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                                                Professor Albert Tiu                                                        International

                                                  jury Chair

 

Born in Cebu, Philippines, Albert Tiu has been called “an artist of uncommon abilities” by American Record Guide. His latest Centaur recording, “Grand Russian”, pairing Tchaikovsky’s Grand Sonata and Rachmaninov’s 1st Sonata, was cited in ARG: “Even with some legendary competition in this repertoire, Tiu stands tall with his interpretations and technical accomplishment.” A previous disc, “The Classical Elements”, featuring twenty pieces grouped under Earth, Air, Water and Fire, was rated 5 Stars in International Piano and praised by Fanfare for a “fascinating recital containing some stunning playing.” His 2010 tribute to Chopin and Skryabin, “Nocturnal Fantasies”, featuring pairs of similarly-titled works by both composers, was dubbed “one of the all-time great piano recordings” by Fanfare.

Currently a Professor of Piano at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore, he studied with Jerome Lowenthal at the Juilliard School, with Michael Lewin at Boston Conservatory, and with Nita Abrogar-Quinto and Nelly Castro in the Philippines. A recipient of Juilliard’s William Petschek Award and a prizewinner of competitions in Calgary (Honens), Helsinki (Maj Lind) and Santander (Paloma O’Shea), he won the First Prize and two concerto prizes in the 1996 UNISA International Piano Competition in Pretoria, South Africa. 

Known for his innovative programming, he has presented thought-provoking thematic recitals, like “Chopin: Before & Beyond” (works that influenced Chopin and works inspired by Chopin), and “Bee Flat” (the two Sonatas in B-flat by Beethoven). He has performed with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Hamburg Symphony, Finnish Radio Symphony, Gstaad Festival Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, Winnipeg Symphony, and Philippine Philharmonic. In 2005, he gave the Singapore premiere of Samuel Barber’s Piano Concerto with the Singapore Symphony under Tang Muhai. 

Other recent recording projects include collaborations with violist Zhang Manchin in the Brahms Viola Sonatas, and with tenor Alan Bennett in Schubert’s “Winterreise”, both on Centaur; with violinist Kam Ning in “Road Movies”, a Meridian disc featuring American composers; and with cellist Qin Li-Wei, in two discs on Decca of Beethoven and Rachmaninov.

His “Tiudents” have distinguished themselves in competitions and festivals around the world, and have pursued further studies in North America and Europe. Aside from teaching, he has adjudicated in international piano competitions in France, Denmark, New Zealand, Thailand and Indonesia.

He is addicted to Angry Birds, a constant source of humour in the family and in his studio, but somehow he still manages to practice some piano. When it is in season, his addiction spreads to ice hockey, in which he supports the Pittsburgh Penguins.

                     Inna Kogan 

                     Juror | Mentor 

Presenter - Teachers' Forum

M. Mus (Dist); B.Mus.Perf, 1st class Hons (IL); B.Mus.Ed (AZ)

 

A third-generation musician, Inna studied piano from the age 5. Graduating at the top of her class from a Specialized Music School for gifted children in Baku, Azerbaijan, she was accepted as a full scholarship student to the State Musical College. Shortly after graduating it with a “Red Diploma” (Distinction) Inna moved with her family to Israel. She completed her tertiary and Masters Degrees at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Arts as a full scholarship recipient, graduating with another Distinction.

 

Performing as a child prodigy publicly from an early age, she won numerous youth competitions in both USSR and Israel, most notable events being 1st prize at State Shostakovich Competition at the age 12, performing Concerto with Azerbaijan Philharmonic orchestra same year, 2nd Prize at the Israeli Best New Talent competition in 1979 and 2nd Prize at Israeli 20th Century Music competition in 1980.

 

Since moving to Australia in 1986, Inna established her own music school, which is now recognised as one of the major music schools in Australia. In her busy daily life Inna oversees the curriculum, maintains regular contact with teachers and students and teaches, applying her own “accelerated learning” method. The method, developed over a period of over 30 years, allows students of above average potential explore their limits, following a well-structured learning path, and reach a high level of performance at a young age.

 

Many of Inna’s students have been awarded AMusA Diplomas between ages of 12-13 and LMusA and ATCL Diplomas before completing High School.

Her alumni became professional musicians and perform and teach in Australia and abroad.

 

Inna is an AMEB examiner, adjudicator and a well-known motivational speaker. She adjudicated Brisbane, Toowoomba, Central Highlands and Gold Coast Eisteddfodae, QLD Piano Competition, ASKM Gold Coast Competition and Toowoomba Charles & Motee Rogers Memorial Piano Competition.

 

She gives series of music history talks on Russian Ethnic radio channel 4EB and travels to regional QLD with workshops and masterclasses. Inna is a Mentor and a Life Member of the QMTA.

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Dr. Mark Griffiths                                                    Juror | Mentor |Presenter  

PhD (QCGU), BMus(Hons), GradDipMus, LMusA 

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Dr. Mark Griffiths has established a distinguished portfolio career

in teaching, examining, adjudication and research.  He is a

graduate of Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University,

where he has been a tertiary and pre-tertiary lecturer for over

twenty years.  His professional activities are informed by ongoing

reflective practice with cohorts from early childhood to postgraduate level. 

 

His current focus areas are piano teacher training, one-to-one piano pedagogy and group teaching. Mark’s doctoral research, completed in 2017, investigated pedagogical strategies used to foster expressive performance skills within pre-tertiary pianists.  His research interests lie in one-to-one pedagogy, gesture, movement analysis and teacher identity.  

 

An influential clinician, Dr. Griffiths has led piano masterclasses in Queensland and Victoria.  He speaks at pedagogy symposia and adjudicates competitions and eisteddfodau across Australia. 

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                                    Professor Bernard Lanskey

                                                                      Director

                                                                         Queensland Conservatorium | Griffith University

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                                    Presenter - Teachers' Forum

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Active internationally for over 25 years as an administrator, collaborative pianist, scholar, recording producer and festival director, Professor Bernard Lanskey is Director of the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University and was most recently Dean of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore. Before moving to Singapore in 2006, he was a member of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama’s Directorate, as Assistant Director of Music (Ensembles & Postgraduate Studies) from 1994. He was President of the Southeast Asian Directors of Music Association (SEADOM), and is also a co-opted Council member of the European Association of Conservatoires (AEC).

As a pianist, he has performed throughout Australia, Southeast Asia, China, Great Britain and in most European countries, working principally with string players and singers in chamber music, mixed recital and lecture-recital combinations. Since 2005, he has been an Artist-in-Residence at La Loingtaine, France. He performs regularly with violinists Aki Saulière and Qian Zhou, German soprano Felicitas Fuchs, and Australian pianist Stephen Emmerson, with whom he also engages in artistic research experiments.

Over the past decade, he has performed also with violinists Siow Lee-Chin, Joshua Bell, Kam Ning, Zuo Jun and Renaud Capuçon, soprano Katherine Broderick, cellists Qin Li-Wei, Pierre Doumenge, Michael Kannen and Francois Salque, and pianists Daniel Tong and Jeffrey Sharkey, as well as in a range of other chamber music combinations. From 1996-2006, he worked regularly for British television journalist John Suchet in his theatrical presentation, Beethoven, the Last Master.  He is also active as a speaker in multiple contexts with recent keynote or plenary presentations in Singapore, Australia, China, Malaysia, Norway and Thailand.

Originally from North Queensland, Australia, he was awarded a First Class degree at the University of Queensland in 1981 before moving to more specialised pianistic studies, first in Paris (with support from the Alliance Française Australia) and then at the Royal College of Music in London (supported by the Florence Davey Scholarship) where he completed a Master’s degree with Peter Wallfisch in 1988.

As a recording producer, he has produced for Decca, Centaur and Cello Classics.

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                                      Natasha Vlassenko OAM

                                                                         

                                      Presenter

                                      Piano Pedagogy 

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Head of Keyboard at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University Natasha Vlassenko was born in Moscow and graduated from Central Music School of Moscow Conservatory and Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory where she studied under legendary Professor Jacob Flier an later pursued her Postgraduate Studies with her father Professor Lev Vlassenko.

Natasha has won Major prizes in several International Piano Competitions including the Beethoven International Piano Competition in Vienna (Austria) and Busoni International Piano Competition in Bolzano (Italy). She performed extensively in  many countries including Russia, USSR, Germany, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, New Zealand and Australia. Natasha appeared with major orchestras under the baton of Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Michael Pletnev, Carl Osterriher, Carl Martin, Edward Chivzhel, Richard Hickox, Vladimir Verbitsky, Michel Swierczewski, Veruonika Dudarova and many others.

Natasha has recorded for Moscow Radio and Television as well as ABC and MBS radio stations and has released a number of CD's in Russia, Germany and Australia. In 1991 Natasha Vlassenko was invited to join the Staff of the Central Music School of Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory where she taught before excepting teaching position at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University.

Highlights of recent years include concerto performances with Russian National Orchestra under Michael Pletnev, performances and releases of live CD's at the Beethoven International Piano Festival in Boeblingen (Germany), performance and Masterclasses at the Hamamatsu International Piano Academy in Japan, performances and Masterclasses at Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory,  invitation to serve as a Jury Member at the Beethoven International Piano Competition in Vienna (Austria) and Dublin International Piano Competition in Ireland.

In 1999 Natasha Vlassenko and Oleg Stepanov became Founders and Artistic Directors of the Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition and Festival. 

 

In 2022 Natasha Vlassenko was recognised in the  Queen’s Birthday Honours List and awarded Order of the Medal of Australia for her service to the performing arts, particularly the piano.

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Renat Yusupov

Presenter

The Dalcroze Experience

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Renat Yusupov is an accomplished musician, cellist, and educator who has dedicated

his life to the pursuit of musical excellence and nurturing young talents.

His musical journey began at the esteemed State Conservatory of Uzbekistan, where

he studied cello under the guidance of Professor Bukin N. A.

From 1992 to 1999, he served as the assistant principal cellist of The National

Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan and held the prestigious position of concertmaster

at the State Conservatory.

Renat’s passion for music extended beyond his own performances, as he eagerly

embraced the role of a cello teacher. His wealth of experience and expertise led him to

instruct musicians at leading private colleges such as The Australian Institute of Music

(Sydney), Ascham School for Girls (Sydney), and St. Patrick's College Strathfield (Sydney).

Through his guidance, numerous students discovered their own musical potential and

developed a deep love for the cello.

Driven by his unyielding commitment to providing a comprehensive music education,

Yusupov turned his attention to the Dalcroze Approach. Renat beliefs that it provides young

musicians with a solid foundation for a lifelong musical adventure.

The Dalcroze approach places a strong emphasis on the integration of movement,

rhythm, and improvisation in musical training. By engaging the whole body in the learning

process, students develop a deeper understanding of musical concepts, enhanced rhythmic

accuracy, and an increased sense of expressiveness. This approach resonated deeply with

Yusupov, who firmly believes that a comprehensive and immersive musical education is

essential for cultivating well-rounded musicians

Presently, Renat Yusupov is actively working towards obtaining his certificate in the

Dalcroze Approach. Eager to expand his pedagogical toolkit he enrolled in specialized

training programs and workshops, studying under renowned Dalcroze practitioners from UK,

Canada and Australia.

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