STEFAN CASSOMENOS
Melbourne pianist, conductor and composer Stefan Cassomenos gives regular solo recitals throughout Australia, and has appeared as a soloist throughout Europe and Asia. He studied with Margarita Krupina, and then with Stephen McIntyre whilst on scholarship at the University of Melbourne. He has performed internationally since the age of 10, and performed the premiere of his own first piano concerto with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra at the age of 16. His London performance in 2007 was reviewed as ‘a prodigious London debut by a formidable talent.’ (Musical Opinion, April 2007) His recent performance of Beethoven’s Sonata Op 110 was acclaimed as ‘a model of clarity, depth of expression and irrefutable musical logic.’ (West Australian, April 2013) In 2012 he was a grand finalist in the 2012 Rhodes International Piano Competition. In 2013, he is a finalist in the Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year Awards.
Stefan is well known for performances of chamber music and art song. In 2009, he was a grand finalist and prize-winner at both the Trieste International Chamber Music Competition and the Melbourne Asia-Pacific Chamber Music Competition. Stefan’s acclaimed recording of English and Australian art song with tenor Christopher Saunders was named ABC’s CD of the week in September 2012.
Stefan’s compositions have been played by the Symphony Orchestras of Melbourne and Adelaide. He has conducted numerous choirs and youth orchestras, and he has directed a number of performances from the keyboard including the Creative Universe Creative Innovation 2010 Melbourne Recital Centre premiere of his own third piano concerto. He has been artistic director of many festivals, projects and collaborations including the Melba Festival and Melbourne’s Piano Landmarks festival. Stefan was recently awarded the 2012 Young Achievement Award by the Hellenic Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is generously supported by Kawai Australia, Creativity Australia, and the Youth Music Foundation of Australia.
He has been Composer in Residence for Creative Innovation Global since Ci2010.
