The Accompanists' Guild of SA Inc.

There are some fantastic events coming our way this year. Click here for a detailed timetable.

Click below for

AGSA 2011 Program of Events (Printable Listing)

Brochure (Outside)

Brochure (Inside)

Young Accompanists’ Showcase

AGSA’s educational program provides opportunities for students from pre-teens to tertiary to experience the demands & joys of collaborative performance. Directed at between 6 & 8 secondary school pianists annually, YAS teams them up with professional performers who also teach. They rehearse together several times in preparation for performing in a Master Class and 2 public concerts. In 2011 for the first time the second concert is scheduled during the Conference at the Accompanists’ Festival. YAS has already shown many fine young pianists that collaborative playing is not only demanding but extremely satisfying.

The Festival of Accompanists

has been an annual feature of AGSA’s program for most of the 21st Century. As well as prominent local musicians, the Festival has attracted presenters of both national & international acclaim. Visiting Musicians in Residence have been involved in a wide range of activities as well as some wonderful collaborative recitals. They  have included:- Phillip Moll (Germany) who performed with soprano, Yuko Takemichi  and flautist, Elizabeth Koch,  David Miller (Sydney) performed with mezzo, Elizabeth Campbell, Jean-Paul Sevilla (France) with ASO concertmaster, Terence Tam,  Malcolm Martineau (UK) with 4 young SA singers as well as New Zealand  bass, Jonathan Lemalu , Leslie Howard (UK expat Australian) with violinist, Niki Vasilakis and Anthony Legge (UK- Opera Australia) with soprano, Rosalind Martin and tenor, Robert Macfarlane. AGSA’s 2011 Musician in Residence is the distinguished Australian pianist Michael Kieran Harvey. Each musician in residence has chaired the jury in what has become recognized as Australia’s premier prize for accompanists –

The Geoffrey Parsons Award

The Guild has offered a prize for accompanists since 1984. In 1995, following the death of our beloved patron, Australia’s own premier international accompanist, Geoffrey Parsons, the competition was renamed in his honour. Over the years 24 pianists have won the Award. Many now hold positions of influence in the Australian music world. The first winner in 1984 was Bernard Depasquale (now CEO of the AMEB) and the 2000 winner was Leigh Harrold (now one of Australia’s busiest freelance pianists).  Each year participants include a set work in their program to be performed with the Guild soloist. Some wonderful SA musicians have participated in this. In 2011 ASO principal bassoon, Mark Gaydon, will perform with each Parsons’ applicant a newly composed work by South Australian composer, Stephen Whittington.

Michael Kieran Harvey 2011 Musician in Residence

Michael Kieran Harvey studied piano with Alan Jenkins in Canberra, Gordon Watson in Sydney and at the Liszt Academy, Budapest, under the Director, Professor Sándor Falvai. Harvey regularly appears with all Australian Symphony orchestras.   He has especially promoted the works of Australian composers and has premiered important international works. He has performed and recorded most of Messiaen’s works involving piano to high critical acclaim.

His CDs have been released by Move – his own compositions as well as new Australian, Japanese and Mexican works – as well as a disc of early Messiaen and Shostakovitch. Tall Poppies has released   the complete Vine piano music and the Westlake first sonata. World Records has released a C  of American duos with violinist, Miwako Abe.

Michael’s national and international awards include the Grand Prix in the Ivo Pogorelich Piano Competition (Pasadena), the Debussy Medal (Paris), four consecutive Australian “Mo” awards, the Australian government’s Centenary Medal for services to Australian music, and he has been twice nominated for the Helpmann Award. His recordings are regularly nominated in the ARIAS and APRAS.

In 2005 the estate of the late Susan Remington established the Michael Kieran Harvey Scholarship to encourage future directions in keyboard art music.

During the Accompanists’ Festival Michael will emphasise his experiences in collaborative music making including two duo recitals: one with SA soprano, Teresa la Rocca and the second with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s concertmaster, Natsuko Yoshimoto.  Natsuko will join him in a discussion of the Bartok second Sonata at the Saturday Conference.