1st Van Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival (2015). Benson served as the Conductor of the Tarrant County College (NE) Opera and Chamber Orchestras, the Conducting Fellow of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and the Assistant Conductor of the TCU Symphony Orchestra, TCU Chamber Orchestra, and TCU Opera Orchestra. Benson earned his graduate degree at Texas Christian University in Orchestral Conducting under the direction and mentorship of Maestros German Gutierrez and Miguel Harth-Bedoya. A passionate musician whether holding a violin or baton, Benson brings unparalleled artistry to all of his musical endeavors both in the United States and abroad.
Guy Cremnitz - Honorable Jury / ABRSM EXAMINER
Guy Cremnitz's early musical training was at specialist music high schools in the United States, and later in the UK at both the Royal Academy of Music London and The Guildhall School of Music with teachers of international repute such as Maria Curcio and Gordon Green.
As well as an extensive teaching career which included teaching at the Royal Academy of Music, Guy has been an examiner for the ABRSM since the early 1980's, taking him to every continent and to over 100 countries as a specialist examiner. He has been an Honorable jury member of many local and international piano competitions such as the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival, the Hong Kong-Asia Open Piano competition, and the Macau-Asia International Piano competition.
Dr. Micheal Giddens - Honorable jury/ AMEB EXAMINER
Dr. Micheal Giddens studied piano with Margaret Schofield, a distinguished pupil of the famed English pianist Solomon. At The University of Melbourne Micheal completed a B.Mus, M.Mus Education, and Ph.D. The later involved a study of acquiring musicianship through the teachings of Dalcroze, Orff, Kodaly and Suzuki. The thesis was awarded the University of Melbourne Freda Cohen Prize.
At Wisconsin U.S.A Micheal studied Duo Piano techniques with Nancy and Dallas Arganbright and, in Switzerland, Micheal graduated from the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze obtaining the Licenciate Diploma. In Melbourne Micheal has taught pianoforte and aural skills at Deakin University and Melba Conservatorium.
Presently, he is involved with his own private studio and examines for the Australian Music Examinations Board. Micheal has presented at conferences in the U.S.A, Souoth Korea, England, and Australia. Alongside music, Micheal is also a Fine Artrist and has paintings in collections worldwide.
MaRta MaJka - Honourable Jury MEMBER
Marta Majka was born and educated in Hungary. She is a graduate of the prestigious Teacher’s Training College of the Liszt Ferenc Acadamy of Music, and the Richter Janos Music Conservatoire in Gyorgy, Hungary.
Her teaching career began with appointments at Budapest’s prestigious music schools, and later in New Zealand and Australia, where her students have achieved great success. Marta is also a keen advocate of Chamber music, having completed Music Performance degrees in Piano and Chamber music. She has performed extensively with various chamber groups and piano duets with Eva Holger, and Irina Cherkasski.
RObert Hardwick - Honourable Jury Member
Robert Hardwick studied piano with Elizabeth Mitchell and Prof. Donald Thornton. His formal studies were completed at The University of Melbourne from where he gained his Bachelor of Music (Honours) and Master of Music Degree. He also holds several Internationally recognized performance qualifications.
Robert was the recipient of numerous awards and prizes which included the prestigious Melbourne Research Scholarship ( MRS ) awarded by The University of Melbourne. In addition to his private teaching practice, Robert taught piano at the Melba Conservatorium of Music.
lilit gevorkyan - Honourable Jury MEMBER
Lilit Gevorkyan is an award winning solo and chamber musician and pedagogue. She is one of the most prominent graduates in music performance of the Postgraduate School of Petrozavodsk State Conservatory, where she was a Russian State Scholarship Awardee. She studied piano with Professor Alexander Utrobin, and later became his Assistant teacher.
Between 2001 to 2006 she completed her Conservatory Diploma in piano performance (equivalent to a Masters Degree) at Petrozavodsk State Conservatory, passing with distinction and winning various other awards, namely the 2004 Russian Young Talents State Scholarship. Lilit was also a Prize winner at the 2004 Barents International Piano Competition. Between 2006 to 2009 she completed the Graduation Certificate (equivalent to a Doctorate degree), a qualification which entitles its holder to teach at Master’s Degree level. Passing with Distinction, she also received a full Russian State Scholarship during her studies.
She has worked at various prestigious universities including the Petrozavodsk State Conservatory, Yerevan State Conservatory, Krasnodar State University of Culture and Arts, and the Krasnodar College of Music and Pedagogy.
DR. QMARS PIRAGLU - Honourable Jury MEMBER
Dr. Qmars Piraglu is a renowned pianist, ethnomusicologist and author. He is a graduate of Gothenburg University (Sweden), Antwerp Academy of Music (Belgium), The University of Melbourne and Monash University from where he received his PhD in Music.
His early musical training was at the Tehran Conservatory of music, before moving to Belgium and Sweden where he continued his studies with Hedwig Vanvarenberg, Alexis Weissenberg and Stella Tchaikovsky. He furthered his studies at the University of Melbourne, receiving his Master of Music, and later at Monash University, graduating with a PhD in Music. In addition to his studies in piano, Dr. Piraglu is also one of the worlds most prominent Santur (Persian Hammered Dulcimer ) players, and Faramarz Payvar’s most distinguished student.
Qmars Piraglu has performed throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand, and as a lecturer he has taught at The University of Melbourne, Art University (Keraj), Pars Music Institute, and Tehran Conservatory of Music. He has written several books which have been published by Lambert Academic Publishing (Germany), and has commissioned contemporary works by the renowned Chilean-Australian composer Andrian Pertout.
Vivian Horn - Honourable Jury MEMBER
Vivian Horn studied piano with Prof. Ian Holtham and Geoffrey Tozer at the University of Melbourne. She pursued conducting with British-born Australian Conductor John Hopkins and completed a Bachelor of Music degree and a Master of Music Studies as well as a Graduate Diploma of Teaching at The University of Melbourne. She conducted the Percy Grainger Youth Orchestra under the supervision of John Hopkins during those years.
In 2016, Vivian participated in a masterclass with Maestro Achim Holub and the London Classical Soloists, where she received the Audience’s Favourite Award. In 2017, she attended a masterclass with renowned Finnish conducting pedagogue Prof. Jorma Panula alongside the Orchestra of the Royal Capital City of Krakow (Sinfonietta Cracovia). Vivian also had the opportunity to meet Polish mentor Dr Monika Stefaniak who nourished her conducting experiences. In August 2018, Vivian was privileged to be part of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra’s Louise Crossley conducting workshop with Maestro Elena Schwarz. She has recently returned from the 2019 Australian Conducting Academy Summer School where she studied under conductor Johannes Fritzsch and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. Vivian is currently completing a Master of Music in Performance Studies (Conducting) with Dr Luke Dollman at Elder Conservatorium of Music, as well as teaching piano and music theory in the Music Department of Methodist Ladies’ College in Melbourne.
Raymond Yip - i.T. Specialist for online competition
Raymond Yip is an information technology specialist who will be providing technical support throughout the entire competition. He has had a long association with East West Arts Association which stems back to its foundation.
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